2nd Lieutenant Thomas Welford RAINBOW

South Warwickshire Family History Society War Memorial Transcription Project

The Fallen Men of South Warwickshire - World War One

2nd Lieutenant Thomas Welford RAINBOW - 10th Battalion Worcestershire Regiment

Killed in Action Saturday, November 18th 1916 aged

Military History


Theatre of War	Medals	Commonwealth War Grave of Memorial
France and Flanders	1914-15 Star, British War & Victory Medals	Thiepval Memorial

Arrived in Theatre	Medal Citation (if app)	SWFHS Area Memorials
17 Nov 1914 in Egypt	~	Darlingscott \| Tredington \| Shipston Council School

Action, Battle or Other Reason Killed	Date and Place Enlisted	Other War Memorials
Battle of the Ancre (Somme)	27 Sep 1914

Place of Death	Previous Regiments or Units	Other Military Information
Grandcourt	Pte 1747 Ceylon Planters Rifles	Also served and was wounded at Gallipoli
	C Company - Ceylon Defence Force

Circumstances Leading to Death (Normally from War Diary)

Thomas is listed as being killed in action on 18 Nov 1916. The battalion war diary for that day is transcribed below along with a trench map showing the key places.

War Diary 18 Nov 1916

Trenches [near Grandcourt] - 1916 Nov 18: On the night of the 17/18^th 1 Coy joined the 8^th N Staffs to act as a cleaning up party, ½ a Coy joined the 10^th R Warwicks and 1½ joined 8^th Glos also to act as a cleaning up party in the attack. One company and Lewis Guns were kept in reserve.

The Brigade attacked at 6.10am on Grandcourt and surrounding trenches, our clearing up parties followed up the various battalions of the Brigade clearing out all dugouts & old trenches but did not meet with any great resistance.

After doing their jobs they remained in the shell holes & old trenches sniping at any targets & at dusk men began to return to Battn HQ.

Our casualties were rather heavy – 5 killed; 41 wounded & 50 missing (OR). Officer casualties 1 killed, 1 wounded, 2 missing believed killed and 1 missing.

During the morning the Lewis Guns and ½ a coy were ordered to go up as reinforcements to the front line & was done without casualties.

Trench Map

Click to expand. Map courtesy of Great War Forum user White Star Line

Personal & Family History

Birth Date/Place	Bapitsm Date/Place
30 Jun 1888 at Upper Clopton	9 Sep 1888 at Mickleton

Parents Names	Abode
Benjamin and Eliza Jane Rainbow	Darlingscott

Schools	Colleges
Shipston-on-Stour Council School	~

Address History	Employment History
1888 - Clopton	1901 - Farmers son
1891 - Upper Clopton Farm	1911 - Not found
1901 - Farm House, Darlingscott	1913 - Assistant at Colombo Stores
1911 - Darlingscott ?
1913 - Colpetty, Columbo, Ceylon

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