RABNOTT, Thomas Arthur
| Service Number: | 3838 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 25 August 1915 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 15th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Ipswich, Queensland, Australia, 7 July 1898 |
| Home Town: | Lutwyche, Brisbane, Queensland |
| Schooling: | Ipswich State School, Queensland, Australia |
| Occupation: | Farmer |
| Died: | Killed in Action, France, 4 July 1916, aged 17 years |
| Cemetery: |
Brewery Orchard Cemetery, Bois-Grenier Plot IV, Row D, Grave No. 10. WE SHALL MEET IN THE MORNING WHEN THE SHADOWS FLEE AWAY MOTHER |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Beaudesert War Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 25 Aug 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 3838, 15th Infantry Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 30 Nov 1915: | Involvement Private, 3838, 15th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '11' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Suffolk embarkation_ship_number: A23 public_note: '' | |
| 30 Nov 1915: | Embarked Private, 3838, 15th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Suffolk, Sydney |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Stephen Brooks
Thomas Rabnott was the first soldier of the 15th Battalion to die on the Western Front. He was still only 17 years of age, having understated his age by 12 months when he enlisted.
Thomas had only arrived in France with the 15th Battalion three weeks before he died. The unit was in reserve trenches behind Bois Grenier when three shells came over and exploded near where Thomas was resting in a canvas shelter. A shrapnel pellet struck him near the heart and he died soon after. His Lieutenant said "he was such a young lad and well liked by all around".
Thomas was the youngest son of Frederick and Emily Rabnott of Brisbane, Queensland. His father had passed away when he was only four years of age and his widowed mother received his medals and effects.
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