Thomas is listed as being killed in action on 23rd April 1917. The 1st Battalion war diary entries for the period 22nd to 24th April are transcribed below.
War Diary - 22nd April 1917
Quarries - Trenches – 22nd April: Throughout the day Battalion remained in the Quarries. Battalion paraded about 8pm and moved forward to relieve the 1st Battn East Surrey Regt. Coys were situated as follows:
Front Line from S.6.b.20.20 to Road at M.36.c.490.60. No 1 Coy on left and No 2 Coy on the right.
Second Line ran from S.6.c.6.7 to road at M.50.d.1.5, No 3 Coy being on the left and No 4 Coy on the right.
Until completion of the relief Battn HQ remained in Click Trench. On completion of relief which was complete about 12.30am [23rd] Battn HQ moved forward to the Gun Pits at S.6.a.40.20.
Casualties:
Wounded 1 Officer and 5 Other Ranks
To Hospital (sick). 1 Officer and 2 Other Ranks
From Hospital 2 Other Ranks.
Reinforcements from Brigade: 16 Other Ranks.
War Diary - 23rd April 1917
S of La Foret - Trenches – 23rd April: At 4.45am Battalion attacked German positions between N.31.c.3.1and [36C].M.36.b.2.1 [just south of La Foret]. The 1st Battalion Bedford Regt (15th Infantry Brigade) attacked on the right and the 1st Battn D.Cornwall’s L.I on the left.
By 6am the attack had reached the fullest point it ever did and had in effect failed in its object. The enemy were inclined to surrender, not the very first, but as soon as they saw our troops in difficulties with the wire they gained confidence and opened heavy. M.G and rifle fire on the attackers.
Snipers from houses and previously prepared loopholes which had not been damaged by artillery fire were particularly active all day and caused many casualties.
The enemy was in force in the trenches and reinforcements kept arriving continuously. The main cause of the failure of the attack was insufficient preparations. Not only had the wire not been cut but the enemy M.G. emplacements, dugouts, trenches and personnel had not been sufficiently bombarded before the attack. This hurrying up of the attack also meant that it was impossible to either dig assembly trenches or out the taped assembly positions close enough up to the German wire, the result being that the Battalion had over 600 yards before reaching the enemy’s first line and in doing so was caught in a hostile barrage which they would largely have escaped had they been able to jump off nearer the first enemy trench.
The Battalion only succeeded in getting into the enemy’s trench at one point on the night. This party was soon driven out by bombing attacks from each flank. The Battalion remained in position in front of the enemy’s wire till about 9pm when it returned to the original jumping off trenches.
At 11pm the Battalion was relieved by the 1st Battn East Surrey Regt and withdrew to Click Trench.
Casualties [Officer Names not transcribed]:
Killed: 3 Officers and 40 Other Ranks
Wounded: 8 Officers and 157 Other Ranks
Missing: 2 Officers and 29 Other Ranks
Wounded, still at duty: 5 Other Ranks
War Diary - 24th April 1917
Trenches – Bouvigny Huts - 24th April: Battalion remained in Click Trench until 4pm when it withdrew to Bouvigny Huts at [36C].R.25.d.50.50. Wounded – 2 other ranks, wounded and doing duty 1 other rank. From hospital 1 other rank.
