Sapper Albert William Thomas 2/1 Field Coy R.E

[Will O'Brien]

As per CWGC

Name: THOMAS, ALBERT WILLIAM

Initials: A W

Nationality: United Kingdom

Rank: Sapper

Regiment: Royal Engineers

Unit Text: 2nd/1st (North Midland) Field Coy.

Age: 23

Date of Death: 20/09/1915

Service No: 693

Additional information: Son of James and Annie Thomas, of 14, Victoria Rd., Fenton, Stoke-on-Trent. Native of Fenton.

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Grave/Memorial Reference: IV. F. 4.

Cemetery: ETAPLES MILITARY CEMETERY

[Will O'Brien]

& the cemetery info

Cemetery: ETAPLES MILITARY CEMETERY

Country: France

Locality: Pas de Calais

Location Information: Etaples is a town about 27 kilometres south of Boulogne. The Military Cemetery is to the north of the town, on the west side of the road to Boulogne.

Historical Information: During the First World War, the area around Etaples was the scene of immense concentrations of Commonwealth reinforcement camps and hospitals. It was remote from attack, except from aircraft, and accessible by railway from both the northern or the southern battlefields. In 1917, 100,000 troops were camped among the sand dunes and the hospitals, which included eleven general, one stationary, four Red Cross hospitals and a convalescent depot, could deal with 22,000 wounded or sick. In September 1919, ten months after the Armistice, three hospitals and the Q.M.A.A.C. convalescent depot remained. The cemetery contains 10,773 Commonwealth burials of the First World War, the earliest dating from May 1915. 35 of these burials are unidentified. Hospitals were again stationed at Etaples during the Second World War and the cemetery was used for burials from January 1940 until the evacuation at the end of May 1940. After the war, a number of graves were brought into the cemetery from other French burial grounds. Of the 119 Second World War burials, 38 are unidentified. Etaples Military Cemetery also contains 658 German burials and a few war graves of other nationalities. The cemetery, the largest Commission cemetery in France, was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens.

No. of Identified Casualties: 11479

[Will O'Brien]

Albert's online MIC index entry can be seen here

[Will O'Brien]

Found the 8 year old Albert on the 1901 census living in Fenton. His father James was 41 at the time, born in Hartshill, Worcestershire & a Potters Presser by profession