Private Thomas Henry Walsh
2nd Battalion, Irish Guards
Died of Wounds
Date of Birth: Quarter 4 1881
Place of Birth: Teignmouth, Devon
Date of Death: 28 March 1918 aged 37
Buried: St. Hilaire Cemetery, Frévent, France
Private Thomas Henry Walsh age 37.
Born 1881 in Teignmouth, the son of Thomas (late Royal Navy born in Cork, Ireland) and Frances (Fanny) born in Rostellen Ireland). They were living at Exeter Road, Teignmouth.
The 1891 census showed him living with his parents, his siblings (Edward, Bridget, Annie, John and Willie) and their lodger at 10 Hollands Road Teignmouth.
Irish Guards
Cap Badge
He enlisted at Brighton with 2nd Battalion, Irish Guards, service number 12821.
His regiment was taking part in the battles of St. Quentin and Bapaumeen route to Arras when Thomas was wounded and died of those wounds on 28 March 1918.
Thomas was buried in St. Hilaire Cemetery, Frévent, France.
His grave Inscription reads: "One Of The Dearest, One Of The Best, God Grant Him Eternal Rest. Jesus Mercy, Mary Help."
"Mrs Walsh heard her third son Kia, in Irish Guards, was main support of his widowed mother." Teignmouth Post - 12 April.
Irish Guards going up a communication trench. Elverdinghe, 30 July 1917. © IWM (Q 5706)
An intense barrage on the morning of the 27th March (1918) heralded the crisis, but luckily went wide of all the Battalion except No. 2 Company on the left.
The attack followed, and down the trenched line from Ayette and Boisleux-St. Marc, the Brigade answered with unbroken musketry and Lewis-guns...
The enemy, having direct observation over the whole of our line, shot well and close...
Night closed in with a last rush at the wire on the Battalion’s front that left a wreckage of German dead and wounded, and two machine-guns horribly hung up in the strands."
The Irish Guards in the Great War, Vol 1, 1918
Arras to the Armistice by Rudyard Kipling
