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| Lance Corporal Thomas WATKINS (PO/5506 (RMR/A/774) ) | |
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10th (Portsmouth Battalion), Royal Marine Light Infantry Date of birth: 12th March 1869 Date of death: 16th June 1915 Died of wounds aged 46 Commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial Panel 9 |
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| Thomas Watkins was born at Hereford in Herefordshire on the 12th of March 1869 the son of William Watkins and Caroline Watkins of Hereford and later of 98 Chelmsford Road, Queen's Road, Walthamstow in London. On the 12th of June 1890 he enlisted at London in the Royal Marines serving with them until 17th of June 1911 when he was discharged having completed his length of service. He passed into the reserve the following day and joined the staff at Lancing College where he worked as a gardener. On the outbreak of war he was moblised and served with the Portsmouth Battalion, Royal Marine Light Infantry seeing action at Ostend from the 26th of August to the 1st of September 1914. He returned to Portsmouth with his battalion for further training before being attached to the Deal Battalion in the defence of Dunkirk and Antwerp at the end of September. On the 15th of February 1915 his unit became part of the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force and on the 8th of April 1915 he sailed with his battalion from Mudros for Alexandria on board the SS "Gloucester Castle", landing at Gallipoli on the 28th of April 1915. On the 7th of June 1915 his battalion relieved the Hawke Battalion in the trenches where they were subjected to continuous sniper and artillery fire. On the 15th of June Thomas Watkins was wounded, probably by a shell, and received shrapnel wounds to his left shoulder and a compound fracture of his left leg. He was evacuated by the 2nd (Royal Naval) Field Ambulance and was taken on board the hospital ship "Sicilia" where he died of his wounds the following day. He was buried at sea. His medals were issued to his sister, Mrs. M.E. Harvey, on the 6th of July 1920. |
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