Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
Thomas met his death at the Battle of the Hohenzollern Redoubt. On the 12th October 1915 the Battalion marched the ten miles from the village of Hesdigneul to the Redoubt in “fighting order”, with great coats rolled and strapped to their backs. They arrived at 10.00pm at Vermelles, and the following eight hours were spent packed solid in communication trenches. Each soldier carried six sandbags and every third a shovel. As you could imagine, none of them slept and the lucky ones had a drink before our artillery opened up at noon on the 13th October. The enemy artillery responded fifteen minutes later, and at 1.00pm we released chlorine gas, and disastrously for us an enemy shell shattered some containers in our frontline. At 2.00pm our troops, many wearing gas helmets went “over the top” and bayonet charged the enemy positions. Terrific machine gun fire tore into them and a shrapnel barrage added to the heavy casualties. Hours passed and furious hand to hand fighting took place and repeated bayonet charges drove the enemy back, who in turn counter attacked. After darkness fell Lance Corporal Clayson of the 1st/5th Battalion saved many lives by dragging wounded back to our trenches, and Captain Barton spent hours in No Man’s land giving morphine and water to the dying. When food and drink was brought up during the night the men had their first meal for twenty four hours, but still no sleep. The morning of the fourteenth was very misty and this became smog as the Germans continued to use shrapnel and gas shells throughout the day. It was at 8.00am on the fifteenth that the relief was completed and buses took most of our troops back to Hesdigneul. The 1st/5th Battalion lost four officers, six wounded, two gassed and thirty five men killed, one hundred and thirty two wounded and twenty two gassed. The War Diary for today records. At 6.00am Battn in place in RESERVE trench. At 12.00 noon bombardment of enemy trench FOSSE 8 commenced. At 1.00pm smoke and gas turned on until 1.50pm. At 2.00pm assault. 5th Battn LINCOLNSHIRE REGT and 4th Battn LEICESTERSHIRE REGT advanced in lines of platoon at 50 paces distance against HOHENZOLLERN REDOUBT. 4th Battn LINCOLNSHIRE REGT attacked from 2nd line followed by the MONMOUTHSHIRE REGT. REDOUBT captured but lines checked and stopped by machine gun fire from MAD POINT, MADAGASCAR, and SOUTH FACE, also heavy rifle fire FOSSE and DUMP TRENCH. First two lines as almost all Coy officers became casualties. REDOUBT and half of NORTH FACE was held – LITTLE WILLIE and BIG WILLIE still in enemy hands. At 3.00pm B Coy sent up to reinforce centre and left of REDOUBT followed by A and part of D Coy’s. Machine guns in position along original front line now held by C Coy and parts of other regiments. Considerable progress made along LITTLE WILLIE by grenade party under Lt C. H. F. WOLLASTON. Ground lost again owing to lack of grenades. At 5.30pm ground now held consisted of front face of REDOUBT and up to LITTLE WILLIE and point 60. Remainder of REDOUBT untenable by either side. 138th Brigade relieved gradually by 139th Brigade. 138th Brigade hold original front line trench. Many of A and B Coy’s still remained in the REDOUBT during the whole of next day.