James Vernon Thomas (known as Jim) was born on 10 April 1888 in Llanelli, Carmarthenshire. He was the ninth and final child of Owen and Mary Thomas. His father was a fairly wealthy merchant with family servants.

In the 1901 census, he was shown as 12 years old and living with his parents and 2 older siblings at Somerset House, Pembrey, Carmarthen. His father, Owen, was listed as an Ale Merchant.

At some point following that census, Jim travelled to Canada. The next record found is dated July 1914, where he is shown returning from Canada to Liverpool on the SS Celtic. A later record confirms that he returned to Britain to join the Army.

On 3 September 1914, he enlisted in the 1st Welsh (Howitzer) Brigade. His attestation forms give an insight into his life and movements prior to that. It shows that he had been living in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada and was working as a Motor Machinist.

After he enlisted, Jim would have initially trained in Swansea, possibly living with his mother in the Mumbles. In December, he completed his training and left Swansea. From that point onwards, he would have seen little of Swansea or his mother.

Whilst he served, he moved around both Britain and Ireland and on 3 February 1917 was transferred to the Class W reserve, meaning that it was considered he was more use in civilian life. He immediately returned to Canada, arriving at Ellis Island on 8 March on the SS Baltic. On his immigration form, he gave his occupation as Master Mechanic.

On 29 September 1917, Jim married Alice Cheeseman in Montreal. At the time, he gave his address as Verdun, Quebec.

In December 1918, Jim and Alice returned to the UK and in October 1919, were living in Wakefield, Yorkshire which is where Alice's family were based.

Jim and Alice were repatriated to Canada on the SS Baltic leaving on 29 October 1919. In the related correspondence with the army, it mentions that at that time they already had Canadian Passports.

In 1923, Jim and Alice welcomed their first and only child, Orrel Bessie (later known as Betty), born in Royal Oak, Oakland, Michigan.

On 4 June 1926, the family (Jim, Alice and Orrel) travelled back at Liverpool. The form shows that they had travelled 3rd Class from Boston on the SS Newfoundland and were intending to return to Wakefield, Yorkshire. Once again, Jim was described as a mechanic.

His grand-daughter added: Alice’s family were in the North of England and the family made several journeys across the Atlantic to see them. Alice and Orrel finally returned to England in 1933, along with Esak Ruvenoff, Orrel’s dance teacher (Orrel was a talented ballerina who featured in the Daily Mail), but without Jim – we think the marriage had broken down by then. Orrel’s half brother, Arnold was born in 1935, his father was Arnold Taberner who Alice knew from her time abroad.

By the time of the 1939 Register, Jim was living in Kensington at 2 Queensdale Rd. In the Register he gave his occupation as ‘Working on Air-Conditioning Plant’.

Jim lost his life shortly after. His grand-daughter wrote; He died at the beginning of the second world war, from an accident in one of the first blackouts when he fell in front of a tube train. My mother was only 16 when he died and she had to go to identify him.

The accident was reported in the West London Observer on 13 October 1939 under the headline STATION TRAGEGY - Workman’s Fatal Mistake in Darkened Platform – Stepped Between Two Coaches.

The article describes how, whilst on his way to work in Dagenham, Jim had accidentally stepped between carriages and fallen onto the tracks. It goes on to say that the recently introduced blackout was an important factor. The article concluded: The Coroner said the man used to get into the front part of the train at Notting Hill Gate so that it would save him time when he had to change into the other train at Gloucester Road to travel to Dagenham. He evidently thought he was stepping into the train when he stepped between the two coaches and he fell as the train moved off…. He recorded a verdict of Accidental death, and held that no one was to blame.

The article also talked about Jim’s relationship with Betty: Miss Orrel Bessie Thomas, of Sycamore Gardens, Hammersmith, the man’s daughter, said that she lived with her mother…. She saw her father twice a week. He was in no trouble that she knew of and was earning good money. She was the only daughter and he was very devoted to her. He was a temperate sober man and had fairly good health.

His grand-daughter concluded: I never knew him, as he died before I was born but my mother spoke often of him. She described him as a loving father who cared for her deeply. Orrel's life away from her father was extremely difficult; that she turned out to be such a kind and warm person was, her family believe, a testament to his care.

James Vernon Thomas enlisted as a Driver in the 1st Welsh (Howitzer) Brigade on 3 September 1914 and was given the Service Number 933. Fortunately, much of his service record has survived, so it is possible to track his activities throughout the Great War.

His service record confirms that he had previous military experience. Before he left for Canada, he had served in the Welsh Regiment and he also served in the 13th Canadian Militia.

Dvr Thomas undertook his basic artillery training at the Brigade Depot in Swansea and is included in the photo of the new recruits published in the Cambria Daily Leader in December 1915.

On 8 December 1914, he completed this training and was posted to the Ammunition Column as a Gunner in the first draft of new recruits. At this time, the Brigade was in Northampton, but shortly after, they moved to Cambridge and he was also transferred to the 1st Glamorgan Battery.

In April 1915, Gnr Thomas fell ill with Rheumatic Fever and spent 6 weeks in the 1st General Hospital, Cambridge. It is possible that the lingering effects of this illness impacted on his remaining service.

Whilst in hospital, Gnr Thomas was released for Munitions Works, moving initially to Sheffield (1915), Leicester (1916) and finally Dublin (1917).

On 3 February 1917, Gnr Thomas was transferred to the Class W (T) TF Reserve. This reserve was introduced in June 1916 by Army Order 203/16. and was ‘for all those soldiers whose services are deemed to be more valuable to the country in civil rather than military employment’. Men in these classes were to receive no emoluments from Army Funds and were not to wear uniform. They were liable at any time to be recalled to the Colours. From the time a man was transferred to Class W, until being recalled to the Colours, he was not subject to military discipline.

Following his transfer, he went back to Canada, returning to the UK in December 1918, possibly to complete his discharge from the army.

Gunner James Vernon Thomas was finally ‘Discharged Surplus to Military requirements’ on 14 December 1918.