168824 2nd Lt. Thomas George British Army 16th Btn. Royal Welsh Fusiliers from:Pembrey, Wales Thomas was the Son of John and Lettice George, of Brynhir, Pembrey. He came from a coal mining family and was one of eight children. He had been commissioned into the 16th Battalion, Royal Welsh Fusiliers, who were attached to the 113th Brigade, 38th (Welsh) Division. The Division had landed in France during December 1915 and had spent their first winter in the trenches near Armentieres. In June they marched south to the Somme, where they were tasked with the capture of Mametz Wood. The attack on the wood began on the 7th July, but met with fierce resistance, and it took until the 14th July to clear the wood. The Division suffered terrible casualties at Mametz, and were taken out of the line, and moved to Ypres to rebuild. Here they fought at Pilckem and Langemarck, then moved to Armentieres, where they remained from September 1917 until March, 1918 when the German Spring Offensive was launched. The British had been over-run on the Somme, and so in April the Division was moved south, taking up positions North of Albert, from where they weathered the storm of the coming months, until the war turned during the Battle of Amiens, on the 8th August, 1918. The Germans had now lost the upper hand, and the British regained the lost ground on the Somme after an attack which began on the 21st August, with the 38th Welsh in the midst of the attack during the Battle of Albert. Thomas was killed in action just 6 days into the attack, on the 27th August, 1918. He was 24 years old, and is buried at Caterpillar Valley Cemetery, Longueval. There is a a commemorative bronze candlestick to Thomas in St. Illtyds church, Pembrey. Thomas is cited on the Pembrey war memorial. I would welcome any further information.
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