Thomas Cleary was born on or about 18 December 1877 in Kilrush, County Clare. Taking up a ‘duration of war’ enlistment in the Queen’s Royal West Surrey Regiment (as indicated by the ‘G/’ prefix to his regimental number of G/14255), he would have gone overseas some time after 31 December 1915. Judging by the case of the closety-numbered G/14260 Pte Albert James Button, his date of enlistment/mobilisation is likely to have been around 28/29 April 1916 (Pte Button having been mobilised on the former date, and then posted to the 12th Queens’ on the latter). Although his date of posting overseas has not been recorded it is possible that Pte Cleary, like Pte Button, may have gone overseas as early as the end of September 1916. This would have put him in line to take part with the battalion in the latter stages of the Battles of the Somme and Ancre in 1916, and in 1917 the Operations on the Ancre, the German retreat to the Hindenburg Line, the Battle of Arras (Third Battle of the Scarpe), and then various battles of the Third Battle of Ypres including the Battles of Pilkem Ridge, Langemarck and both battles of Passchendaele.
He was captured at Saint Quentin or Vendeuil Fort on or about 22 March 1918, during the German Spring Offensive, whilst serving with D (or C according to one source) Company, 7th Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment). At this time the battalion was in the Vendeuil sector, having been relieved from the front line the previous week. Late on the night of 20 March the battalion ‘stood to’, manning battle positions when the German attack went in in the early morning of the 21st. After some action including the loss of a left front company patrol in the battle zone which was attempting to make contact with the enemy or reach the 7th Buffs headquarters , the battalion was forced to withdraw, initially to Frieres Wood on the 22nd, and took up defensive positions near the canal, prior to significant defensive action during the day of the 23rd – it is possibly at this time or in the context of the patrol on the 21st that Pte Cleary was captured. He was one of 19 officers and 323 men who were killed, wounded or missing during the German Spring Offensive. On 29 May 1918 he was shown as being in Prison Camp Hammelburg but on the Lazarettliste (Hospital list) . This may indicate loss of a hand and some kind of injury to his thigh (verl.Hand U Schkl).
War Office Daily List No. 5688 of 5 October 1918 confirms him as wounded and prisoner of war, based on a list received from the German Government. He was thereby entitled to wear a "Wound Stripe" as authorised under Army Order 204 of 6th July 1916, the terms of this award being met by being named in such a list. The list also confirmed his Next of Kin address as Willesden Green, London N.W. As of 7 Oct 1918 he was incarcerated in a Prison Camp at Darmstadt and then by 23 November in Güstrow . This latter record confirms his next of kin address as 31 Shootup Hill, Brondesbury, London NW. He would have been repatriated to the United Kingdom shortly thereafter, being discharged circa 20 April 1919. By this time his address was 110 [D]eacon Road, Willesden Green.
For his service he was entitled to the British War Medal and Victory Medal, which he would have received some time after September 1920.
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