Rifleman Charles Thomas 12th Battalion Royal Irish Rifles - Davy' s Street, Carrickfergus

Remembering today:  Rifleman Charles Thomas - Service Number 524 - 12th Battalion Royal Irish Rifles.  Born in Carrickfergus in 1895, he was the son of Charles and Annie Thomas of Davy's Street Carrickfergus and the brother of Mary (Sailor's Row, Carrickfergus), Georgina, James and Joseph Thomas.  The entire family were members of the local Church of Ireland congregation at St Nicholas. 

Charles enlisted with the 12th Battalion in Belfast in 1915 and served across the West Front being first wounded in France in 1916.  He was taken prisoner of war in 1918 after being wounded in action and subsequent died of his wounds in German captivity on 25th July 1918 aged 23.  He is buried in Berlin South Western Commonwealth Cemetery. 

In 1922-23 it was decided that the graves of Commonwealth servicemen who had died all over Germany should be brought together into four permanent cemeteries. Berlin South-Western was one of those chosen and in 1924-25, graves were brought into the cemetery from 146 burial grounds in eastern Germany. There are now 1,176 First World War servicemen buried or commemorated in the Commonwealth plot at Berlin South-Western Cemetery.

Berlin South Western Cemetery