Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

On 19th May, 1917, The Oakleigh, Caulfield and Ferntree Gully Times reported Sergeant Thomas Francis Dalcam, whilst attached to the AIF’s 2nd Trench Mortar Battery and on active service in France, was awarded the Military Medal for bravery in the field.  The recommending citation read:

‘During the minor operation of the night 6 & 7th June, 1916, Corporal Dalcam was in charge of a wire cutting mortar.  His emplacement, a comparatively open one, was severely damaged during hostile retaliation but the gun crew stood to their guns and completed their task, the wire being successfully cut’.

Recommendation date: 18th June, 1916

He was regularly listed in the Oakleigh and Caulfield Times ‘For King and Country’ Roll of Honour - having volunteered from Oakleigh - throughout WWI from 1915 to 1918.

On his enlistment record, Thomas Francis Dalcam stated he was born in Brunswick in March, 1892 and he nominated Agnes Rawlings as his mother.  His father was Thomas Dalcam.  Thomas had a younger sibling, Elsie Amelia born in 1895.  Elsie married Alfred Norman Frean in 1914.

Birth, Deaths and Marriages records indicate Agnes left Thomas Dalcam and married William Rawlings in 1903.

Victorian Electoral Roll records from 1913 indicate William and Agnes Rawlings lived at ‘Oakleigh Park Estate’, corner Haughton Road and Foran Grove, Clayton, Victoria from 1913.  William was a carpenter by trade. 

After their marriage, Agnes and William lived in Carlton until 1913 when the moved to Clayton. The couple had no children.  William died in 1936 in and Agnes in 1957.

Thomas Francis Dalcam sailed with the AIF on board HMAT A14 Euripides on 10th May, 1915.  He saw service in France, where he won promotion to Sergeant and was twice mentioned in despatches. 

In January 1917, Dalcam contracted a sexually transmitted disease and was admitted to hospital in Rouen, France until 28th February, 1917.

On 15th October, 1917 he was convicted of drunkeness and resist arrest by Miltary Police, whilst on leave in Edinburgh, Scotland. He was sentenced by having his promotion to Sergeant back dated from 18th August, 1918 to 16th October, 1917.  This subsequently led to a loss of seniority, which in this era was a determining factor when there were several applicants for one position.

Dalcam returned to Australia on 28th August, 1919.  He was a carpenter by trade.

After returning to Australia he lived at 15 Victoria Grove, Brunswick; 9 Barningham Street, Brunswick; Clayton; Langville (via Kerang)  before moving to Perth, Western Australia.

His War pension was cancelled on 13th July, 1922, ‘as all efforts to locate him for the purpose of medical examination were futile’.

On the 16th November, 1934, he was admitted to the Repatriation Hospital in Mount Magnet, Western Australia.   Thomas had earlier applied to appeal for a disability pension that was cancelled.  He had been directed to attend the Repatriation Hospital and when he did, complained of pain in the lower rib area.  After an operation it was identified he had an amoebic abscess of the liver.  The diagnosis from the treating Surgeon was in-patient treatment for four weeks.   However, after being admitted, Thomas Dalcam died from his condition three weeks later.