Thomas Charles Arnott – Welsh Regiment, 1st Battalion

Private Thomas Charles Arnott – Welsh Regiment, 1^st Battalion

Birth and Family Background

Thomas Charles Arnott was born in 1889 in Lysworney, Glamorgan, the son of Ivor Arnott and Sarah Ann Lewis, who were married in 1867 in the parish of Llandow, Glamorgan.

1891 Census

By the 1891 Census, the Arnott family was living in the village of Lisworney, Glamorgan. Ivor, aged 45 and born in Lisworney, was recorded as a Farmer, and his wife Sarah Ann, aged 38, was born in Kingsclere, Hampshire. Their children at home were Charlotte Ann (11) and Mary Isabella (8), both born in Cowbridge; Margaret (6), Ivor Hale (5), and Jenny May (3), who were all attending school; and the two youngest, Thomas Charles (2) and Gomer (2 months), both born in Lisworney.

1901 Census

The 1901 Census shows the family still living in Lisworney. Ivor, now 55, was recorded as a Haulier working on his own account, while Sarah was 42. Several of their older children had left home, and those remaining were Jenny (13), Thomas C. (12), Gomer (10), Owen H. (6), Olive J. (5), and baby Dorothy, aged 8 months.

1911 Census

By 1911, the family remained in the village. Ivor, aged 65, was again listed as a Farmer, and Sarah Ann as 53. Three of their children were still living at home: Thomas Charles (22), recorded as a Domestic Chauffeur; Olive Janet (15); and Dorothy Irene (10). Also present was their granddaughter, Daisy, aged 5.

Marriage

In early 1915, Thomas married Gwendoline Owen in Cardiff. After his death, his widow later resided at 20 Nottage Road, Newton.

Military Service

Enlistment and Regiment

Thomas served as a Private with the Welsh Regiment, 1^st Battalion, part of the British Army’s regular infantry.

Context of the 1^st Battalion, Welsh Regiment in October 1915

Thomas’s death was presumed to have occurred on 2^nd October 1915, during the Battle of Loos, one of the major British offensives of the First World War.

The 1^st Battalion’s Role in the Battle of Loos

The 1^st Battalion, Welsh Regiment served with the 28^th Brigade of the 9^th (Scottish) Division. On 25^th September 1915, they took part in the opening assault of the Battle of Loos, advancing across exposed ground under intense machine-gun and artillery fire. Their objective included the heavily fortified Hohenzollern Redoubt, one of the strongest positions in the German defensive line.

The fighting around the Redoubt was among the most brutal of the battle. From 28 to 30 September, the battalion was repeatedly committed to reinforce, defend, or retake trenches shattered by continuous bombardment. Positions frequently changed hands under fierce counterattacks.

By 2^nd October 1915, the battalion was exhausted and operating under relentless shellfire. German counterattacks continued, the front line was unstable, and many soldiers who fell could not be recovered.

Circumstances Surrounding Thomas’s Presumed Death

Army Register of Soldiers’ Effects

The Army Register of Soldiers’ Effects recorded Thomas’s death as presumed on 2^nd October 1915. This indicates that he likely went missing in action during the fighting around Hohenzollern Redoubt. Continuous artillery bombardment made recovery of the fallen impossible, and many bodies were never located or identified.

Thomas Charles Arnott 
Loos Memorial
credit - findagrave

For this reason, Thomas has no known grave, and his name is commemorated on the Loos Memorial, which honours those lost in the Loos sector without a known resting place.

Death and Aftermath

Glamorgan Gazette

Thomas’s death was reported in the Glamorgan Gazette, which also noted that his father, Ivor Arnott, died suddenly only days later, on 10^th October 1915.