I thought today I would talk a bit about my Great Uncle Allan who's grave I will be visting at El Alamein cemetery.

Allan George Thomas was born on December 12th 1917 to Walter Vaughan and Lillian Susan Thomas of Te Poi.
He spent his primary school years at Te Poi Primary when it was situated at the end of Omahine Road.

 Allan Thomas third from right in front row, his brother Rex (my Grandfather) is also in photo back row second to left

His secondary school days were spent at Matamata College

 Top photo Allan is third to right and second in right in bottom

After his secondary schooling was completed he attending teacher training College in Auckland and started teaching at Matamata Primary.

While teaching at Matamata Primary he boarded at Braeburn Hotel on Firth Street in Matamata.

 Photo of Allan possibly taken around the time he was teaching

Allan was still teaching when he enlisted in the Army  at Morrinsville on June 13th 1940.
He served in the 21st Battalion  2 NZEF.
Military training began on 1st October 1940 at Papakura then Fiji before returning to New Zealand in 1941 and departing for the Middle East.
At a Thomas family reunion a few years ago one of my older relatives recalled seeing him as he was boarding the ship in Auckland, a cheeky and cheerful goodbye to the last family member he would see.
Allan fought as a Private in the army in Egypt. At one stage he was offered a promotion to a higher position but turned it down as we wanted to stay in the action.
He died on the 21 June 1942 during the First Battle of El Alamein after being severely wounded in action and is buried in the Commonweath War Cemetery there.