Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Thomas Henry Andrews was born on June 8, 1898 in Newtown, Sydney, NSW, and was the son of Alfred Walter Charles Andrews, a signwriter and Eleanor Kate Andrews (née SEARLE -1951). He grew up with his younger siblings, Walter Frederick Andrews and his sister, Mildred Eleanor Andrews (both born ~1903). Raised under an Anglican faith, he attended Sydney Technical High School (THS) as part of the class of 1916.

Thomas Andrews led an academically driven life at THS, a school that had “rapidly gained a position of importance amongst the first-rate High Schools of the State” where “It is specially adapted to pupils who require a thoroughly sound training in the preliminaries of engineering and science”[1]. This would demonstrate Andrews' early interests in industrial arts and science as well as subjects in English, German, Geography, Mathematics 1, Mathematics 2, Chemistry, Woodwork, Metalwork, Industrial Drawing 1 and Industrial Drawing 2 [2]. In 1914, he was ranked 15th overall in his cohort, showcasing his academic abilities and dedication to his studies.

Amidst the turmoil of World War I, Andrews enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) on February 20, 1917 at the young age of 18. On May 10, 1917, Andrews embarked from Melbourne, Victoria, aboard the HMAT A42 Boorara (originally a German vessel named “Pfalz” that was captured by Australia and refitted as an Australian troopship) heading towards Egypt. 

After disembarking in Suez, Egypt, he would receive a reversion to a lower rank from acting corporal on June 20, 1917 and be sent to an isolation camp. A month later, Andrews was stationed at the Moascar isolation camps, a training site for the 1st and 2nd Australian and New Zealand divisions [3]. These camps served as screening points for reinforcements where soldiers were quarantined for two weeks to check for illnesses such as measles which could have been easily spread in crowded conditions (the troopships). Working 8 hours a day for 6 days a week, Andrews would see himself training his weapons proficiency, drill orders, command structures, discipline and his physical fitness [4] where “The ability of the troops to use their rifles with efficiency on the battlefield is a matter that cannot be overrated” [5]. He was also involved with the Imperial Camel Corps (ICC) where his role would have been to patrol the deserts and manage the supplies for the soldiers.

Andrews faced several health challenges during his time in service, including mumps and influenza which led to multiple hospital admissions [6]. Despite these setbacks, he demonstrated his resilience and determination, eventually leading to his promotion to Corporal on March 1, 1918 [7]. His service took him to various locations, including Cairo and Kantara, and saw him engaged in significant duties across Egypt. His time with the AIF was marked by continuous movements and reassignments, reflecting his active role in service. He returned to Australia on July 17, 1919 and was officially discharged from service on December 23, 1919 [8].

After the war, Andrews’ life took a significant turn towards missionary work, reflecting his strong Anglican faith where he married Dorothy Hannah Pearce on November 25, 1925 under the support of the China Inland Mission (an organisation that was dedicated to spreading Christianity in China) [9]. Together they had 4 children, though records confirm the name of their daughter, Dorothy Eleanor Andrews who was born on January 10, 1930.

He spent his later years in Brisbane, Queensland. He witnessed the passing of his father on August 19, 1948, and his mother on June 7, 1951. His wife, Dorothy, passed away on May 14, 1979, and their daughter, Dorothy Eleanor Andrews, died on August 26, 2001. The exact date of Thomas Andrews’ death remains unknown.

References:

1. Anonymous (THS Journal vol. 3, 1918) pg. 2
2. Anonymous - Intermediate Certificates (Sydney Morning Herald, 1916) pg. 17
3. Anonymous - Moascar Isolation Camp - Ismailia, Egypt (August - September 1917) -https://springfieldcollege.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p15370coll2/id/2847/
4. DVA (Department of Veterans' Affairs) (2023 ), Training Australian army recruits during World War I
5. Anonymous (The Age - Rifle Practise, 1914) pg. 10
6. NAA: B2455, ANDREWS T H, pg. 32
7. NAA: B2455, ANDREWS T H, pg. 29
8. Anonymous (The AIF Project 2024, UNSW Canberra) - https://aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=5990
9. Alexander Christopher Sargent Trivett (Marriage Register Books, 1928)

Bibliography:

Ken Stevenson, Research on Google Drive
https://www.awm.gov.au/learn/schools/resources/1916/imperial-camel-corps
https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/163324
http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/scripts/AutoSearch.asp?O=I&Number=1975819
https://cimusa.org/wp/
https://omf.org/us/who-we-are/our-story/
https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/10-incredible-photos-of-the-imperial-camel-corps#:~:text=First%20raised%20in%201916%2C%20the,campaigns%2C%20including%20Palestine%20and%20Sinai.
https://springfieldcollege.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p15370coll2/id/2847/
https://anzacportal.dva.gov.au/wars-and-missions/ww1/military-organisation/training
https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/H02290#:~:text=BOORARA%20(A42)%20WAS%20ORIGINALLY%20THE,ON%201914%2D08%2D05.