DURACK, Thomas John
| Service Number: | 1683 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 14 May 1915, Liverpool, New South Wales |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 18th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Middlesex, England, 18 November 1894 |
| Home Town: | Sydney, City of Sydney, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Acton School, England |
| Occupation: | Carpenter, tramway cleaner |
| Died: | Killed in Action, Gallipoli, Gallipoli, Dardanelles, Turkey, 22 August 1915, aged 20 years |
| Cemetery: |
Hill 60 Cemetery and Hill 60 (NZ) Memorial Plot 1, Row A, Grave 1, Hill 60 Cemetery, Gallipoli Peninsula, Canakkale Province, Turkey |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Haymarket NSW Government Railway and Tramway Honour Board |
World War 1 Service
| 14 May 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 1683, Liverpool, New South Wales | |
|---|---|---|
| 19 Jun 1915: | Involvement Private, 1683, 18th Infantry Battalion, ANZAC / Gallipoli, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '12' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Kanowna embarkation_ship_number: A61 public_note: '' | |
| 19 Jun 1915: | Embarked Private, 1683, 18th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Kanowna, Sydney | |
| 21 Aug 1915: | Wounded AIF WW1, Private, 1683, 18th Infantry Battalion, Post as wounded and missing |
Great Sydney Central Station Honour Board
Thomas John DURACK, (Service Number 1683), was born on 18 November 1894 at Killensden, Middlesex. He first worked for the NSW Tramways as a cleaner with the electric trams branch in July 1914 and was still in that position when he was granted leave to join the Expeditionary Forces on 14 May 1915. He left Australia only a month later on 19 June allotted to the 18th Australian Infantry Battalion, and was dead, killed in action at Gallipoli two months after that.
Submitted 22 June 2023 by John Oakes
Biography contributed by Carol Foster
Son of Mrs C.A. Durack of 42 Sommerset Road, Acton Green, Midland, England; friend of Amy McDonald of Anadale, Sydney
Medals: 1914-15 Star, British War, Victory Medal
Biography contributed by John Oakes
Thomas John DURACK (Service Number 1683) was born on 18th November 1894 at Killensden, Middlesex. He worked for the NSW Tramways as a cleaner from July 1914. He was granted leave to join the Expeditionary Forces on 14th May 1915. He left Australia only a month later on 19th June. He was allotted to the 18th Australian Infantry Battalion.
When he enlisted at Liverpool, on 30th May 1915 he gave his trade as a carpenter. He was not married. He left Australia through Sydney aboard HMAT ‘Kanowna’ on 19thJune 1915. He joined the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force on Gallipoli on 16th August. On 22nd August he was reported ‘wounded’. This was changed in September to ‘wounded and missing’. In November 1917 a Court of Enquiry in Fricourt, France ruled that he had been ‘Killed in Action’. His war had lasted just four days.
He is buried in Hill 60 Cemetery, Gallipoli.
- based on notes for the Great Sydney Central Station Honour Board
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