183rd Field Company, Royal Engineers.

Awarded the Military Medal in the London Gazette of 23 August 1916.

Riley was a native of Burnley, Lancashire.

The Burnley Express of 23 August 1916 reported, BURNLEY SAPPER'S MEDAL. Showed Marked Fearlessness. Sapper T. Riley, Royal Engineers, whose home is at 51, Canning Street, Burnley, has been awarded the Military Medal for bravery. He joined the forces on the 2 September 1914, previously having been employed at Towneley Colliery, and has been at the front for fourteen months.

Second Lieutenant W. Risley, of the R.E., France, has written to Mrs. Riley as follows, "Dear Mrs. Riley, I am glad to inform you that your husband, 139209, Sapper T. Riley, of this company (183rd), has been awarded the Military Medal. He not only showed marked fearlessness on 1 July 1916, but also on many other occassions, notably earlier in the year, where I myself was gassed, along with a number of my men. He is a gallant man, and I am proud to command the section of which he is one, Unfortunately at this present time he is in hospital suffering from a sprain of the leg, and I am unable to get in touch with him, and acquaint him with his award; but I trust he will soon be well enough to rejoin his section.

Registered paper 0137/2791.

The photo in the Burnley Express shows Sapper Riley wearing the badge of the East Lancashire Regiment; this is not unusual and many soldeirs wear the badge of a unit they served in previous to that in the reports in newspapers of that period.