14630 Private Harry Howe Thomas
9th(Service)Battalion
Devonshire Regiment
1st July 1916
Born on 14/11/1895 in Brixham,Devon. He was baptised on 12/12/1895.
His parents were Edward Thomas(18/10/1868-1942) and Kate(Minnie) Munday(1867-1922). They were married in 1889.
Harry had a brother, Edward Leonard(born on 30/01/1890) and 2 sisters Kate(born in 1892) and
Ida Minnie(born in 1899).
In the 1901 census the family is recorded as living in King Street Brixham,Devon. Edward snr. does not appear in the census and it come because,he was a fisherman and may well have been out at sea the time the census was taken.
The same could be said for Harry & his brother in the 1911 census as neither appear. Harry nearly 16 could have become a fisherman like his father and his brother had joined the Royal Naval Reserve in 1908,so both could have well been out at sea.
His father did appear though and it showed him to be part of the crew of a boat named "Victor" that was moored up in Newlyn Harbour,Brixham.
Harry enlisted in Brixham and his date of disembarkation into France was on 01/10/1915.
He was killed in action on 01/07/1916.
He was awarded the 1914-1915 Star,
the 1914-1918 British War and Allied Victory medals.
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