Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

PRIVATE THOMAS GLASSON
D.O.B: 28th AUGUST 1877
DIED: 11th APRIL 1917
16th BATTALION
18TH REINFORCEMENT
AUSTRALIAN IMPERIAL FORCE
SERVICE NUMBER: 5722

Private Thomas Glasson enlisted into the 18th reinforcements, 16th Battalion AIF at 56 depot Fremantle WA on the 15th day of March 1916.
On the 18th day of July 1916 he embarked at Fremantle WA on the “HMAT Seang Bee” , disembarking at Plymouth, England on the 9th day of September 1916 and marched into the 4th Training Battalion in Rollestone. On the 14th day of October 1916 he embarked England and disembarked at Estaples, France the next day.

He marched out to his unit on the 24th day of October and was taken on strength on the 30th day of October 1916 into the 16th Battalion at Pont Remy for training and attack practice with firther training at Picquigny and Ribemont. They also carried out railway maintenance at Mametz until the end of December 1916. From the 2nd day of January 1916 the battalion moved through Cardonette, Ribemont, Mametz and Dernancourt engaging in camp improvements such as duckboard levelling, drainage systems and hut building. They arrived at Townsville Huts on the 15th day of January 1917.

On the 2nd day of February the 16th battalion relieved the 14th Battalion at Flers for 7 days until they themselves were relieved by the 47th Battalion. The 16th headed back to Memetz camp on the 10th day of February 1917 to continue road building, road repairs, railway repairs and general maintenance. On the 28th day of February they moved onto Albury Camp, Bazentin for specialists training of open warfare until the 16th day of March 1917. 18th day of March through to the 27th day of March the Battalion moved through Ribemont and Crucifix camp heading for Biefvillers where they were engaged for 4 days on fatigues ( digging out buried people after explosions).

On the 1st day of April 1917 the 16th Battalion moved onto Beugnatre where they relieved the 29th Battalion. They then moved onto Noreuil on the 7th day of March awaiting 4 tanks to support the attack on the Hindenburg Line. With tank support the 16th Battalion attacked the Hindenburg Line at 0430hrs on the 11th day of April 1917 amongst heavy artillery fire from Queant and Reincourt.

The attack on the Hindenburg Line was declared a disaster and the tanks were next to useless with the situation being reported as extremely serious as the 16th Battalion had lost over 80 percent of its strength. 17 Officers and 700 soldiers entered this attack with only 3 Officers and 87 soldiers left alive after the retreat.

Private Thomas Glasson was killed in action in this, the first battle of Bullecourt, France on the 11th day of April 1917.
His name appears on the Villers-Bretonneux Memorial, France.


He served for: Total effective period of 393 days
Active service in Australia 125 days
Active service overseas 268 days


AWARDED FOR SERVICE DURING THE 1st WORLD WAR 1914-1918

British War Medal
Awarded in recognition of the immense sacrifice during the First World War

Victory Medal
Issued to all those with either the 1914-1915 Star or British War Medal or both