TREGURTHA, Speedwell
| Service Number: | 1424 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 11th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Ballarat East, Victoria, Australia, 1888 |
| Home Town: | Ballarat, Central Highlands, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Golden Point State School & Ballarat College, Victoria |
| Occupation: | Miner |
| Died: | Died of wounds received in action at Gallipoli Peninsula – shrapnel wound to thigh, East Manchester Royal Infirmary, Lancashire, England , 22 August 1915 |
| Cemetery: |
Manchester Southern Cemetery, England, United Kingdom |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Ballarat Golden Point State School, Magpie State School Honor Roll Book, Magpie State School No. 2271 Honour Roll |
World War 1 Service
| 22 Feb 1915: | Involvement Private, 1424, 11th Infantry Battalion, ANZAC / Gallipoli, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '10' embarkation_place: Fremantle embarkation_ship: HMAT Itonus embarkation_ship_number: A50 public_note: '' | |
|---|---|---|
| 22 Feb 1915: | Embarked Private, 1424, 11th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Itonus, Fremantle |
Help us honour Speedwell Tregurtha's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Cathy Sedgwick
The summary below was completed by Cathy Sedgwick (OAM) – Facebook “WW1 Australian War Graves in UK & Ireland”
Thomas Fabian Speedwell Tregurtha was born at Ballarat East, Victoria in 1888 to parents Thomas & Madeline Tregurtha (nee Daniel). Apparently the name “Speedwell” came from the Speedwell gold mine that Thomas Tregurtha used to manage in the 1880’s.
A death was registered in 1905 for Madeline Tregurtha, mother of Thomas Fabian Speedwell Tregurtha. Madeline Tregurtha died on 22nd September, 1905.
On 16th November, 1914 Speedwell Tregurtha enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (A.I.F.) as a a 25 year old, single, Miner when he enlisted at Black Boy Camp, Western Australia.
Private Speedwell Tregurtha, Service number 1424, embarked from Fremantle, Western Australia on HMAT Itonus (A50) on 22nd February, 1915 with the 11th Infantry Battalion, 2nd Reinforcements.
He was taken on strength with 11th Battalion from Reinforcements on 28th April, 1915 at the Dardanelles.
On 14th May, 1915 Private Speedwell Tregurtha was wounded in action. He was admitted to the Hospital Ship Gascon with a gunshot wound to right leg & compound fracture of femur. Private Tregurtha was admitted to 15th General Hospital at Alexandria on 20th May, 1915. Private Tregurtha’s Casualty Form – Active Service also recorded he was admitted to Reception Hospital at Mustapha on 20th May, 1915 & also admitted to 17th General Hospital at Alexandria on 20th May, 1915. He was invalided to England on 18th June, 1915 on Hospital Ship Nevasa.
Private Speedwell Tregurtha died on 22nd August, 1915 at East Manchester Royal Infirmary, England from wounds received in action at Gallipoli Peninsula – shrapnel wound to thigh.
He was buried on 25th August, 1915 in Southern Cemetery, Manchester, Lancashire, England – Plot number 391.
A letter was sent to Mr T. Tregurtha, of North Creswick, Victoria, dated 29th May which reads:
“With reference to the report of the regrettable loss of your son, the late No. 1424, Private S. Tregurtha, 11th Battalion, I am now in receipt of advice from Australian Imperial Force Headquarters, London, dated 21st February, 1919, as follows:-
· “In the Southern Cemetery at Manchester there were buried in common graves nine deceased members of the Australian Imperial Force. The remains of these have now been exhumed from the common graves and in each case have been re-interred in separate single graves in virgin soil in a site specially set aside as an Australian plot. The work was successfully carried out last week under the supervision of a senior Non-commissioned Officer from these Headquarters, and the new graves have since been marked by the provision of the standard oak cross enamelled white with black lettering. Photographs of the new graves will be taken at an early date and sent to you for transmission to the next-of-kin.
Your son is now buried in Grave No. 175, Section Q.”
(The above is a summary of my research. The full research can be found by following the link below)
https://ww1austburialsuk.weebly.com/-southern.html
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