L/Cpl 16402 James Page Thomas

• Age: 29
• From: Cardiff
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 18th Btn
• K.I.A Saturday 1st July 1916
• Commemorated at: Thiepval Memorial
  Panel Ref: P&F1D8B &8 C.

16402 Lance Corporal James Page THOMAS, 18th Battalion KLR.

James Page Thomas was born on the 10th of November 1887 in Cardiff to Evan Thomas, and his wife Henrietta (nee Page) who were married in 1884 in Ludlow, Shopshire. He was baptised in St John the Baptist in Cardiff on the 12th February 1888 where his father is recorded as a draper and the family address is 128 Clifton Street, Cardiff.

At the time of the 1891 census the family were living at 230 Castle Street, Cardiff. Evan and Henrietta had two sons, James Page aged 3 and John Page aged 5. Both Henrietta and Evan were 32 and Evan was working as a commercial traveller.

The 1901 census shows the family now living at 55 Wellfield Road, Cardiff. Evan is recorded as a 42 year old retired draper, born in Cilyblaidd, Carmarthen, whilst his mother, Henrietta, is 44 years of age, and has no occupation listed and she was born in Broomfield, Shropshire. The couple have three sons, all born in Cardiff; John P. aged 15 James P. aged 13 and Robert Page who is 7. 

His father died, aged 51, in the December quarter of 1909. 

By 1911 James had moved to 62 Rice Lane, Egremont, where  he is a boarder in the household of Henry Blake and his wife and children, Henry is an officer in the merchant service. James is described as an auditor and accountant.

The rest of his family have moved to 31 Station Road, Llandaff North, Cardiff. His widowed mother ,Henrietta, is aged 52, sons John P. is aged 25, a solicitors articled clerk, and Robert P. is aged 17, a law clerk.   

He enlisted at St George's Hall in Liverpool on 02nd September 1914, joining the 18th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment as Private 16402 and gave his age as 26 years and 296 days, his occupation as a clerk with Messrs. Bahr, Behrend and Company, merchants, ship brokers and freight forwarders and his next of kin as his mother of 31 Station Road, Llandaff, Glamorganshire. He also gave his home address as 62 Rice Lane, Egremont. He was described as being 5’ 10” tall, weighing 133lbs, 37" chest, with a fresh complexion, blue eyes and fair hair. His religion is stated as Church of England. 

His enlistment papers initially show John but this was crossed out and rewritten as James.

From the 23^rd September 1914 he was billeted at Hooton Park Race Course and remained there until 03^rd December 1914 when they moved into the hutted accommodation at Lord Derby’s estate at Knowsley Hall. On 30th April 1915 the 18th Battalion alongside the other three Pals battalions left Liverpool via Prescot Station for further training at Belton Park, Grantham. They remained here until September 1915 when they reached Larkhill Camp on Salisbury Plain. 

He sailed to France with his Battalion on board the SS Invicta on the 07th November 1915 and on 01st January 1916 was appointed Unpaid Lance Corporal.

James was killed in action, during the attack at Montauban on 01st July 1916.

The events of that day for the 18th Battalion:

At 6.30am the artillery commenced an intensive bombardment of the enemy’s trenches. Zero Hour – 7.30 am – the battalion commenced to leave their trenches and the attack commenced. The attack was pressed with great spirit and determination in spite of heavy shelling and machine gun enfilade fire which caused casualties amounting to 2/3rds of the strength of the Battalion in action. The whole system of German trenches including the Glatz Redoubt was captured without any deviation from the scheduled programme. Consolidated positions and made strong points for defence against possible counter attacks.

Graham Maddocks provides more detail concerning the events of the day:

As the first three waves began to move forward towards the German reserve line, known as Alt Trench and then on to the Glatz Redoubt itself, they suddenly came under enfilading fire from the left. This was from a machine gun which the Germans had sited at a strong point in Alt Trench. The gun itself was protected by a party of snipers and bombers, who, hidden in a rough hedge, were dug into a position in Alt Trench, at its junction with a communication trench known as Alt Alley. These bombers and snipers were themselves protected by rifle fire from another communication trench, Train Alley which snaked back up the high ground and into Montauban itself. The machine gun fire was devastating and it is certain that nearly of the Battalion’s casualties that day were caused by that one gun.

Lieutenant Colonel Edward Henry Trotter wrote in the conclusion of his account of the days action:

I cannot speak to highly of the gallantry of the Officers and men. The men amply repaid the care and kindness of their Company Officers, who have always tried to lead and not to drive. As laid down in my first lecture to the Battalion when formed, in the words of Prince Kraft:

“Men follow their Officers not from fear, but from love of the Regiment where everything had always and at all times gone well with them”.

Joe Devereux in his book A Singular Day on the Somme gives the Casualty Breakdown for the 18th Battalion as Killed in Action 7 Officers and 165 men and of those who died in consequence of the wounds 3 Officers and 19 men a total of 194 out of a total loss for the four Liverpool Pals Battalions of 257.

His death was reported in the Wallasey News

Private James Page Thomas, of the King's Liverpool Regiment, aged 26, who resided with Mrs.Blake, 62,Rice-lane, Egremont, is reported killed in action. 

James' body was not recovered or was subsequently lost as he has no known grave and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme.

The Thiepval Memorial, the Memorial to the Missing of the Somme, bears the names of more than 72,000 officers and men of the United Kingdom and South African forces who died in the Somme sector before 20 March 1918 and have no known grave. Over 90% of those commemorated died between July and November 1916.

On 01st August 1932 the Prince of Wales and the President of France inaugurated the Thiepval Memorial in Picardy. The inscription reads: “Here are recorded the names of officers and men of the British Armies who fell on the Somme battlefields between July 1915 and March 1918 but to whom the fortune of war denied the known and honoured burial given to their comrades in death.”

James’s effects were sent to his mother in November 1916, they were 1 disc, 1 letter and a photo.

His Soldiers Effects were also sent to his mother, but the Pension Card states it was refused. 

Gareful thanks are extended to Alan Riches for the photograph of James Page Thomas now shown on the website.

We currently have no further information on James Page Thomas, If you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.