Thomas Cyril William Morgan
Second Lieutenant Thomas Cyril William Morgan – Cheshire Regiment, 11th Battalion
Early Life
Thomas Cyril William Morgan was born in Carmarthen,
the youngest son of Stephen Morgan and Elizabeth George, who were
married in 1889 at Tenby, Pembrokeshire.
Family
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| 1901 Census |
The 1901 Census records the Morgan family living at 116 Bryn Road, Carmarthen. Stephen, aged 34 and born in Newcastle Emlyn, was employed as a potato merchant, while his wife Mary Elizabeth, aged 35 and born in Milford Haven, managed the household. Their children were Stanley Reginald (11), Emiah Ida Maud (10), Annie Gwendoline (6), and Thomas William Cyril (4), all born in Carmarthen. Also present was Rose Maud George (23), Elizabeth’s sister, who worked as a draper’s assistant.
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| 1911 Census |
By the 1911 Census, the family had moved to 33 Windsor Terrace, Swansea. Stephen, then 44, was employed as a manager for a potato importing firm, and Mary Elizabeth was 46. Their children were Stanley Reginald (21), an engineer’s apprentice; Emiah Ida Maud (20), a milliner; Annie Gwendoline (16), a milliner’s apprentice; and Thomas William Cyril (13), who was still at school.
Military Service
Following the outbreak of the First World War, Thomas
joined the British Army and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant
in the 11th Battalion, Cheshire Regiment. The battalion was
part of the 75th Brigade, 25th Division,
and served on the Western Front from 1916 onward.
11th Battalion, Cheshire Regiment — Actions around Ypres, August 1917
By August 1917, the Third Battle of Ypres—known
to history as Passchendaele—was underway. The 11th Battalion, Cheshire
Regiment, as part of the 25th Division, was serving in the Ypres
Salient, one of the most dangerous and heavily shelled areas of the Western
Front. The division’s role during this period was to hold sections of the front
line and provide support to attacking formations engaged in the main offensives
east of Ypres.
Conditions in the Salient were appalling. The battlefield
had become a quagmire of mud, waterlogged craters, and shattered trenches.
German artillery constantly pounded British positions, while low-lying ground
and heavy rain turned every movement into an ordeal. Infantry units like the
11th Cheshire endured long spells in exposed trenches, often under direct fire,
while carrying out trench repairs, patrols, and relief operations.
Although detailed records of the battalion’s movements on 12th
August 1917 are scarce, it is likely that Second Lieutenant Thomas
Morgan was killed during one of these hazardous front-line duties—perhaps
while leading his men through a bombardment or during an enemy counterattack.
Officers were especially vulnerable, as they were required to lead from the
front, maintain communication, and sustain morale amid the constant threat of
shellfire.
Death
Second Lieutenant Thomas Cyril William Morgan was killed
in action on 12th August 1917, during operations near Ypres,
in the midst of the Third Battle of Ypres (Passchendaele). He was 20
years old.
Burial
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| Thomas Cyril William Morgan Menin Gate Memorial credit - findagrave |
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) records
that his mother, Mary Elizabeth Morgan, was living at “Wooda,”
Parkwern Road, Sketty, Swansea, at the time of his death, and that his
father, Stephen Morgan, had already passed away.
Legacy
Second Lieutenant Thomas Cyril William Morgan is
remembered on the St. Paul’s war memorial, alongside comrades of all
backgrounds and ranks. His name represents the many young men who gave their
lives during the terrible battles of Flanders, where courage, duty, and
endurance came at the highest cost. His sacrifice, and that of his battalion,
helped pave the way for the eventual victory in 1918, though at an immeasurable
human price.
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