Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

HANCOCK Thomas Hume 277 PTE  MM

2nd Anzac Mounted Regiment

1888-1963

Tom’s parents, Thomas and Elizabeth Grace (née Henriques) Hancock were living in Leeton at the time Tom was born in 1888. His birth place is registered as Yarrawonga. Not much is known of his pre-war life except that he was employed as a butcher at Murtoa and Violet Town. Perhaps this is where he met up with the Underwood family. He and John Henry Underwood enlisted a few days apart in August 1914.  It is interesting to know that their Attesting Officer was Longwood’s LT  L C  Maygar who was awarded a VC in the Boer War and later killed in WW1 during the Battle at Beersheba by a bullet fired from an enemy aeroplane.

Both boys embarked on HMAT Wiltshire in October 1914, arriving in Egypt in time to train for their landing at Gallipoli the following May.  The sea trip was unpleasant and dangerous owing to overcrowding, sickness and the threat of enemy submarines. The weather was changeable; as the northern winter approached it was found that the troops had been issued with inadequate clothing. Being so early in the war, the troops could only speculate as to their destination.

Owing to the rough terrain on Gallipoli the Light Horse troops served without their horses to reinforce the infantry battalions. During this time Tom was awarded the Military Medal for ‘general good and distinguished service for seven months on Gallipoli especially sapping tunnelling and reconnaissance.’ This medal was presented to him two years later by King George V.

On 1 December 1915 Tom was evacuated to 1st AGH at Heliopolis with jaundice where he remained until January the following year. From there he sailed on HMAT Castrian for France, where he was detached to the Combat Reconnaissance Element at Armentieres  and promoted to SGT.  He remained there until 1 December 1916 when he had leave for two weeks.

On 10 June 1917 Tom was wounded in the left fore-arm for which he was invalided to Delhi Hospital at Tidworth, England. He returned to duty in December 1917, but by October the following year his wound had become badly infected, causing him to remain in hospital.

On 29 March 1918, after two operations at Tidworth Military Hospital to remove fragments from his arm, Tom was reported to be unable to do any strenuous work with his arm due to weakness and wasting.

He left England aboard HMAT Leicestershire on 9 December 1918 and was discharged in Melbourne on 23 March the following year.

After the war Tom returned to Violet Town, married  John’s Underwood’s sister Irene, in 1920 and resumed working in the butchery business in St Kilda.

He and Irene remained childless; however photos of their frequent visits to Violet Town record many happy Underwood family reunions.

Tom died in 1963 aged 75, Irene died six years later:

Both were cremated at Springvale Crematorium.

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

Tree No 9 was planted in 1917 by Mr Ainsworth.

In 2013 a Callistemon – King’s Park Special – was planted by the Underwood family.

© 2015 Sheila Burnell. Family friend, Rod Clarke supplied valuable information.