JOHN RHYS THOMAS
1894 – 30th November 1917
John Rhys Thomas was born in Penlonrhadis, Velindre, Henllan. Cardiganshire. He was the son of
John and Hannah Thomas. In the 1901 census John is 47 and head of family. He is employed as a
woollen weaver; his wife Hannah is 44. Their children are David, who was born in 1881, who is an
“ordinary agricultual worker”; Annie, who was born in 1883 and was dressmaker working from
home; Elizabeth, born in 1887, John Rhys, born 1894/5 and Daniel J, who was born in 1899.
John enlisted in Penarth on 8th September 1914 in the South Staffordshire Regiment, service
number 355874, but was discharged as medically unfit on 9th June 1915. Undeterred, he re-enlisted
into the Welsh Horse Yeomanry and joined the regiment in Egypt on 14th February 1916. Here, the
Welsh Horse merged with the Montygomery Yeomanry to form the 25th Battalion, Royal Welsh
Fusiliers, which was attached to the 231 Brigade, 74th (Yeomanry) Division.
(Welsh Horse Yeomanry)
The Welsh Horse Yeomanry was a yeomanry regiment of the British Army which served in World
War 1. The regiment was raised shortly after the outbreak of War. Initially it served in East Anglia
on anti-invasion duties, being dismounted in 1915 and sent to take part in the Gallipoli campaign.
After withdrawl to Egypt, it was amalgamated with the 1/1st Montgomery Yeomanry as the 25th
(Montgomery and Welsh Horse Yeommanry) Battalion, Royal Welsh Fusiliers and served as such
throuhgout the rest of the war. It took part in the Sinai and Palestine Campaign in 1917 and 1918
before being transferred to the Western Front, where it remained until the end of the war.