Brig. Henry Melville THOMAS C.M.G., D.S.O., R.A. 2
- Born: 26 Jan 1870, Ceylon
- Christened: 18 Mar 1870, Holy Trinity Church, Nuwara Eliya, Ceylon 3
- Marriage (1): Mary POTTINGER on 13 Jul 1895 in St. Michael, Teignmouth, Devon, England
- Marriage (2): Dorothy Violet Hope RAWSON on 20 Jan 1904 in Carlow, Carlow, Ireland 1
- Died: 28 May 1940, Chartley, Camberley, Surrey, England aged 70
- Buried: 1 Jun 1940, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England Grave B1/2242
General Notes:
Brigadier General Royal Artillery, CMG, DSO, R.A.
Born 1870 in Ceylon;
Baptism: THOMAS
(Holy Trinity Church Nuwara Eliya Ceylon Sri Lanka)
Henry Melville child of Matthew Henry Thomas & Marian Theresa
Pupil at Temple Grove Grammar school, Mortlake, Surrey, England in 1881
Debrett's companionage 1924 & 1932 "Col. R.A., retired as Hon. Brig.-Gen, 1920; S. African War 1899-1902 (despatches, Queen's medal with four clasps, King's medal with two clasps), European War 1914-18 (despatches, C.M.G. , D.S.O., Brevet Col.): m.1895 May, who d. 1897, da. of Lieut.-Gen. B.H. Pottinger, 2ndly 1904, Dorothy, da. of E.A. Rawson , of Barrowville, Carlow; cr. C.M.G. 1917, D.S.O. 1918."
Lived in Cumberland, Armathwaite, Keswick (http://64.106.212.14/hotel_index.htm#)
The coat of arm of his family was confirmed to him in 1938 by King Georges VI (the original grant is in our possession). He was at that time retired and living in Hampton House, Bathampton, County of Somerset, England.
From Hugh Casement:
In the 1881 census Henry M. Thomas, age 11 and b. in Ceylon, was at Temple Grove Grammar School, Mortlake, Surrey. I'm sure that was a private school, not a state-run lycée.
Kane's army list for 1900 states: cadet RA 2 Sep. 1887; 2nd Lt 15 Feb. 1889 age
19 years 1 month; Lt 15 Feb. 1892. Served in India from Oct. 1889.
Census 1911: Born Colombo, Ceylon; in Belgaum India, Overseas Military.
From WO [War Office] records at the Public Record Office:
b. 26 Jan. 1870. On detachment at Shoeburyness 1899; Capt. 9 Oct. 1899; served in South Africa as special operations officer and later railway staff officer, Orange Free State, Feb.-May 1900 (despatches gazetted 10 Sep. 1901, Queen's SA medal + 4 clasps, King's SA medal + 2 clasps); brevet Maj. 29 Nov. 1900; Maj. 4 May 1905; Lt Col. 30 Oct. 1914; served in France as acting Brig. 12th division 24 June 1917 - 24 Mar. 1919; brevetCol. 3 June 1918; Col. 30 Apr. 1920; retired as hon. Brig. CMG 1917, DSO 1918.
Death Notes:
The Times, May 30, 1940
Noted events in his life were:
1. Census, 1881, Temple Grove Grammar School, Mortlake, Surrey, England.
2. Military Service: Cadet Royal Academy, 2 Sep 1887, Woolwich, Kent, England.
3. Military Service: 2nd Lieut, 15 Feb 1889, England.
4. Military Service, Oct 1889, India.
5. Military Service: Lieut, 5 Feb 1892, India.
6. Military Service: on detachment (artillery school), 1899, Shoeburyness, , Essex, England.
7. Military Service: Captain R.A, 9 Oct 1899, England.
8. Military Service: Boer War, Feb 1900-May 1900, South Africa.
9. Military Service: Brev. Major, 29 Nov 1900.
10. Military Service: Major, R.A, 4 May 1905.
11. Military Service: Lt. Colonel, 30 Oct 1914.
12. Military Service: Acting Brig. 12th Division, 24 Jun 1917-24 Mar 1919, France.
13. Military Service: Brev. Colonel, 3 Jun 1918, France.
14. Military Service: Colonel, 30 Apr 1920.
15. Military Award: CMG, 1917.
16. Military Award: DSO, 1918.
17. Military Discharge: Retired as Honorary Brigadier, Abt 1925, Bathampton, , Somerset, England.
Henry married Mary POTTINGER, daughter of Lt. Gen. Brabazon Henry POTTINGER and Rosa Stewart SOUTHEY, on 13 Jul 1895 in St. Michael, Teignmouth, Devon, England. (Mary POTTINGER was born on 8 May 1871 in Mahow, India and died on 17 Jun 1897 in Mandalay, Burma.)
Henry next married Dorothy Violet Hope RAWSON, daughter of Surgn. Lt. Col. Edward Albert RAWSON M.D. and Agnes Cuthbert JOHNSTONE, on 20 Jan 1904 in Carlow, Carlow, Ireland.1 (Dorothy Violet Hope RAWSON was born on 6 Apr 1880 in Carlow, Carlow, Ireland 4, christened on 5 May 1880 in Parish of Carlow, Carlow, Ireland, died on 23 Mar 1926 in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England and was buried on 27 Mar 1926 in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England Grave B1/2241.)
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