Thomas was Amongst the first volunteers of the war, joining the 6th Battalion Kings Shropshire Light Infantry around September 1914.  He landed in Boulogne 24/07/1915 and with the Bn saw action at the Battle of Loos Sep 1915.  Then remained in the Ypres salient through to mid 1916, where they took up new positions in readiness for the Somme offensive.  Thomas was killed returning from a successful trench raid, having volunteered for the mission.  Shot in the back by a German sniper, he died of wounds in the first aid station a few hours later. 

Ben Braddick