Thomas Hughes (VC)

Thomas Hughes VC (10 November 1885 – 4 January 1942) was a British Army soldier, and Irish recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.

Thomas Hughes
Born(1885-11-10)10 November 1885
Castleblayney, County Monaghan, Ireland
Died4 January 1942(1942-01-04) (aged 56)
Castleblayney, County Monaghan, Ireland
Buried
Broomfield, County Monaghan
Allegiance United Kingdom
Service/branch British Army
RankCorporal
UnitConnaught Rangers
Battles/warsWorld War I
AwardsVictoria Cross

Biography

Hughes was born 30 May 1885 in Corravoo near Castleblayney, County Monaghan.

He was 31 years old, and a private in the 6th Battalion, The Connaught Rangers, British Army during the First World War.

On 3 September 1916 at Guillemont, France, Private Hughes was wounded in an attack but returned at once to the firing line after having his wounds dressed. Later, seeing a hostile machine-gun, he dashed out in front of his company, shot the gunner and, single-handed, captured the gun. Though again wounded, he brought back three or four prisoners.[1]

He later achieved the rank of corporal. He died in Carrickmacross, County Monaghan on 8 January 1942, aged 56. He is buried in the cemetery attached to St Patrick's Roman Catholic church in Broomfield, near Castleblayney, in Co Monaghan.

His Victoria Cross is displayed at the National Army Museum, Chelsea, London.

References
  1. "No. 29802". The London Gazette (Supplement). 26 October 1916. p. 10395.

Listed in order of publication year

  • The Register of the Victoria Cross (1981, 1988 and 1997)
  • Clarke, Brian D. H. (1986). "A register of awards to Irish-born officers and men". The Irish Sword. XVI (64): 185–287.
  • Ireland's VCs ISBN 1-899243-00-3 (Dept of Economic Development, 1995)
  • Monuments to Courage (David Harvey, 1999)
  • Irish Winners of the Victoria Cross (Richard Doherty & David Truesdale, 2000)
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