Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Robert Thomas Boyce was born on the 19th of December 1888 at Yackandandah. He was one of nine children to John and Catherine Alice (née Creamer) Boyce. Tragedy struck the family on the 9th of April, 1911. John and two of his sons drove back to the homestead from Tallangatta. Reaching the farm, the sons alighted to open the homestead gate and, returning to the gig, they found their father dead. The cause of death was attributed to heart disease. Five of John and Catherine’s sons enlisted during the First World War, Edward, George, Patrick, Frank and Thomas. Two of them would not return home. 

Tom’s first attempt at enlisting was unsuccessful. While he passed all fitness and measurement tests, his teeth didn’t. He was reffered to the Dental Board. It’s not known if he had work done to his teeth but three months later, on the 23rd of June, 1916, the examining medical officer in Tallangatta passed him as fit to be a member of the 1st AIF. 

Tom was allotted Regimental Number 5555 and initially posted to A Company of the 23rd Depot Battalion at Royal Park near Melbourne. On the 24th of June he was transferred to the 14th Reinforcements for the 23rd Infantry Battalion. Two weeks later he was admitted to the Isolation camp at Ascott Vale, although the reason is not clear. However, as his stay at the camp was over a month it is likely that he had contracted a disease rather than being sent their because he had simply come into contact with someone who had a disease. 

After being released he was taken on strength with B Company of the 23rd Battalion. The unit embarked on HMAT A19 Shropshire on the 25th of September 1916 and arrived at Plymouth, England a little under two months later on the 11th of November. Following more more training on the Salisbury Plains in Wiltshire he proceeded overseas aboard the Princess Henrietta. In mid-December of 1916 the 23rd Battalion was on the move in France. Tom caught up with them at Ribemont as they were moving up to the trenches.The battalion manned the front line throughout the bleak winter of 1916-17.

Tom’s first experience of a major offensive was during the battalion’s involvement in the second battle of Bullecourt in May of 1917. During this action he suffered a gunshot wound to the head and right hip. He was taken from the 5th Australian Field Ambulance to the 3rd Australian Casualty Clearing Station. Here he boarded No. 16 Ambulance Train and was moved to the 8th General Hospital at Rouen, France. After spending some time at No. 11 Convalscent Depot he was sent to the 2nd Division Base at Havre. Four days later, on the 10th of June 1917, he rejoined his battalion at Beaulen-Court where it was resting and training.

From the 10th to the 19th of July he attended a school of instruction, although in what and where is unknown. By November the 23rd Battalion was in the front line near a location called the Halfway House. The 8th and 9th of November had been quiet days according the battalion war diarist. For the 10th of November he wrote;

“Wet day. BDE 10 of 1st/7th West Yorks (146th Bde) visited BnH.Q. and remained till morning. 4 OR killed and 2 W during enemy retaliation to our 6 am barrage. Orders for relief received.”

The battalion was relieved the following day, although Tom was not among those who moved back to the relief area. He had been one of the four OR (other ranks) killed the previous day. Tom was buried close to were he had been killed. In 1921 his body was exhumed and reinterred in the Tyne Cot Cemetery in Belgium. He lies  along with nearly 12000 others, over 8000 of whom are unidentified. 

Tom is remembered on the Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour but, sadly, unlike his brother George who died in 1918, his name does not appear to be on any roll of honour in the region. For his service during the First World War, he was awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.