THOMAS, Lewis
| Service Number: | 4570 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 5 October 1915, Enlisted at Holdsworthy (now Holsworthy). |
| Last Rank: | Lance Corporal |
| Last Unit: | 3rd Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Mt Egerton, Victoria, Australia, 22 December 1888 |
| Home Town: | Sydney, City of Sydney, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Railway Porter and Signalman |
| Died: | Killed in Action, France, 18 September 1918, aged 29 years |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" Villers-Bretonneux Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux, Picardie, France |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Glebe Roll of Honor, Haymarket NSW Government Railway and Tramway Honour Board, Villers-Bretonneux Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 5 Oct 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 4570, 3rd Infantry Battalion, Enlisted at Holdsworthy (now Holsworthy). | |
|---|---|---|
| 15 Jan 1916: | Involvement Private, 4570, 3rd Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '7' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: RMS Osterley embarkation_ship_number: '' public_note: '' | |
| 15 Jan 1916: | Embarked Private, 4570, 3rd Infantry Battalion, RMS Osterley, Sydney | |
| 18 Aug 1916: | Wounded AIF WW1, Private, 4570, 3rd Infantry Battalion, A gun shot to his hand on 18th August and admitted to the 44th Casualty Clearing Station, No. 9 Ambulance Train, No. 3 Canadian General Hospital, Hospital Ship ‘St Denis’ and carried to the 3rd Northern General Hospital at Sheffield. | |
| 18 Sep 1918: | Involvement Lance Corporal, 4570, 3rd Infantry Battalion, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 4570 awm_unit: 3 Battalion awm_rank: Lance Corporal awm_died_date: 1918-09-18 |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by John Oakes
Lewis THOMAS (Service Number 4570) was born on 22nd December 1888 at Mt Egerton, Victoria. He began work for the Traffic Branch of the NSW Railways as a porter in the Metropolitan District from 29th May 1912. He became permanent in September and relocated to Goulburn in November 1914. He became a signalman there only eleven days later. In March 1915 he was back in Sydney, again as a porter. It was from this role that he was granted leave on 12th October 1915 to join the Expeditionary Forces.
Thomas had already enlisted at Holdsworthy on 5th October giving his mother Mary Ann, living in Geelong West as his next of kin. He was allotted to the 14th Reinforcements to the 3rd Battalion. He embarked RMS ‘Osterley’ at Sydney on 15th January 1916. He did not stay long in Egypt. On 29th March 1916 he embarked ‘Transylvania’ to join the British Expeditionary Force on the Western Front in France, passing through Marseilles on 4th April. He was taken on strength of the 3rd Battalion on 8th June.
He was wounded in action with a gun shot to his hand on 18th August 1916 and admitted to the 44th Casualty Clearing Station, No. 9 Ambulance Train, No. 3 Canadian General Hospital, Hospital Ship ‘St Denis’ and carried to the 3rd Northern General Hospital at Sheffield. By 18th October he was discharged to Tidworth and was granted furlough. He returned to duty at Perham Downs, with a less than front line service fitness classification.
Thomas spent the rest of 1916 and most of 1917 in England before he returned to France in October to re-join the 3rd Battalion as a batman. He attended the 1st Anzac Corps School and the 3rd Squadron of the Australian Flying Corps. He was appointed Lance Corporal. Hehad a period at the 2nd Army Rest Camp and with the Corps School in August 1918.
Before his promotion, Private Lewis Thomas was awarded the Military Medal for his actions on 20th June 1918. The recommendation for the award is:
‘In an operation against the enemy position near STRAZELLE on night of 20th June, 1918, Pte THOMAS advanced with his platoon to the attack and on gaining the enemy trench he took up a position on the parapet and although subject to heavy machine gun fire he continued sniping at the enemy, inflicting many casualties. Later when his officer and all his N.C.Os. had become casualties he took command of the remainder of his platoon which protected the right flank of the position during an enemy counterattack.
He showed initiative and leadership of a high order.’
Thomas was killed in action in France on 18th September 1918. He has no known grave. He is remembered at the Villers-Bretonneux Memorial, France
- based on the Australian War Memorial Honoiur Roll and notes for the Great Sydney Central Station Honour Board.