Thomas James HALL

HALL, Thomas James

Service Number: 151
Enlisted: 9 September 1914, Enlisted at Helena Vale, WA
Last Rank: Private
Last Unit: 16th Infantry Battalion (WW1)
Born: Glenlyon, Victoria, Australia, 8 June 1884
Home Town: Greenbushes, Bridgetown-Greenbushes, Western Australia
Schooling: Public School, Victoria, Australia
Occupation: Sleeper Cutter
Died: Died of wounds - shell wound to the neck, 3rd London General Hospital, Wandsworth,United Kingdom, 15 October 1915, aged 31 years
Cemetery: Wandsworth (Earlsfield) Cemetery, London England
Block F, Plot B, Row 18, Grave 131
Memorials: Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Greenbushes War Memorial, W.A.
Show Relationships

World War 1 Service

9 Sep 1914: Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 151, 16th Infantry Battalion (WW1), Enlisted at Helena Vale, WA
22 Dec 1914: Involvement Private, 151, 16th Infantry Battalion (WW1), ANZAC / Gallipoli, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '12' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Ceramic embarkation_ship_number: A40 public_note: ''
22 Dec 1914: Embarked Private, 151, 16th Infantry Battalion (WW1), HMAT Ceramic, Melbourne
27 Aug 1915: Wounded AIF WW1, Private, 151, 16th Infantry Battalion (WW1), ANZAC / Gallipoli, Shell wound to the neck. Invalided to England from Malta on 29 August 1915 aboard HS Devenha

Help us honour Thomas James Hall's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.

Biography contributed by Evan Evans

The summary below was completed by Cathy Sedgwick – Facebook “WW1 Australian War Graves in England/UK/Scotland/Ireland

Died on this date – 15th September…… Private Thomas James Hall was born at Glenlyon, Victoria in 1884. He enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (A.I.F.) on 9th September, 1914 at Perth, Western Australia as a 30 year old, single, Sleeper Hewer from Greenbushes, Western Australia.

Private Thomas James Hall embarked from Melbourne, Victoria on HMAT Ceramic (A40) on 22nd December, 1914 with the 16th Infantry Battalion “B” Company.
Private Hall proceeded from Alexandria on 12th April, 1915 to join M.E.F. (Mediterranean Expeditionary Force) at Gallipoli Peninsula. He was admitted to 4th Field Ambulance at Gallipoli Peninsula on 13th May, 1915 with Deafness. He was transferred to Hospital Ship Osmanieh on 13th May, 1915.

(Note: There is no record in the Service Record file of where Private Hall was treated for his deafness & no record of when he returned to his Battalion at Gallipoli Peninsula).

Private Thomas James Hall was wounded in action on 27th August, 1915. He was admitted to 16th Casualty Clearing Station on 28th August, 1915 with Shrapnel wounds to neck then transferred & admitted to 4th Field Ambulance at Anzac the same day. He was transferred to Hospital Ship Devenha to England on 29th August, 1915 from Malta.

Private Hall was admitted to 3rd London General Hospital, Wandsworth, England on 12th September, 1915 with G.S.W. (gunshot wound/s) to Neck.
Private Thomas James Hall died at 12 am on 15th October, 1915 at 3rd London General Hospital, Wandsworth, England from wounds received in action at Gallipoli – G.S.W. (gunshot wound/s) to Neck. The death certificate for Thomas James Hall recorded the cause of death as “Cerebellar abscess (traumatic operation)”.

He was buried in Wandsworth (Earlsfield) Cemetery, London, England where 34 other WW1 Australian War Graves are located – 33 have CWGC headstones & 1 has a Private headstone.

It is interesting to note that Private Thomas James Hall is the only WW1 Australian that does NOT have a headstone. His name is instead remembered on the CWGC Screen Wall.

From information gathered from correspondence found in Private Hall’s Service Record file – he was originally buried with several other Commonwealth Soldiers (as was the case) in the one common grave. After some time Newfoundland & New Zealand soldiers buried in the common grave were exhumed & moved. It later became policy for all Australian WW1 Soldiers to be buried in a single separate grave – but as one of the British Soldiers buried in the common grave had died of Enteric Fever – it was recommended that the grave not be disturbed again.

“I am to add that the coffins have been moved twice previously in order to exhume the remains of Newfoundland and New Zealand soldiers and the Cemetery Superintendent reports that on the last occasion, the coffins showed signs of decay. In these circumstances, the Borough Council are of opinion that the exhumation should not be allowed.”

It appears that Private Thomas James Hall is still buried in a common grave with 3 other British Soldiers & their names are remembered on the CWGC Screen Wall.

(The above is a summary of my research. The full research can be found by following the link below)
https://ww1austburialsuk.weebly.com/wandsworth-earlsfield...

Read more...

Biography contributed by Carol Foster

Son of George Israel and Naomi Hall of 77 Church Street, Wollongong, NSW

Medals: 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal