THOMAS, Follett Dawson
| Service Number: | 677 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 12th Light Horse Regiment |
| Born: | Glen Innes, New South Wales, Australia, 4 July 1894 |
| Home Town: | Sydney, City of Sydney, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Sydney Technical High School, New South Wales, Australia |
| Occupation: | Assistant Surveyor |
| Died: | 8 July 1953, aged 59 years, cause of death not yet discovered, place of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
Rookwood Sydney War Cemetery, New South Wales |
| Memorials: | Glen Innes & District Soldiers Memorial, Glen Innes District Roll of Honour, Glen Innes Methodist Church Great War Honor Roll, New South Wales Garden of Remembrance (Rookwood Necropolis), Sydney New South Wales Department of Lands WWI Roll of Honour, Sydney Technical High School WW1 Roll Of Honour |
World War 1 Service
| 8 Mar 1915: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 677, 12th Light Horse Regiment | |
|---|---|---|
| 13 Jun 1915: | Involvement Private, 677, 12th Light Horse Regiment, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '3' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Suevic embarkation_ship_number: A29 public_note: '' | |
| 13 Jun 1915: | Embarked Private, 677, 12th Light Horse Regiment, HMAT Suevic, Sydney |
Help us honour Follett Dawson Thomas's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Sydney Technical High School
Follet Dawson Thomas was born July 4th of 1894 at Glen Innes. He enlisted at just 20 years old on 8th of March 1915(3). A few months later he was set to embark on the HMAT A29 Suevic as a private of the 12th Light Horse Regiment.
Before the war he graduated from Sydney Technical High School whereafter he was employed as an Assistant Surveyor(4).
He arrived at Gallipoli 29th August 1915 and was absorbed into the 1st Light Horse Regiment. In October he was hospitalised with influenza and admitted to the No 1 Australian General Hospital in Heliopolis andthen transferred to a convalescence hospital in Helouan 3th December 1915. He was discharged to light duties a week later.
In March 1916 Follett was detached to the 5th Division Artillery and was taken on strength with the 14th Field Artillery Brigade 20th March. He proceeded to France arriving at Marseilles 30th June 1918. The following month he was promoted to Corporal, and then Sergeant 17th August 1916.
In 1917 Follett attended a School Of Instruction from 10th March - 6th April. He was hospitalised with an illness from 12th October - 7th November. After a few days at the Australian General Base Depot at Le Havre, he marched out to his unit 15th November 1917.
In January 1918 he took leave and travelled to the UK and rejoined his unit 5th February in the field. He was hospitalised with an infection in March and was treated until 4th June when he returned to base. He marchared out to his unit rejoining them in the field 25th June 1918. In September he proceeded to join the Reserve Brigade Australian Artillery and proceeded to England at the beginning of October.
After serving in the First World War for over 3 years he embarked for return to Australia on December 11, 1918(12) He was discharged 27th March 1919. In 1920 he married Myra Adella Edmondson (1889-1974) at St Andrews Cathedral. Together they had two children Betty Adele (1921-1987) and Rex Follett (1925-1998). The family lived at Deepwater, Richmond. Follet's son Rex served as a Warrant Officer with the RAAF in WW2. Follet passed away at the age of 59, on July 8, 1953,(13) just 4 days after his birthday.
Bibliography
https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/DetailsReports/ItemDetail.aspx?Barcode=3001515&isAv=N
https://aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=297982
https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/102391
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/222418673?searchTerm=thomas%20follet%20dawson
https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/U51046
https://www.lighthorse.org.au/12th-light-horse-at-gallipoli/
https://www.awm.gov.au/visit/exhibitions/anzac-voices/sinai-palestine
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1lmIUzGFkIUnSLBOJ8-jU6RqGyQM0sd_s?usp=classroom_web&authuser=0
End Notes
1.https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/102391
2.https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/102391
3.https://aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=297982
4.https://aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=297982
5.https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/222418673?searchTerm=thomas%20follet%20dawson
6.https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/U51046
7. https://www.lighthorse.org.au/12th-light-horse-at-gallipoli/
8.https://www.awm.gov.au/visit/exhibitions/anzac-voices/sinai-palestine
9.https://www.awm.gov.au/visit/exhibitions/anzac-voices/sinai-palestine
10.https://www.awm.gov.au/visit/exhibitions/anzac-voices/sinai-palestine
11.https://www.awm.gov.au/visit/exhibitions/anzac-voices/sinai-palestine
12. https://aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=297982
13.https://aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=297982