Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

KERR, Thomas MC (1888-1967)

Thomas Kerr was born on 4 October 1888, the son of Charles Conway Kerr and Ellen Catherine nee Scott, of Denison, Heyfield. He was educated at Gippsland College, Sale, and Geelong College, where he entered in 1905. At College he was in the 1st Football XVIII, as well as stroke of the 1st Rowing VIII, in 1905-06. His World War I enlistment details record his birth date as 5 October 1888.

ImageHe served in the Geelong College Cadets, and was a Sergeant in the 13th Australian Light Horse Regiment, 5th Brigade, before World War I.

During World War I, he enlisted in 23 Battalion, AIF. He passed through the 6th Officers’ School of Instruction at Broadmeadows, and embarked on HMAT A73 Commonwealth on 26 November 1915. He landed at Suez on 1 January 1916. He transferred to 60 Battalion in Egypt, and proceeded to France where he was awarded a Military Cross at the Battle of Fromelles on 19 July 1916, when his Battalion was almost wiped out.

The citation was written by Brigadier General ‘Pompey’ Elliott:
'At Petillon on 19 July 1916 Lt Kerr displayed conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty under very heavy artillery and MG fire. He was wounded immediately after going over the parapet in the charge but pushed on. After crossing the River Layes he organized a party and led them forward. Having got as close as possible to the German trenches, he found no one in front of him. His small party were the only survivors near him. He ordered them to dig in and sent back a message that he and his party were waiting and could go no further without reinforcements. These did not arrive and after waiting some considerable time he succeeded in making his way back to our parapet. After having his wounds dressed, he refused to go into hospital and remained on duty rendering valuable assistance in collecting the shattered remnants of the 60th Battalion.'

Kerr’s message was carried back by Pte R E Poulter¹.
¹Reginald Ernest Poulter, of South Melbourne, a surgical instrument maker in civilian life], and Kerr, having found himself without note paper, used the fly-leaf of Poulter’s pocket New Testament. Elliott suggested a Military Medal for Poulter which he received, Elliott wrote the citation for Poulter’s award, “He courageously volunteered and successfully carried an important message from the front attacking lines in No-Man’s Land back 300 yards to our own trenches under a withering machine gun and artillery fire. Later during the action he showed conspicuous gallantry on many occasions in carrying important messages from our firing line.” Poulter was also awarded the Medal of St.George, 4th class (Russia), however he was later killed in action on 12 May 1917 at Bullecourt. Poulter has no known grave, his name is commemorated on the Villers Bretonneux Memorial.

Robin Corfield in Don’t Forget Me, Cobber wrote further of Fromelles:
'The 60th Battalion did have one little pocket alive and reasonably optimistic, an event which Bean chose to ignore completely even though two of its number were awarded significant decorations for this work. It was led by Captain Tom Kerr who went over in the third wave and according to Bean got within 150 yards of the parapet. Bean consulted Kerr when writing his account and recorded Kerr’s memory as that of a ‘survivor’. Kerr had seen the Germans ‘standing out shoulder high . . . . looking as if they were wondering what was coming next’, and seems to have been the only 60th Battalion officer to have got that far and returned to tell the story.'

The Pegasus of December 1916 reported the loss of some of Kerr’s Old Collegian comrades, and his wounding:
'Poor Barnfather (OGC) was killed in the same engagement as Harold Latta (OGC). I was lucky enough to get the Military Cross in the same action (July 19th). I was slightly wounded but am quite well again now. '

His diary recorded briefly the events of the day:
'19 July 15 Bde attacked Fromelles front – self cracked in shoulder and on ribs – casualties 60th Bn 800 – Capt Evans¹, Lieut Rhind² killed. Only one Sgt left in B Coy. Dreadful day.'

Ross McMullin told of his wounding in his book, 'Pompey Elliott' :
'The 60th Battalion was practically annihilated. This fine unit had gone into action over 900 strong, its talented leaders and well-trained rank and file eager to perform well in its first engagement. Next morning, when the shattered battalion assembled after being withdrawn, only 61 men and a few officers answered the roll-call (a small number of other unwounded men gradually turned up later). Lieutenant Tom Kerr, still in shock after losing so many friends and collecting wounds himself in the ribs and shoulder, was staggered to find himself acting battalion commander. Ascending the parapet to advance with the third wave, he had expected to glimpse the previous lines pressing forward ahead of him, but there was no movement at all. He could see plenty of Australians, but they were all lying still.'

