Cigarette Case Saves Soldier’s Life at Gallipoli

Description

The life of Private John James Thomas, 4th Battalion, Welsh Regiment, was saved by his cigarette case at Suvla Bay, August 1915.
John James Thomas was born in the village of Penygroes, Near Llanelli. Although he had begun an apprenticeship at a draper’s shop, he was more concerned with the war. John’s neighbour, who had enlisted in 1914, had allowed him to try on his uniform and hold his gun, whilst on leave. This affected John to such an extent that one particular day in January 1915, instead of going to work, as his mother had thought, he got on a train to Brecon and joined the 4th Battalion, Welsh Regiment, having lied about his age. Private John J Thomas, Service No 813, was 15 years old.
Following training, the battalion left from Devonport on 19th July aboard the SS Mauritania, bound for the Mediterranean. On the 9th August, as part of the 53rd (Welsh) Division, John’s battalion landed at Suvla Bay on the Gallipoli Peninsula. The division soon suffered over-crowding, chaos on the beaches, and constant sniper fire from Turkish batteries, positioned on the cliffs above. Many casualties occurred in those first few days and had it not been for his cigarette case, Private Thomas would certainly have been one. A bullet aimed at his heart struck the cigarette case positioned in his breast pocket. The case will now form the centrepiece of the Porthcawl Museum’s display – ‘The Welsh at Gallipoli,’ opening Saturday 8th August 2015.
(Weekly Opening Times - Tuesday to Friday 10-12pm & 2-4pm, Saturdays 10 – 4pm, Sundays 11-3pm)