Help wanted: Medaille d'Honneur Vermeil (RAMC 34th Field Ambulance Battalion)

[MaecW]

I wasn’t doubting his rise through the ranks so much as finding it surprising – my entire family is as working class as they come (and proud!) and it seems to me that class divisions were difficult to overcome in military ranking.

Your explanation about “dead men’s shoes” makes sense though.

The class division was between Officers and Men ("other ranks"). Almost all "other ranks" professional soldiers in this period came from "working class" backgrounds so it was quite normal for talented individuals to rise to senior NCO and Warrant Officer status.
As Jim1 observes, once WW1 developed, suitable individuals could then be commissioned as officers.

[unlikely_librarian]

Thanks all for the extra insights. Thomas was certainly dedicated to the army and was among the first to voluntarily enlist when WWI broke out, so it's nice to know that his efforts were recognised and rewarded.