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MCCONNELL, Thomas James
Personal Details
| Service Number: | 1942 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 58th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Allansford, Victoria, Australia, 7 February 1893 |
| Home Town: | Warrnambool, Warrnambool, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Farmer |
| Died: | Killed in Action, Belgium, 26 September 1917, aged 24 years |
| Cemetery: | Not yet discovered |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Menin Gate Memorial (Commonwealth Memorial to the Missing of the Ypres Salient) |
Service History
World War 1 Service
| 8 Jul 1916: | Involvement Private, 1942, 58th Infantry Battalion, Third Ypres, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '20' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Ajana embarkation_ship_number: A31 public_note: '' | |
|---|---|---|
| 8 Jul 1916: | Embarked Private, 1942, 58th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Ajana, Melbourne |
Personal Stories
Headstone at Warrnambool
Thomas' parents gravestone at Warrnambool cemetery includes an inscription that reads, "Thomas J. McConnell killed in Action at Polygon Wood, September 17th 1917." Above it is engraved the name of his brother, Joseph F. McConnell, who returned to Australia, but died of illness, after being gassed at the front.
In the same battle of Polygon Wood,Thomas' cousin, Allan Foster McConnell was blinded.
Submitted 24 April 2021 by Ellen Magill
Biography contributed by Ellen Magill
Thomas James McConnell was the son of John McConnell and Barbara Spence McConnell/Anderson. He was killed in the Battle of Polygon Wood in Belgium. His brother, Joseph Foster McConnell died from illness after returning from the front.