Stanley Meredith-Thomas

Lieutenant Stanley Meredith-Thomas – Royal Field Artillery

Early Life

Stanley Meredith-Thomas

Stanley Meredith Thomas was born in 1888 in Swansea, the only son of Evan Meredith Thomas and Bridget Anne Lloyd, who were married in 1885 at Aberystwyth, Cardiganshire.

1891 Census

The 1891 Census records the family living at 27 Brooklands Terrace, Swansea. Evan, aged 34 and born in Breconshire, was employed as a draper’s buyer, while Bridget, aged 28 and from Cardiganshire, managed the household. Their children were Mabel, aged 5 and attending school, and Stanley M., aged 3. A servant, Mary A. Richards, aged 25, also lived with the family.

By the 1901 Census, Evan and Bridget were residing at 143 Walter Road, Swansea, with their servant, Mary A. Richards, then aged 35. Evan, now 44, was working as a draper, and Bridget was 38.

1911 Census

The 1911 Census shows the family using the surname Meredith-Thomas and living at 3 Devon Terrace, Mumbles. Evan, aged 54, was the Managing Director of a Drapery Company Ltd, while Bridget, aged 48, kept the household. Their children, Mabel (25) and Stanley (23), were both living at home; Stanley was employed as a bank clerk. Two servants, Mary Grace Bragg (21) and Beatrice Bragg (19), also lived in the household.

The following year, 1912, Evan died aged 55. Four years later, Bridget remarried at Chepstow to Thomas Benjamin Watkins.

Military Service

With the outbreak of the First World War, Stanley enlisted and served with the Royal Field Artillery, one of the Army’s key units responsible for operating medium-calibre guns and providing vital support to the infantry on the front lines. Through dedication and ability, he rose to the rank of Lieutenant.

Death

Russian Hospital, South Audley Street

Lieutenant Stanley Meredith-Thomas died on 13^th December 1918, just over a month after the Armistice was signed. Records indicate that he passed away at the Russian Hospital, South Audley Street, Mayfair, London. His Will lists his home address as 2 Richmond Villas, Swansea. The cause of death is not recorded in surviving documents, but his passing so soon after the end of the war suggests illness or complications arising from his service.

The Russian Hospital in South Audley Street, Mayfair, was established during the war by members of the Russian community in London. Operating under the patronage of Queen Alexandra and the Russian Red Cross, it was one of several voluntary hospitals that treated wounded and sick soldiers from across the Empire. Staffed by both British and Russian doctors and nurses, the hospital provided specialist medical care and remained active until its closure in 1919.

Burial

Stanley Meredith-Thomas
Osytermouth Cemetery
credit - findagrave

Following his death, Stanley’s body was returned to Swansea, where he was laid to rest in Oystermouth Cemetery.

Legacy

Lieutenant Stanley Meredith-Thomas is remembered as a dedicated officer who served his country with honour during the First World War. His story mirrors that of many young men who survived the conflict’s final months only to fall victim to its lasting toll. His grave at Oystermouth Cemetery stands as a lasting tribute to his service and the sacrifice of his generation.