Hughes

Private Samuel Thomas Hughes; 25804, 13th Battn. East Surrey

Awarded Victory & British war Medal

His Flintshire Record of Service has a great deal of information: He served from 19 Dec 1915 until Jan 1919. Joined the Welsh Horse, transferred to the 9th lancers, then E. Surrey Regt. France 1 Dec 1916, in action at Bouillon Wood.

The back of the card also has a lot more information, which has been transcribed by Rev. Clive Hughes:

In action Bouillon Wood.  3 days without rations.  His battery almost surrounded & nearly all gunners in his Lewis Gun section killed. Worked the gun, keeping off the enemy, & brought the gun out of action.  Made his way to German dug out, remained there 3 hours & escaped single file through German barrage.  23 March 1918 in action at Morie [Mory], ordered with 7 others to proceed to an advanced trench with Lewis Gun to cover advance of regiment. The Regt. did not advance, but fell back behind the Ridge, & the 8 men held off the Germans, while Regt. reformed behind the Ridge, had to make way back as well as possible. Only 2 out of 8 escaped.  24 March 1918 at Morie.  The enemy did not come over on front, advanced on left, left practically surrounded, saw man in another section who did not understand Lewis Gun, went & helped him, & was wounded in left foot by shrapnel.  Hughes was recommended for the MM”. 

He completed an exactly similar Flintshire card and account for Bangor on Dee parish, giving an address at The Mount, Bangor, about 17 September 1919 – the same month the Hanmer cards were mostly filled in!    Medal Index Cards confirm first served overseas with the East Surrey Regt. 1916 or later.  Enlisted 12 December 1915 and discharged on medical grounds 22 January 1919, being no longer physically fit for war service owing to wounds.  Awarded the Silver War Badge (on 10 April 1919) in consequence.  Some of his Army Records have survived and can be viewed on Ancestry.

Samuel Thomas was born 16 February 1896, to parents Thomas & Jane Hughes. He was baptised in St. Chads 24 May 1896.

  • 1901 living with widowed grandmother Elizabeth adams, parents & 3 sisters in Halghton
  • 1911 (referred to as Thomas) still with parents & sister Ethel at Pear Tree Farm, Halghton, working on the farm

He died 25 May 1937 and probate was granted to Elizabeth Annie Hughes, spinster. His address is still The Mount, Bangor-on-Dee.