KEYES, H. Thomas (Keyse)

Thomas Keyse was the son of Thomas and Mary Ann Keyse of 12 Upper High Street, Lye, and enlisted in the Worcesters. He was transferred to the Machine Corps and to the 37th Company in the 12th Division. In 1917 they were closely involved in the April battles for Arras and followed up the German withdrawal to the Hindenburg Line. They were in action on the first day of the Battle of Cambrai on the 20th November and took part in the highly successful attack when the infantry were aided by tanks and covered by intensive machine guns. However, the troops suffered heavily in the German counter-attack and remained in the area until the 4th December. It is likely that Private Thomas Keyse was injured in this period. He was taken to the base hospital near Boulogne where he died on the 18th January 1918. He is buried in Etaples Military Cemetery (XXXI F 13A) and commemorated on the Lye and Wollescote and Lye church Memorials.