BATHURST, Thomas Leslie
| Service Number: | 312 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 17 August 1914, Place of Enlistment Sydney New South Wales |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 1st Divisional Train |
| Born: | Surry Hills, New South Wales, Australia, 15 May 1891 |
| Home Town: | Bondi, Waverley, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Grocer |
| Died: | Glenhuntly, Victoria, Australia, 9 October 1952, aged 61 years, cause of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: | Not yet discovered |
| Memorials: |
World War 1 Service
| 17 Aug 1914: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 312, 1st Divisional Train, Place of Enlistment Sydney New South Wales | |
|---|---|---|
| 18 Oct 1914: | Involvement Private, 312, 1st Divisional Train, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '21' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Afric embarkation_ship_number: A19 public_note: '' | |
| 18 Oct 1914: | Embarked Private, 312, 1st Divisional Train, HMAT Afric, Sydney | |
| 25 Sep 1915: | Wounded AIF WW1, Private, 312, ANZAC / Gallipoli, GSW to elbow | |
| 15 Nov 1915: | Discharged AIF WW1, Private, 312, Returned to Australia |
Thomas Leslie Bathurst.
Thomas Bathurst was a Grocer in civilian life, He was married to Catherine. He enlisted in August 1914 at the age of 23 into the Australian Army Service Corps. (AASC). On 11 September 1915 he was landed at Gallipoli, on 25 September he was wounded in a gunshot to the elbow and was transferred from Gallipoli to Mina in Egypt. His wounds were such that he was found unfit for Active Service and was returned to Australia in November and discharged in the following January.
Very quickly he became involved with the Returned Soldiers Sssociation as an organiser, by June 1916 he was the secretary of the are RSA which was the forerunner of the Returned and Services Imperial league of Australia (RSL). Along with others the fought for better treatment and conditions for the wounded men and also for support for their wives and the widows of those killed. Sometime in the 1920s he moved to Melbourne and became involved as a member at Caulfield RSL, and continued campaigning for the rights of returned soldiers.
He will be best remembered as the undertaker that established Bathurst Funerals located on the corner of Kooyong and Glenhuntly Road. He was instrumental in the club setting up a provident fund for members, so that in the event of death or serious illness club members could get assistance from their mates. From the club records we know that he also arranged the funerals free of charge for many members and other returned men who died penniless. He himself died in 1952.
Submitted 29 April 2022 by Lynette Turner
Click images to start slideshow.