Thomas Bryan was born in Bott Lane, Lye, near Stourbridge, Worcestershire, on 21st January 1882. At some time in his early infancy he moved to Castleford with his parents, living at 29 Hunt Street, Whitwood Mere.
He was educated in his early life at the Potteries Council School, and was also a scholar of the United Methodist Church Sunday School.
On 26th December 1903 Thomas Bryan married Sarah Smart of Castleford at Whitwood Mere Parish Church. Sarah was 19 and Thomas was 21.
Previous to the war Thomas Bryan was a well known Rugby player, having played for Castleford Northern Rugby Union Team in the 1906-07 season, at the end of which the club withdrew from the Northern Union for financial reasons.
Before joining the Army, he followed his father and worked for Henry Briggs and Company, Whitwood Colliery, as a miner.
On 11th April 1915, Mr. Bryan enlisted into the Army at Castleford and eight months later was drafted to a service Battalion in France, the Northumberland Fusiliers 25th Service Battalion, (2nd Tyneside Irish). This Battalion was formed by the Lord Mayor and the City of Newcastle on 9 th November 1914.
The Battle of Arras was a British offensive during the First World War, lasting from 9th April to 16th May 1917. A strategic success, it involved troops from Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Newfoundland. Casualties numbered 158,000 on the allied side, while German casualties totalled 120,000 to 130,000.
Citation of Deed reads: “For most conspicuous bravery during an attack. Although wounded, this Non Commissioned Officer went forward alone, with a view to silencing a machine gun which was inflicting much damage. He worked up most skilfully along a communication trench, approached the gun from behind, disabled it and killed two of the team as they were abandoning the gun.
As this machine gun had been a serious obstacle in the advance of the second objective, the results obtained by Lance Corporal Bryan’s gallant action were very far reaching”.
Not much is known of his service in the Order but he has been mentioned in the R.A.O.B. Quarterly Journal.
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