Thomas was born into an upper middle class family in Hove on the Isle of Wight. His father was a consulting surgeon at the local hospital and his mother a teacher at the local nursery school. He had an idyllic childhood spent on or around the water mucking about in boats. He attended Eton and boarded at the exclusive school.

His parents were still convinced he was taking up the offer he had received from his Father's old college to read medicine at Oxford. The information as to what he was actually doing fractured their relationship and it never really healed before his parent's death.

Recruit Training, Specialist Qualification level 3 (Reconnaissance Operator), Royal Marine Sniper School, Junior Command Course, Specialist Qualification level 2 (Mountain Leader).

Thomas was a member of the Royal Marines Military Combat Shooting Team and was selected for the team every year he served. He shot at Pirbright and Bisley and also was selected for Queen's Medal Final each year, always placing in the top ten. During this time he also travelled to the USA and Australia to compete with the team.

At the outbreak if the Twilight War Thomas deployed with the battalion and was involved in most of the major combat operations during the early and middle part of the conflict.

During this intense period of operations Thomas hearing was affected and he was unable to pass the required fitness for deployment test.

Realising that they would lose a valuable asset unless something was done his commanding officer approved his transferred to O Rifle Squadron, Fleet Protection Group, 3 Commando Brigade.