MCIVER, Thomas
| Service Number: | 6803 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 35th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Greta, New South Wales, Australia, 4 March 1990 |
| Home Town: | Rozelle, Leichhardt, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Railway Shunter |
| Died: | Killed in Action, France, 4 April 1918 |
| Cemetery: |
Crucifix Corner Cemetery Plot IX, Row A, Grave No. 8 |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Haymarket NSW Government Railway and Tramway Honour Board |
World War 1 Service
| 16 Jun 1917: | Involvement Private, 6803, 18th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '12' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Beltana embarkation_ship_number: A72 public_note: '' | |
|---|---|---|
| 16 Jun 1917: | Embarked Private, 6803, 18th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Beltana, Sydney | |
| 4 Apr 1918: | Involvement Private, 6803, 35th Infantry Battalion, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 6803 awm_unit: 35th Australian Infantry Battalion awm_rank: Private awm_died_date: 1918-04-04 |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by John Oakes
Thomas McIVER (Service Number 6803) was born on 4th March 1890 at Greta. He began temporary work with the NSW Government Railways as a porter in the Orange District on 23rd September 1915. Five days later he was dispensed with, but the next month he was employed again and in November made permanent. In June 1916 he progressed to 3rd class shunter and on 11th November 1916 became a 2nd class shunter in the Sydney District. It was from this role that he was granted leave to join the Expeditionary Forces on 14th May 1917. He had in fact enlisted at Sydney a week before, giving his father James, living in Wellington, as his next of kin.
He was allotted to the 20th Reinforcements to the 8th Battalion. McIver embarked HMAT ‘Beltana’ at Sydney on 16th June 1917 and reached Plymouth on 25th August. He joined the 5th Training Battalion at Rollestone and on 23rd January 1918. He proceeded overseas to France to reinforce the 35th Battalion which he joined on 28th January. In February he contracted Influenza, but quickly recovered.
He was killed in action on 4th April 1918.
There are several reports of his death. Pte T B Doeppel (4410) stated;
‘I saw McIver killed instantaneously by a bullet through the head at Villers Brettoneux.’
McIver was buried close to where he fell, and the location was noted and recovered after the war. His remains were exhumed and re-interred in Crucifix Corner Military Cemetery, Villers-Bretonneux 3¾ miles S of Corbie.
- based on the Australian War Memorial Honour Board and notes for the Great Sydney Central Station Honour Board