S1848
ELLIOTT, Thomas James
| Service Number: | 1858 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 28 February 1916 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 10th Field Artillery Brigade |
| Born: | Franklin Harbour, South Australia, 24 March 1895 |
| Home Town: | Cowell, Franklin Harbour, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Labourer |
| Died: | Cleve, South Australia, 12 May 1966, aged 71 years, cause of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
Cleve Cemetery, Eyre Peninsula, South Australia Plot 364 |
| Memorials: | Cowell Men from Franklin Harbour WW1 Roll of Honour |
World War 1 Service
| 28 Feb 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, 1858, 5th Pioneer Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 11 Apr 1916: | Involvement Private, 1858, 5th Pioneer Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '5' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Aeneas embarkation_ship_number: A60 public_note: '' | |
| 11 Apr 1916: | Embarked Private, 1858, 5th Pioneer Battalion, HMAT Aeneas, Adelaide | |
| 11 Nov 1918: | Involvement Private, 1858, 38th Infantry Battalion | |
| 4 Nov 1919: | Discharged AIF WW1, 1858, 10th Field Artillery Brigade |
Help us honour Thomas James Elliott's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Paul Lemar
Thomas was the son of James Marcum ELLIOTT & Mary Frances Turner DUNN and was born on the 24th of March 1895 in Franklin Harbour, SA.
His parents were married on the 25th of April 1884 in Franklin Harbour, SA.
His father was the son of William Phillip ELLIOTT & Jane WEAR and was born in 1862 in Bristol, Somersetshire, England.
His mother was the daughter of Phillip Turner DUNN & Charlotte LINTERN and was born on the 5th of April 1867 in Angaston, SA.
Thomas was the fourth child born into this family of 10 children.
His father was a farmer and after completing his schooling Thomas gained employment as a labourer in Cowell.
At the age of 21, Thomas enlisted into the 1st AIF on the 28th of February 1916 in Kadina and allotted the service number 1858 and posted to A Company, 2nd Depot.
He was then transferred to the 5th Pioneers, 2nd Reinforcements at Mitcham Camp and embarked from Adelaide on board HMAT A60 Aeneas on the 11th of April 1916, disembarking in Suez on the 15th of May.
He then went to France where he suffered trench feet and was evacuated to England and after he recovered he was transferred to the 10th Field Artillery Brigade, 38th Battery, back in France .
By the 13th of October Thomas and his Battery Wagon Lines were located on the western outskirts of Busigny and on this day they were heavily shelled, resulting in 1 killed and 13 wounded.
Thomas suffered a Gun Shot Wound to his right foot and was admitted into the 9th General Hospital in Rouen. He spent nearly 4 weeks here before he was discharged to the 1st Australian Convalescent Depot in Le Havre and was here when the Armistice was signed.
Thomas was then granted 2 weeks leave to England on the 7th of January and whilst on leave he married Daisy Caroline MUNDAY on the 16th of January 1919 in St James’s Church, Fulham, London, England.
Thomas married Daisy Caroline MUNDAY on the 16th of January 1919 in St James’s Church, Fulham, London, England.
Daisy was the daughter of Henry MUNDAY & Elizabeth LAWRENCE and was born on the 25th of December 1896.
Thomas and Daisy embarked from England on board HT Pt Lincoln on the 23rd of July 1919, disembarking in Adelaide on the 11th of September 1919. Daisy was 6 months pregnant when she arrived.
On the evening of the 23rd of September a welcome home was tendered to Thomas by the Cowell Cheer-Up Society in the local hall.
Thomas was discharged from the AIF on the 4th of November 1919.
They welcomed their first child; Norman Henry, on the 26th of December 1919 in Cowell and then Bessie Irene was born on the 29th of October 1921.
They made their home on the Yadnarie Plains, near Cleve and Thomas joined the Cleve / Arno Bay RSL Sub-Branch and was a farmer.
Daisy died on the 2nd of March 1944 in the Royal Adelaide Hospital and Thomas buried her in the West Terrace Cemetery; Road A Extension, Row 1W, Plot 27.
Thomas died on 12th of May 1966 and was buried 3 days later in the Cleve Cemetery by Rev. Woolford.
His was buried in Plot 364 and only has a council marker on his grave.
Burial number; 449.
Military
At the age of 21, Thomas enlisted into the 1st AIF on the 28th of February 1916 in Kadina and allotted the service number 1858 and posted to A Company, 2nd Depot.
