Private 14724 Thomas Gray HOPKYNS

South Warwickshire Family History Society War Memorial Transcription Project

The Fallen Men of South Warwickshire - World War One

Private 14724 Thomas Gray HOPKYNS - South African Medical Corps, South African Infantry

Killed in action on 20 September 1917 aged 35

Military History


Theatre of War	Campaign Medals	Commonwealth War Grave or Memorial
France & Flanders	British War & Victory Medals	White House Cemetery, Ypres

Arrived in Theatre	Bravery & Conduct Medals	SWFHS Area Memorials
After 1 Jan 1917 in France	~	Leamington St. John's Memorial

Action, Battle or Other Reason Died	Date and Place Enlisted	Other War Memorials
Third Battle of Ypres (Passchendaele)	After 19 Sep 1916 in S. Africa	Merchant Taylors School Memorial
		Long Wittenham Memorial & Church Window
Place of Death	Previous Regiments or Units
near Ypres	~

Thomas was a stretcher bearer with the South African Medical Corps

Circumstances of Death

Thomas is listed as being killed in action on 20th September 1917 whilst acting as a stretcher bearer. We have not found the relevant war diary and the following newspaper article is a best description we have found of the events of the day.

The Reading Mercury - 6th October 1917:
"The Rev. Thomas Gray Hopkyns, Vicar of Randfontein, Transvaal, a private in the South African Medical Corps, was killed on September 20th while on stretcher duty near the firing line, aged 35. the third son of the Rev. T. Daniel and Mrs. Hopkys, of Long Wittenham Vicarage, Berks, he was educated at Brasenose College, Oxford, and was ordained in 1915 to the curacy of St. John the Baptist, Leamington, where he remained until 1910, when he was appointed Bishop's assistant chaplain to the Railway Mission at Pretoria. In 1914 he was appointed to the vicarage of Randfontein."

Personal & Family History

Birth Date/Place	Baptism Date/Place
Apr Qtr 1892 in Chichester, Sussex	31 May 1882 at Chichester, All Saints

Parents Names	Abode
Thomas Daniel and Katherine Mary Hopkyns	Long Wittenham Vicarage, Abingdon, Bucks

Schools	Colleges
Merchant Taylors School, Moor Park, Herts	Brasenose College, Oxford 1901

Address History	Employment History
1882 - South Street, Chichester	1891 - Scholar
1891 - 20 Winchester Road, Hamstead, London	1901 - Student at Brasenose College, Oxford
1901 - 135 King Henry Street, Hampstead	1905 - Curate at Leamington St. John's (until 1910)
1910 - Pretoria, South Africa	1910 - Assistant Chaplain Railway Mission, Pretoria, S Africa
1915 - Randfontain, South Africa	1915 - Vicar of Randfontain

In 1906 Thomas became a member of the Freemasons at Guy's Lodge, Leamington

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