Les Carlyon summed it up even better in 'The Great War' :
'And in the morning the sums were done. The 60th battalion had been wiped out as a fighting force. It went out 877-strong and now, on the morning after, Lt Tom Kerr, wounded in the shoulder and ribs and the only officer present, abruptly found himself in charge of a ‘battalion’. Sixty-one men answered the roll; another forty or so turned up later. The 59th had suffered nearly as badly.'

According to the Geelong College Archives and Melbourne's Herald newspaper, there was mention of Tom Kerr being nominated for a Victoria Cross, however nothing eventuated. He was a Lieutenant at the time of Fromelles, and rose to the rank of Major by the end of the war. He may also have been the last OC of the 60 Battalion in September 1918.

Years later after ‘Pompey’ Elliott’s death somebody remembered Elliott on the morning of the 20th July 1916 thus, ‘A procession of wounded - but the majority aiding themselves as best they could - passed slowly along the rear. Standing near the sap from which they had emerged was ‘Pompey’. Gone was his usual bluff and hearty manner. His gaze which rested upon the forms of his beloved men was full of sadness. Tears streamed down his cheeks. 'My poor boys', ‘Pompey’ muttered as they passed by.’ The battalion was withdrawn to recuperate, before being thrust back into the firing line, as related by Ross McMullin:
'On 19 March (1917) the 60th Battalion took over from the 59th as the foremost infantry. In order to avoid a repetition of Fremicourt, Pompey arranged for the 60th to advance in two columns, led by Dave Doyle3 and Tom Kerr. On the left Doyle’s men succeeded in extricating the Germans from Beugny after manoeuvring around it. A platoon headed by Eric Walker4 was harassing this retirement effectively when it was attacked by a separate German formation of cavalry and infantry. For a while there was ‘a lot of excitement and nearly hand to hand fighting’, Walker noted, but eventually the Germans withdrew. Over on the right Kerr’s men were confronted by German detachments defending Lebucquiere, Velu, and Velu Wood with the assistance of well-sited machine gun posts. The task of dislodging them was made even more difficult by the failure of the British to move up alongside, despite Wieck’s personally conveyed request. This enabled the Germans on the right flank, particularly those occupying the village of Bertincourt, to hinder the pursuit with sporadic enfilade fire.'

Kerr had leave in Paris late in May 1917, and to England in August. He transferred to 57 Battalion as Commanding Officer on 25 September 1918. The last months of the war he spent at a Senior Officers’ School at Aldershot, bearing in mind he was aged 30, had been wounded twice, the second time on 7 September 1918, had a Military Cross, and had served over two years in the front line.

He returned to Australia on HMT Demosthenes, embarking on 21 January 1919. His diaries are extensively quoted by Robin Corfield in Hold Hard, Cobbers. His Battalion battle honours read the Somme 1916 and 1918, Bullecourt, Ypres 1917, Menin Road, Polygon Wood, Poelcapelle, Passchendaele, Ancre 1918, Villers-Bretonneux, Amiens, Albert 1918, Mont St Quentin, Hindenburg Line, France and Flanders 1916-1918, and Egypt 1915-1917. The Australian War Memorial (AWM) Collection holds a group portrait of officers of the 60th Battalion which includes Thomas Kerr MC and W W Leggatt (OGC).

After his return to Australia in 1919, Tom Kerr married Margaret Allardyce, the second child of Edwin and Margaret Allardyce, of Heyfield, and younger sister of his Geelong College and AIF compatriot, ALLARDYCE, Alick Gordon Pirie Allarydyce.

¹Ernest Andrew Evans, of Camberwell, no known grave, name commemorated on VC Corner Australian Cemetery, France.
²James Morison Rhind, of Wallington, no known grave, name commemorated on VC Corner Australian Cemetery, his brother, an Old Collegian, also served in the AIF.
3 David Brendon Doyle, born 27 July 1894, the son of Brendon and Leila Doyle, of Hawthorn, educated Hawthorn College, a Melbourne University student before the war, graduating BSc, embarked on 20 November 1915 with Tom Kerr, promoted Lieutenant April 1916, Captain August 1916, Major October 1918, President of 60th Bn Association 1922 until his death on 5 November 1971.
4 Lt Eric Lawford Walker, born in Ascot Vale in 1891, the son of Charles Arthur and Alice (Barker) Walker, of Essendon, he enlisted and served with the 4th Light Horse Regiment, before promotion and transfer to 60 Bn, returned to Australia, embarking on 18 October 1917.

Source : The Geelong College - http://gnet.geelongcollege.vic.edu.au:8080/wiki/KERR-Major-Thomas-MC-1888-1967.ashx?HL=kerr