Thomas William O'KEEFFE

Thomas William O'KEEFFE Update Details

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O'KEEFFE, Thomas William

Service Number:	6587
Enlisted:	4 May 1916
Last Rank:	Private
Last Unit:	9th Infantry Battalion
Born:	Dalby, Queensland, Australia, October 1887
Home Town:	Dalby, Western Downs, Queensland
Schooling:	Not yet discovered
Occupation:	Grazier
Died:	Accidently Drowned, Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 8 March 1918
Cemetery:	Brighton General Cemetery, Victoria Roman Catholic A 292.
Memorials:	Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour

World War 1 Service

4 May 1916:	Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 6587, 9th Infantry Battalion
21 Oct 1916:	Involvement Private, 6587, 9th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '9' embarkation_place: Brisbane embarkation_ship: HMAT Boonah embarkation_ship_number: A36 public_note: ''
21 Oct 1916:	Embarked Private, 6587, 9th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Boonah, Brisbane

Pte TW O'Keeffe

From How They Served

6587 Private Thomas William O'Keeffe of Moola via Dalby, Queensland, had been engaged as a grazier when he enlisted for War Service on the 4th of May 1916. Allocated to reinforcements for the 9th Battalion, 1st AIF Thomas embarked for England and further training on the 21st of October 1916. On his arrival in England on the 10th of Janurary 1917,
Thomas was admitted into hospital having become seriously sick whilst at sea.

By the 27th of Feburary Thomas had recovered enough to be sent to the training camp at Larkhill, where he remained until the 4th of May having been temporarily detatched to duty with AIF Base Records. On the 5th of September, Thomas was again admitted into hospital suffering from sickness and remained in hospital until the 27th of September where he was again discharged back to duties. Thomas remained with AIF Base Records in London until his being embarked for return to Australia on the 21st of Decemeber 1917.

On the day of the ship's arrival in Melbourne on the 8th of March 1918, Thomas was discovered drowned in the Yarra River. A court of enquiry was held which could not determine how Thomas had entered the water and no verdict could be returned as to how he had met his death. Private Thomas O'Keeffe received a formal military funeral when he was laid to rest within Brighton General Cemetery, Victoria.

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