WATSON, Thomas David
| Service Number: | 2008 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 29 June 1915, Blackboy Hill, Western Australia |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 28th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Deniliquin, New South Wales, Australia, 21 June 1891 |
| Home Town: | Broad Arrow, Kalgoorlie/Boulder, Western Australia |
| Schooling: | Broad Arrow Public School, Western Australia |
| Occupation: | Miner |
| Died: | Pulmonary Haemorrhage & Tuberculosis, Norfolk War Hospital, Norwich, Norfolk, England , 30 October 1917, aged 26 years |
| Cemetery: |
Norwich Cemetery, Norfolk, England |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Fremantle Fallen Sailors & Soldiers Memorial, Kalgoorlie St John's Anglican Church Honour Roll |
World War 1 Service
| 29 Jun 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 2008, Blackboy Hill, Western Australia | |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Sep 1915: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 2008, 28th Infantry Battalion, Enlistment/Embarkation WW1, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '16' embarkation_place: Fremantle embarkation_ship: HMAT Anchises embarkation_ship_number: A68 public_note: '' | |
| 2 Sep 1915: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 2008, 28th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Anchises, Fremantle | |
| 30 Oct 1917: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 2008, 28th Infantry Battalion |
Help us honour Thomas David Watson'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 – Facebook “WW1 Australian War Graves in England/UK/Scotland/Ireland”
Died on this date – 30th October…… Thomas David Watson was born in Deniliquin, NSW on 22nd June, 1891.
He enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (A.I.F.) on 24th June, 1915 as a 23 year old, single, Miner.
Private Thomas David Watson, Service number 2008, embarked from Fremantle, Western Australia on HMAT Geelong on 5th June, 1915.
On 29th June, 1915 Private Watson was posted to 3rd Reinforcements of 28th Battalion.
He joined 28th Battalion at Anzac on 12th October, 1915.
Private Thomas David Watson was wounded on 10th December, 1915. He was admitted to 7th Field Ambulance on 10th December, 1915 with shrapnel wounds to head then transferred to 13th Casualty Clearing Station the same day. Private Watson was transferred to Hospital Ship Grantully Castle on 10th December, 1915 & admitted to No. 3 Auxiliary Hospital at Heliopolis in 14th December, 1915.
A Medical Report dated 17th December, 1915 reads “S.W. Scalp – from Gallipoli – there 17 weeks. Struck on scalp by piece of shrapnel 1 week ago. small ___ wound, quite clean over postr fontanelle.” He was marched in to Overseas Base at Ghezireh on 23rd December, 1915 & discharged to his Unit on 28th December, 1915. Private Watson returned to duty at Tel-el-Kebir on 10th January, 1916.
On 16th March, 1916 Private Watson proceeded overseas from Alexandria to join B.E.F. (British Expeditionary Force) & disembarked at Marseilles, France on 21st March, 1916.
He was transferred to Anzac Base at Marseilles on 15th July, 1916 & returned to duty on 21st July, 1916.
Private Thomas David Watson was wounded in action (2nd occasion) between 3rd & 6th November, 1916. He was admitted to 5th Field Ambulance on 5th November, 1916 with shrapnel wounds to hand then transferred to 39th Casualty Clearing Station on 6th November, 1916 with gunshot wounds to left hand (accidental). Private Watson was transferred to 36th Casualty Clearing Station then transferred to Ambulance Train on 6th November, 1916. He was admitted to 5th Casualty Clearing Station on 15th November, 1916. Private Watson was admitted to 2/2 London Casualty Clearing Station on 19th December, 1916 with gunshot wounds to hand – self inflicted & rejoined his Battalion on 20th December, 1916.
A Field General Court Martial was held in France on 23rd January, 1917 concerning Private Thomas David Watson – “When on active service conduct to the prejudice of good order and military discipline in that he, in the trenches north of Fleurs on 15/11/16 negligently discharged his rifle and thereby wounded himself.” Private Watson pleaded not guilty. Finding – Found Guilty. He was awarded a forfeiture of 30 days’ pay.
On 12th February, 1917 Private Watson was detached from 28th Battalion with 7th Field Company Engineers in France.
He was on leave to England from 1st August, 1917 & rejoined from leave on 13th August, 1917.
Private Watson rejoined 28th Battalion on 31st August, 1917 from 7th Field Company Engineers.
On 7th September, 1917 Private Watson was sent sick to Hospital. He was admitted to 7th Australian Field Ambulance on 7th September, 1917 then transferred & admitted to 58th General Hospital at St. Omer the same day. Private Watson was listed for transfer to England on 17th September, 1917 & embarked for England on Hospital Ship St. Denis on 18th September, 1917.
He was admitted to Norfolk War Hospital, Norwich, Norfolk, England on 18th September, 1917 with Laryngitis Pleurisy.
Private Thomas David Watson died at 10.55 pm on 30th October, 1917 at Norfolk War Hospital, Norwich, Norfolk, England from Pulmonary Haemorrhage & Tuberculosis. (Note –The Burial Report form in the Service Record file for Private Thomas David Watson has the date of death incorrectly listed as 31st October, 1917).
He was buried in Earlham Road Cemetery, Norwich, Norfolk, England where 23 other WW1 Australian War Graves are located.
His CWGC headstone was incorrectly engraved with the wrong date of death – 31st October, 1917. CWGC were advised of the error at the time of research, On checking Find a Grave - the headstone has been replaced & now has the correct date of death – 30th October, 1917.
(The above is a summary of my research. The full research can be found by following the link below)
https://ww1austburialsuk.weebly.com/norwich---norfolk.html
Click images to start slideshow.