THORNE, Hubert Cyril
| Service Number: | 977 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 4 March 1915 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 26th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Waratah, Tasmania, Australia, 15 June 1889 |
| Home Town: | Waratah, Waratah/Wynyard, Tasmania |
| Schooling: | Waratah State School, Tasmania, Australia |
| Occupation: | Labourer |
| Died: | Killed in Action, France, 27 June 1918, aged 29 years |
| Cemetery: |
Villers-Bretonneux Military Cemetery Location Row IX.D.9 |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Waratah Roll of Honor 1918, Waratah War Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 4 Mar 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 977, 26th Infantry Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 29 Jun 1915: | Involvement Private, 977, 26th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '15' embarkation_place: Brisbane embarkation_ship: HMAT Aeneas embarkation_ship_number: A60 public_note: '' | |
| 29 Jun 1915: | Embarked Private, 977, 26th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Aeneas, Brisbane |
Help us honour Hubert Cyril Thorne's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Rex Wright
Hubert signed up at age 25 in March 1915. He was 5 feet 9 inches tall, of fair complexion, blue eyes and fair hair. He joined along with his cousins George Thorne (KIA), Frederick Thorne (KIA), and John Albert Devlyn (wounded). They were all allocated to the 26th Battalion of the 7th brigade, 2nd Division AIF. The 26th was a composite mix of Tasmanians and Queenslanders. They landed at Gallipoli on 12 September 1915 after a preparations in Egypt. Fortunately they all survived that campaign but little is recorded on their army records of this experience until they went to France in 1916. However, they were sent to the north east of ANZAC cove to defend the beachhead. It is also known that the 26th occupied Courtney's post and Steele's post at times. After returning to Egypt the 7th brigade defended the Suez Canal until deploying to France in March 1916.
However, Hubert is recorded as admitted to hospital dangerously ill from pnuemonia for about 4 months until April 1916. His mother tried to send him a bible according to one letter. He rejoined his battalion in France later in 1916 when the Australian 7th brigade fought at Pozieres in July 1916. However, he suffered from Myocarditis in July 1916 and did not return to duty until Sptember when he was sent to the 7th Training Battalion in France (Rollestone) until April 1917 when he rejoined the 26th battalion until September when he attended the 2nd Division gas school and then returned to his unit when his battalion was involved in the battle of Passchendaele and later at Broodseinde in late 1917.
After being sick again in early 1918 he returned to his battalion in May where the battalion undertook a defensive role during the German Spring Offensive, fighting tough defensive battles around Villers-Bretonneaux that halted the German push to end the war. The 7th brigade assaulted the Morlancourt spur on 10 June to the rear of the assaulting 25th, 27th and 28th battalions. The 26th was held in reserve slightly behind the others but well within atillery range. Shortly after was killed on 29 June 1918 around Villers Bretonneux in unknown circumstances and was buried initially 4.5 miles south east of Amiens in the Blangy Tronville cemetery and later moved to the Villers Bretennoneaux cemetry. (Incidently these are the same two cemeteries that my other great Uncle Alfred John Wright (KIA 24 May 1918) were buried at around roughly the same dates.)
Hubert left letters and poems describing his time at Gallipoli with his father James Henry Thorne.
References. NAA military records for SN 977 Private Hubert C Thorne and the book by David Thorne, In Search of the Six Hundred, A History of the Thorne Family.
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