He listed his father, of Franklin Harbour, as his next of kin.
On the 16th of March he was transferred to the 5th Pioneers, 2nd Reinforcements at Mitcham Camp.
Thomas embarked from Adelaide on board HMAT A60 Aeneas on the 11th of April 1916, disembarking in Suez on the 15th of May.
He spent a further 3 months here training before embarking from Alexandria on the 21st of August, disembarked in Marseilles 8 days later and marched into the 12th Infantry Training Battalion in Etaples.
Thomas then suffered with the Mumps on the 13th of October and was admitted into the 15th Field Ambulance and then transferred to 1st Australian Casualty Clearing Station at Estaires.
Two days later he was transferred to the 7th General Hospital in St Omers, where he remained for 2 weeks.
On the 4th of November he joined the 5th Pioneers at Longueval where they were repairing the roads and trenches and camped at Montauban Camp.
By early December they had moved to Waterlot Farm and the weather had turned very nasty with severe snow storms, which made clearing the trenches extremely difficult.
They spent Christmas 1916 here and most of there time they were working on Energy Trench in Eve Alley.
Whilst here, on the 5th of January 1917, Thomas suffered with trench feet and was admitted into the 38th Casualty Clearing Station in Heilly before being transferred by Ambulance Train to the 12th General Hospital in Rouen.
He was then transferred to England and admitted into the Norfolk War Hospital on the 12th of January.
Thomas spent the next 4 weeks here until he was discharged to 2 weeks furlo on the 14th of February.
He then reported into No.1 Command Depot in Perham Downs and 4 weeks later he was transferred to No.2 Command Depot in Weymouth before being transferred to the Drafting Depot in Perham Downs on the 12th of April.
On the 31st of July he was attached to the 9th Training Battalion in Durrington for 6 weeks and was then posted to No.3 Command Depot in Fovant.
He was then transferred on the 13th of November to Artillery Details at Reserve Brigade Australian Artillery (RBAA) in Heytesbury Camp and mustered as a Gunner.
Thomas remained here until the 16th of January 1918 when he proceeded back to France and marched into the 4th Division Artillery in Rouelles.
A few days later he was taken on strength with the 10th Field Artillery Brigade and posted to 38th Battery in the Castre Section.
They remained in this area in support of the 4th Division until the 11th of March when they were relieved and marched into Devon Camp.
They then moved into the Houdain Area 2 weeks later and by the 1st of April they were located at Lavieville before moving to Albert and Henencourt Château.
On the 11th of May they were ordered to relieve the 179th Army Brigade Royal Field Artillery (R.F.A) and remained at the front until the 3rd of June when they marched from the wagon lines to the Hallencourt area to their new billets.
Whilst here they maintained the piquet in the area of Cocquerel.
They were then heavily involved at the Somme and were at Cerisy Gailly and Chipilly in August and then the Hindenberg Line in September.
On the 24th of September they marched out to Villers-Foucon via Roisel and by the early October they had moved to Voncourt.
By the 13th of October Thomas and his Battery Wagon Lines were located on the western outskirts of Busigny and on this day they were heavily shelled, resulting in 1 killed and 13 wounded.
Thomas suffered a Gun Shot Wound to his right foot and was admitted into an Australian Field Ambulance and transferred to the 41st Casualty Clearing Station in Roisel.
The following day he was transferred to the 9th General Hospital in Rouen. He spent nearly 4 weeks here before he was discharged to the 1st Australian Convalescent Depot in Le Havre and was here when the Armistice was signed.
He spent Christmas 1918 here before being discharged to the Australian General Base Depot (AGBD) on the 3rd of January 1919.
Thomas was then granted 2 weeks leave to England on the 7th of January and whilst on leave he married Daisy Caroline MUNDAY on the 16th of January 1919 in St James’s Church, Fulham, London, England.
He then rejoined his Battery on the 1st of February in Flavion and on the 4th of March he marched out for England. He proceeded to England on the 13th of March and was posted to No.4 Command Depot at Worgret Hill Camp in Wareham.
Thomas and Daisy embarked from England on board HT Pt Lincoln on the 23rd of July 1919, disembarking in Adelaide on the 11th of September 1919.
Thomas was discharged from the AIF on the 4th of November 1919 and awarded the British War & Victory Medals.