THOMAS, Seymour Jacka
| Service Number: | 6122 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 10 April 1916 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 10th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Moonta, South Australia, November 1896 |
| Home Town: | Moonta, Copper Coast, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Moonta Public School, South Australia |
| Occupation: | Carpenter |
| Died: | Killed in Action, Celtic Wood, Belgium, 9 October 1917 |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" |
| Memorials: | Adelaide National War Memorial, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Menin Gate Memorial (Commonwealth Memorial to the Missing of the Ypres Salient), Moonta All Saint's Anglican Church Memorial Honour Roll, Moonta Corporation of The Town of Moonta Roll of Honour, Moonta Star of Moonta U.A.O.D. No. 66 Roll of Honor, Moonta War Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 10 Apr 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 10th Infantry Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 12 Aug 1916: | Involvement Private, 6122, 10th Infantry Battalion, Third Ypres, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '10' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Ballarat embarkation_ship_number: A70 public_note: '' | |
| 12 Aug 1916: | Embarked Private, 6122, 10th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Ballarat, Adelaide |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Adelaide Botanic High School
Seymour Jacka Thomas was born in Moonta, South Australia, in November 1896, to John Henry Thomas and Ann Elizabeth Thomas. He had an older brother, Carl, with whom he attended Moonta Public School. After finishing his schooling, Seymour trained to be a carpenter, and in 1914 he joined the cadets, serving two years. Additionally, he played in the band of the local 81st Infantry Citizen Militia Volunteers for 5 years. His only relatives were his parents and brother as he was not in any relationships when he enlisted or throughout the war.
Seymour enlisted on 12th January 1916, and after training embarked on the Ballarat in August of that year. They disembarked at Plymouth, Devon, on 30th September 1916, and Seymour joined the 3rd Training Battalion, spending 6 months training in camp 3. In May of 1917, Seymour was sent to Somme, France to fight at the front of the battle.
In August 1917, the Yorke's Peninsula Advertiser published a letter from Private Thomas written in June that year, thanking the Soldier’s Aid Society for the parcel of comforts he had received. He wrote the following:
‘I was more than delighted to receive a parcel from you and can assure you the contents were much appreciated. Our battalion is resting at the present, which is most acceptable, and you would be surprised to see how bright the boys are when they come out of the line, some of them having lost their brother, and have to put up with many hardships, yet they're not downhearted. We will all be glad when that happy day—when peace is declared, and we get back home to our loved ones again. Once more thanking you for your thoughtfulness of us boys who are in "no man's land." [1]—Seymour J. Thomas, 10th Battalion
It can be seen that Seymour was known by the community of Moonta and the support they provided gave him joy in the last few months of his life.
In August he fell ill with a perineal abscess and was moved to a field hospital in France. There Seymour spent only 8 days bin hospital efore being sent back to France in the 10th battalion where they marched to Belgium for the 3rd Battle of Ypres. After just over a month after returning from hospital Seymour Jacka Thomas was killed in action on October the 8th in Belgium at the age of 21.
Seymour Jacka Thomas was one of the many killed at the Western Front being awarded 3 medals these being the 1914/15-star medal, the British war medal and the victory medal. He has been commemorated in many memorials such as the Adelaide National War Memorial, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour and Menin Gate Memorial.
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