S7464
BUCK, Henry Thomas
| Service Number: | 2463 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 19 July 1915 |
| Last Rank: | Sergeant |
| Last Unit: | 27th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Wentworth, New South Wales, Australia, 1894 |
| Home Town: | Brompton, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Labourer |
| Died: | Natural Causes, 8 June 1998, place of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
Enfield Memorial Park, South Australia |
| Memorials: | Hindmarsh Federated Brick, Tile & Pottery Industrial Union Roll of Honor, Renown Park Brompton School Great War Roll of Honour |
World War 1 Service
| 19 Jul 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 2463, 27th Infantry Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 13 Oct 1915: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 2463, 27th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Themistocles, Adelaide | |
| 12 Feb 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Corporal, 2463, 27th Infantry Battalion, Discharged from hospital after having meningitis. | |
| 12 Aug 1916: | Promoted AIF WW1, Corporal, 27th Infantry Battalion | |
| 1 Feb 1917: | Wounded AIF WW1, Corporal, 2463, 27th Infantry Battalion, Sick with influenza. | |
| 13 Oct 1917: | Promoted AIF WW1, Sergeant, 27th Infantry Battalion | |
| 12 Jun 1918: | Wounded AIF WW1, Sergeant, 2463, 27th Infantry Battalion, Wounded in the Abdomen | |
| 3 Oct 1918: | Honoured Distinguished Conduct Medal, London Gazette 3 October 1918 on page 11685 at position 3 |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by St Dominic's Priory College
Henry Thomas Buck was born in 1894 in the bustling river port of Wentworth, New South Wales, but by the time war broke out he was living in Brompton, South Australia, working as a labourer.
On 19 July 1915, at 21 years and 9 months of age, he presented himself at the Adelaide recruiting depot. Standing 5 ft 7 in (170 cm) and weighing 142 lbs (64 kg), Buck had a medium complexion, light‑brown hair, keen brown eyes and the faint vaccination scars typical of the era. His chest expanded from 34 to 36 inches, a detail dutifully noted by the medical officer. Raised in the Church of England, he listed his mother, Elizabeth Mary Smith, as next of kin.
Allocated to the 27th Australian Infantry Battalion, Buck embarked from Adelaide on board HMAT Themistocles on 13 October 1915. After a period of training in Egypt he landed in France in March 1916, joining the battalion in the grim trenches of the Western Front.
Buck’s leadership qualities were quickly recognised. He was promoted Corporal on 6 May 1916 and, after the fighting around Pozières, advanced to Sergeant on 21 September 1917. His war was frequently interrupted by ill health, most seriously meningitis in early 1916 and influenza in 1917, resulting in spells in hospitals from Belgium to England.
Distinguished Conduct Medal
During the battalion’s 1918 operations near Morlancourt, Buck performed an act of conspicuous gallantry that earned him the Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM), second only to the Victoria Cross for other ranks. His commanding officer recommended him on 19 June 1918 for “exceptional bravery in the field”, and the award was published in the London Gazette on 3 October 1918 and the Commonwealth Gazette on 12 February 1919.
Ill‑health finally forced Buck home. Declared medically unfit, he sailed for Australia on 8 October 1918 and was discharged in Adelaide on 25 October 1918.
He died 8 June 1998 aged 98. Buck was laid to rest in Enfield Memorial Park, South Australia,