FLINN, Thomas Joseph
| Service Number: | 1909 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 56th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Holbrook, New South Wales, Australia, 22 October 1895 |
| Home Town: | Grenfell, Weddin, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Farmer |
| Died: | Forbes, New South Wales, Australia, 19 July 1985, aged 89 years, cause of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
Forbes Cemetery, NSW |
| Memorials: | Grenfell Great War Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 23 Jun 1916: | Involvement Private, 1909, 56th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '19' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Barambah embarkation_ship_number: A37 public_note: '' | |
|---|---|---|
| 23 Jun 1916: | Embarked Private, 1909, 56th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Barambah, Sydney |
Thomas Joseph Flinn
Thomas Flinn, Tom, was born on October 22nd 1895 in Germanton, Holbrook, New South Wales. He was the third of the three sons of John Flinn and Margaret Cleary, who also had six daughters. Tom was the brother of Kathleen Flinn Smyth.
Tom enlisted, at the age of twenty, on February 11th 1916 at Cootamundra with other Grenfell locals, Len and Earl O’Connor. Tom moved from the training camp at Cootamundra to the AIF camp at Goulburn and finally to the Holsworthy camp from where he traveled to the centre of Sydney to embark for England on June 23rd 1916.
Tom left England for France on December 21st 1916 and was transferred from the 56th Battalion to the 35th. Within twelve months Tom had been promoted twice to corporal.
On April 17th 1918 Tom was gassed when his battalion was involved in the Lys Offensive. He was treated in the 12th Casualty Clearing Station before being transferred to the 16th General Hospital. Tom spent a further nine days in the 1st Australian Convalescent Depot recuperating before he returned to his unit.
On June 20th Tom was admitted to the 10th Army Field Ambulance with a fever of unknown origin and spent nine days in the casualty clearing station before being discharged to duty. He was promoted to Sergeant on July 10th and on August 25th 1918 Tom was transferred to the hospital ship “Gloucester Castle” and on arriving in England he was admitted to Southwark Hospital in Dulwich Grove with a severe gunshot wound to his right arm during fighting in the Amiens region.
After he was discharged from hospital Tom had two weeks furlough and then returned to the depot at Weymouth awaiting repatriation. Tom returned to Australia on the “Czaritza” on March 16th 1919 via Alexandria.
Tom returned to his family home “Bellevue”, at Piney Range and in February 1929 he married Elzabeth Malloy but she died in September the same year. In 1936 he married Mary Doris Pound and they had ten children, three sons and seven daughters.
Tom died on July 19th 1985 at Forbes. He was eighty-nine years old.
Submitted 29 January 2024 by Maree Woods
Biography contributed by Maree Woods
Thomas Flinn, Tom, was born on October 22nd 1895 in Germanton, Holbrook, New South Wales. He was the third of the three sons of John Flinn and Margaret Cleary, who also had six daughters. Tom was the brother of Kathleen Flinn Smyth.
Tom enlisted, at the age of twenty, on February 11th 1916 at Cootamundra with other Grenfell locals, Len and Earl O’Connor. Tom moved from the training camp at Cootamundra to the AIF camp at Goulburn and finally to the Holsworthy camp from where he traveled to the centre of Sydney to embark for England on June 23rd 1916.
Tom left England for France on December 21st 1916 and was transferred from the 56th Battalion to the 35th. Within twelve months Tom had been promoted twice to corporal.
On April 17th 1918 Tom was gassed when his battalion was involved in the Lys Offensive. He was treated in the 12th Casualty Clearing Station before being transferred to the 16th General Hospital. Tom spent a further nine days in the 1st Australian Convalescent Depot recuperating before he returned to his unit.
On June 20th Tom was admitted to the 10th Army Field Ambulance with a fever of unknown origin and spent nine days in the casualty clearing station before being discharged to duty. He was promoted to Sergeant on July 10th and on August 25th 1918 Tom was transferred to the hospital ship “Gloucester Castle” and on arriving in England he was admitted to Southwark Hospital in Dulwich Grove with a severe gunshot wound to his right arm during fighting in the Amiens region.
After he was discharged from hospital Tom had two weeks furlough and then returned to the depot at Weymouth awaiting repatriation. Tom returned to Australia on the “Czaritza” on March 16th 1919 via Alexandria.
Tom returned to his family home “Bellevue”, at Piney Range and in February 1929 he married Elzabeth Malloy but she died in September the same year. In 1936 he married Mary Doris Pound and they had ten children, three sons and seven daughters.
Tom died on July 19th 1985 at Forbes. He was eighty-nine years old.
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