2nd Lieut Bryn Atherton Brodie Thomas

• Age: 19
• From: Chester
• Regiment: 13th Kings
• Died on Wednesday 16th August 1916
• Commemorated at: Guillemont Rd Cem
  Panel Ref: IV.N.7

Bryn Atherton Brodie Thomas was born 1st February 1897 at Chester and he was baptised at Exeter Cathedral on 23rd March 1897. He was the son of  Lt. Col. David Brodie Thomas, O.B.E. and Gertrude Annie Thomas (nee Atherton) of "Thornbank", Lower Bourne, Farnham, Surrey. His parents married in the December quarter of 1883 the marriage was registered in Exeter.

The 1901 Census shows the family are living at Upton Villas, Upton by Chester. His father David Brodie Thomas is shown as a Captain in the Cheshire Regiment, he is 38 years of age having been born at Llanelly, Carmarthenshire. His mother Gertrude Annie was born at Pensnett, Staffordshire in 1866. Bryn is the youngest of three children, he is aged 4 and has two older sisters; Dorothy G born 1895 in India and Audrey G b. 1896 also in India.There are also two servants present in the household. 

The 1911 Census shows Bryn aged 14 and a student at Wellington College Public School, Berkshire.

Bryn enlisted in Liverpool and was serving in the 18th Bn as Private 17000. Bryn was discharged to commission which was featured in the London Gazette on 19th May 1915

He now rests at Guillemont Road Cemetery in France. The cemetery contains the graves of many men from the Liverpool Pals.  

Guillemont was an important point in the German defences at the beginning of the Battle of the Somme in July 1916. It was taken by the 2nd Royal Scots Fusiliers on 30 July but the battalion was obliged to fall back, and it was again entered for a short time by the 55th (West Lancashire) Division on 8 August. On 18 August, the village was reached by the 2nd Division, and on 3 September (in the Battle of Guillemont) it was captured and cleared by the 20th (Light) and part of the 16th (Irish) Divisions. It was lost in March 1918 during the German advance, but retaken on 29 August by the 18th and 38th (Welsh) Divisions.

The cemetery was begun by fighting units (mainly of the Guards Division) and field ambulances after the Battle of Guillemont, and was closed in March 1917, when it contained 121 burials. It was greatly increased after the Armistice when graves (almost all of July-September 1916) were brought in from the battlefields immediately surrounding the village and certain smaller cemeteries. 

Guillemont Road Cemetery now contains 2,263 Commonwealth burials and commemorations of the First World War. 1,523 of the burials are unidentified but there are special memorials to eight casualties known or believed to be buried among them.

The cemetery was designed by Sir Herbert Baker.

His death was reported in the Chester Chronicle on the 02nd September 1916:

SECOND LIEUT. B.A.B.THOMAS

Second Lieut. Bryn Atherton Brodie Thomas, King's (Liverpool Regiment), killed, was the only son of Major D. Brodie Thomas (late of the Cheshire Regiment). He was born in February 1897 and was educated at The Leas, Hoylake, and Wellington College, Berks. At the outbreak of war he enlisted as a private and received his commission in April 1915. 

A tribute was paid to Bryn in the Wellington College Year Book:

His Company Sergeant-Major wrote of him:-

"It was on the night of August 16th he went over to attack. When we had got about 30 yards we were compelled to take cover. We lay there for a few moments and then your brother jumped up and shouted "Come on, lads." The lads gallantly responded to his call, but before he had gone many yards he was killed by bullet in the head. I have served out here for 12 solid months and I can assure you I never met a more game lad than your brother."

Soldiers Effects to his father Major D. Brodie Thomas.

His father David Brodie Thomas died on 01st Oct 1929 at Farnham, Surrey. He was aged 66.

His mother died in 1949 aged 84.

The photograph on this site is from the IWM Book of Sacrifice and is reporduced with the kind permission of IWM.   

Bryn is commemorated on the following memorials:

Dealtry and Barrs Prep School Hoylake

Old Leasions School Hoylake

Wellington College, Crowthorne, Berkshire

Neston RBL

St Mary and St Helens Parishoners, Neston.

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