Second Lieutenant David Cuthbert Thomas (16 June 1895 – 18 March 1916) was a Welsh soldier of the

British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...

who served during the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. He is best known for his association with the poet

Siegfried Sassoon Siegfried Loraine Sassoon (8 September 1886 – 1 September 1967) was an English war poet, writer, and soldier. Decorated for bravery on the Western Front (World War I), Western Front, he became one of the leading poets of the First World ...

, who after his death became the subject of some of the greatest war poems by Sassoon and

Robert Graves Captain Robert von Ranke Graves (24 July 1895 – 7 December 1985) was an English poet, soldier, historical novelist and critic. His father was Alfred Perceval Graves, a celebrated Irish poet and figure in the Gaelic revival; they were b ...

Biography

Thomas was the son of Evan and Ethelinda Thomas of Llanedi Rectory, Pontarddulais,

Glamorgan Glamorgan (), or sometimes Glamorganshire ( or ), was Historic counties of Wales, one of the thirteen counties of Wales that existed from 1536 until their abolishment in 1974. It is located in the South Wales, south of Wales. Originally an ea ...

, and was educated at

Christ College, Brecon Christ College, Brecon, is a co-educational, boarding and day independent school, located in the cathedral and market town of Brecon in mid-Wales. It currently caters for pupils aged 4–18 years. History Christ College was founded by Roya ...

. His first commission was as a second lieutenant in the 3rd Battalion,

Royal Welch Fusiliers The Royal Welch Fusiliers () was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, and part of the Prince of Wales's Division, that was founded in 1689, shortly after the Glorious Revolution. In 1702, it was designated a fusilier regiment and becam ...

. That regiment also included the writers

and Siegfried Sassoon, with whom he became close friends. After training, Thomas was posted to the regiment's 1st Battalion, which was then serving on the Western Front and attached to the 22nd Brigade, itself part of the 7th Infantry Division. On 18 March 1916 Thomas was leading a working party to repair wire emplacements in no man's land at the Citadel, near Fricourt in France when he was shot in the throat. He then walked to a first aid post for treatment but died soon afterwards after he began choking. He is buried at New Military Cemetery at Fricourt (reference D3 in Point 110). Graves wrote the poem 'Not Dead' in Thomas's memory and Thomas also appears in Graves' autobiography '' Good-Bye to All That'', Sassoon's ' Sherston trilogy' of fictionalised autobiographies (as "Dick Tiltwood") and several other poems by both men. Another eulogy came from the pen of Robert Graves in his dedicated poem, ''Goliath and David'' ("for D.C.T., killed at Fricourt, March 1916"). In his anthology, ''Fairies and Fusiliers'' (1917), he allegorises the biblical king David’s triumph over the Philistine giant and contrasts it with David Thomas’ unfortunate death. He concludes the poem with, ‘One cruel backhand sabre-cut, “I’m hit! I’m killed!” young David cries, Throws blindly forward, chokes…and dies. And look, spike-helmeted, grey, grim, Goliath straddles over him.’

References

External links

Entry
on the

Commonwealth War Graves Commission The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) is an intergovernmental organisation of six independent member states whose principal function is to mark, record and maintain the graves and places of commemoration of Commonwealth of Nations mil ...

Debt of Honour Register
West Wales War Memorial Project: Llanedy
1895 births 1916 deaths British Army personnel of World War I Military personnel from Swansea Royal Welch Fusiliers officers People educated at Christ College, Brecon British military personnel killed in World War I {{UK-army-bio-stub