Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Life before the war:
 
Thomas Chatburn was born in July 1883, Australia. He served in the army during the period of World War I (WW1). Before enlisting in the army, he was married to Mrs Marinda Chatburn. Thomas Chatburn was a Roman Catholic and worked as a labourer doing everyday jobs and earning enough to put food on the table. Thomas Chatburn had contributed to previous military service. He most likely received prior training, making him a more experienced soldier on the battlefield. Thomas enlisted in the war despite his age of 33, most likely because the army needed more capable soldiers to fight.

Life in Service:
Thomas Chatburn enlisted on the 14th of January 1916 and embarked on the HMAT Afric A19 to France on the 9th of June 1916. Thomas was given the rank of private and was assigned to the 43rd infantry battalion. During his service, Thomas was apprehended, and it was recorded that he committed the crime of disobedience towards a commander on the 23rd December 1916. It was most likely an argument that he had with his superior officer at the time. 

Whilst travelling in France, the battalion visited Blanche Maison. Blanche Maison is a large cemetery with over 44,000 graves. The battalion then stayed at the Morphettville railway department facilities. Their hospitality was so excellent that the 43rd battalion commander expressed their thanks in a local newspaper. Unfortunately, the hospitality only lasted so long. The dates are somewhat unclear, but Thomas Chatburn went to fight in the battle of the Messines in June 1917. The battle of the Messines was a successful British assault in Belgium. The attack involved 19 strategically place landmines under the German front lines. The attack caused over 10,000 German casualties and put the British in a much better position for future attacks. There were 21 casualties and 122 injured from the 43rd battalion alone, making this a battle with extreme results.

The battle might have been successful for the British but was not so good for Thomas Chatburn. Thomas was twice wounded in action: first slightly on 5th June and then more severely on 9th June, in the shoulder and head. Thomas was taken out of the fight and put in hospital. How long he was in hospital is unknown, but a rough estimate is 1-2 years. Whilst injured Thomas Chatburn’s wife, Mrs Marinda Chatburn sent a letter to the war office asking about her husband’s health. This demonstrates Marinda’s love and concern for her husband. The more interesting thing about Mrs Chatburn’s letter is that the war office did reply and addressed her concerns specifically. After Mrs Chatburn’s letter was sent, a medical report and two separate letters were sent to her regarding her husband’s health and whereabouts. He returned to duty in August 1917 and served through most of the rest of the war, before being hospitalised with trench fever in May 1918.
 
After the War
After World War 1 finished, Thomas Chatburn was discharged and travelled back to Australia on the 20th of May 1919. There is no solid information providing the nature or death of Thomas Chatburn once he returned to Australia. There is no known date of death or location of his burial. There are no known relatives or descendants.