TACON, Ivan (Ivor) George
| Service Number: | 2800 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 12 August 1915 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 17th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Branxton, New South Wales, Australia, 1895 |
| Home Town: | Not yet discovered |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Baker |
| Died: | New South Wales, Australia, 11 July 1983, cause of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
Woronora Memorial Park, Sutherland, New South Wales Portion: Lawn 10 Plot: 1284 |
| Memorials: | Utungun Taylors Arm WW1 Honor Roll |
World War 1 Service
| 12 Aug 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1 | |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Nov 1915: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 2800, 17th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '12' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Euripides embarkation_ship_number: A14 public_note: '' | |
| 2 Nov 1915: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 2800, 17th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Euripides, Sydney | |
| Date unknown: | Involvement 17th Infantry Battalion, Battle for Pozières |
Help us honour Ivan (Ivor) George Tacon's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography
Ivor George Tacon 2800 (also known as Ivan)
Ivor was born about April in the year 1895 at Greta, New South Wales to William Tacon and Phoebe Nash. From a family of 11 children he was the first of two brothers to enter the war. His occupation was baker when he enlisted as a private into the 6th. Reinforcements 17th.batttalion. AIF on the 13 August 1915 at Warwick Farm.
On 2nd. November that same year he embarked HMAT Euripedes A14 in Sydney for overseas duty. Taken on strength 5th. February 1916 he joined the battalion details at Maascar on 27 March before being transferred to the newly formed 53rd. Battalion in Alexandria, Egypt on 3rd. April that year. The battalion, part of the 14th. Brigade 5th. Australian Division, was composed of Gallipoli veterans and fresh reinforcements from Australia. They embarked OC Royal George at Alexandria on 19th. May to join the British Expeditionary Forces at the Western Front . Arriving in France 27th. June 1916 they entered the front line for the first time on the 10th. July and became embroiled in their first major battle at Fromelles on 19th. July. The battle was designed to provide a diversion for the Franco-British offensive that had been launched on the 1st. July at the Somme. It was a total disaster for the Australians , costing them over five and a half thousand men either wounded or killed in 24 hours. It still remains the worst military defeat in Australia's history.
That day on the battlefield Ivor was wounded in an exchange of gunfire with the enemy. A severe gunshot wound to the left ankle sent him to the hospital at Wimmeux. He was later transported by ambulance train to Boulogne where he embarked HS Jan Breydal for England. Admitted to the Middlesex war hospital at Napsbury he underwent surgery on 10 August 1916. It is difficult to ascertain from Army records whether the severity of the injury caused them to amputate his left leg or left ankle. He was then sent to the 1st. Auxillary hospital for a period of convalescence and from there to the 2nd. Auxillary hospital for further rest. On the 20th. February 1917 he received his discharge from the hospital and embarked the HS Karoola for Australia leaving Avonmouth two days later. He received his official discharge from the AIF on the 10th. May 1917. For his part in the war effort he received the British War Medal, Victory Medal and 1914/15 Star.
In 1918 he married Pearl Margaret Howley at Kempsey NSW and they settled down to raise a family together.
He died on 11 July 1983 at Beverly Hills NSW.