Thomas Alfred Markey was born in 1888 in Oswestry. He was the first child and only son of Thomas and Helena Markey. As a child he lived at 4 Prospect Place, Whittington Road. By 1901 the family had a daughter, Ethel, born 1893. They were then living at 32 Park Avenue. His father worked as a Railway Clerk. Thomas, after finishing school, also worked for Cambrian Railways as a clerk; he is not listed on the Cambrian Railway Roll of Honour and, based on his enlistment, by the time of the war had changed jobs and was working as a ‘fitter and slotter’ (sic). In November 1910 he married Mary Wynn at St Mary’s Church in Selattyn, her home village. They moved to live at Hill Farm Cottage and later at Chain Cottage, both on the Racecourse and where Mary had been brought up. In October 1913 they had a boy child, also named Alfred Thomas(CWGC) – he was KIA 18 November 1944 in Holland and is on the Oswestry Gates WW2 Memorial.

Thomas enlisted at Wrexham on 14 April 1915 joining the Royal Engineers and reporting to the RE Depot at Chatham later in the month. He joined 137 Army Troops Coy, Royal Engineers as a clerk. These units were responsible for maintaining and building all the infrastructure – bridges, roads, tunnels and such – in the  communication lines leading from the entry ports up to the front (RE Field Companies did similar work but in the forward areas). He went over to France in July 1915. In October 1915 his unit transferred with the 22 Division to Salonika, Macedonia/Greece and was posted to Bralo.

Bralo was an important staging point on the communication lines serving the Salonika theatre of war in Northern Greece. Within the town were hospitals, supply depots and military camps. On 20 May 1918 the camp was waking up, it was about 5.45am. In the cookhouse men were preparing their breakfasts. Sapper Markey was taking his turn getting the breakfasts together for the rest of his section. He was in the cook house making ready to light the stove. The firewood though would not set on fire. He took a small can of petrol – the inevitable happened. As he poured the petrol on the firewood it backfired and the tin exploded dowsing him in burning fuel. His cloths caught fire as did the cookhouse. Sapper Markey in a flaming panic ran outside. Other men rushed after him through the conflagration. Outside he ran screaming for about 20 yards then stumbled and fell. His comrades reached him, one throw a bucket of water over him, others smothered him in blankets and the flames were soon put out, too late though for Sapper Markey. He was taken to the hospital but his burns were too severe. He died three days later on 23 May and was buried in Bralo British Cemetery.

 An inquest was held and found that he had died of burns caused by an accident due to his negligence whilst on military service. Mary, his wife, received a communication that he was dangerously ill. A few days later a telegram arrived ‘Regret to inform you Officer Commanding Military Hospital Bralo Salonika reports 94160 T Markey RE Died May 23^rd’. A week later a more sympathetic letter arrived at his parent’s house written by Chaplain F Reginald Evans – for some days Alfred seemed to be doing well until a relapse set in and he became unconscious. The Chaplain continued ‘(the) Funeral took place on 24 May, the service was most impressive there being present several officers and large number of his company and many others. 10 wreaths left gives idea of the esteem he was held in by his company and men of other units. Please accept my deepest sympathy with you in your great bereavement and may God comfort you in this your great sorrow. A wooden cross will be erected on the grave in the course of a month or so’. A memorial service was also held for him at Selattyn Church on June 2 1918, again well attended. Thomas was buried at Bralo British Cemetery – his widow chose the inscription ‘Dearly loved and sadly missed’. He is also commemorated on war memorials at St Oswald’s Church and at Selattyn.

Thomas’s brother in law, brother to his wife Mary, was – Lance Corporal 230469 Ernest Wynn. Another of Mary’s brothers was George Wynn, a professional footballer and Wales international. He also served during the war. For more information about him link  Football and the First World War .

Acknowledgements.

References and Sources

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