FITZGERALD, Thomas John
| Service Number: | 3042 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 6 August 1915, 3 years AFA |
| Last Rank: | Sergeant |
| Last Unit: | 4th Pioneer Battalion |
| Born: | Monteagle, New South Wales, Australia, 1894 |
| Home Town: | Young, Young, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Farm Hand |
| Died: | Hamilton, New South Wales, Australia, 4 December 1967, cause of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
Sandgate General Cemetery, Newcastle, NSW CATHOLIC 3-92. 136. |
| Memorials: | Young Pitstone Honor Roll |
World War 1 Service
| 6 Aug 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 3042, 13th Infantry Battalion, 3 years AFA | |
|---|---|---|
| 6 Sep 1915: | Embarked Private, 3042, 13th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Ballarat, Sydney | |
| 6 Sep 1915: | Involvement Private, 3042, 13th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '11' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Ballarat embarkation_ship_number: A70 public_note: '' | |
| 16 Mar 1916: | Transferred AIF WW1, Private, 4th Pioneer Battalion | |
| 26 May 1916: | Promoted AIF WW1, Lance Corporal, 4th Pioneer Battalion | |
| 26 Aug 1916: | Promoted AIF WW1, Corporal, 4th Pioneer Battalion | |
| 24 Mar 1917: | Promoted AIF WW1, Sergeant, 4th Pioneer Battalion | |
| 20 Dec 1917: | Honoured Military Medal, Battle of Messines, On the afternoon of June 10th 1917 in front of MESSINES he accompanied his Officer to reconnoitre OCCULIST ROW. To do so they had to advance across the open under heavy machine gun fire and sniping. The Officer was wounded and having fixed him up Sergeant Fitzgerald went on and completed the reconnaissance. He brought back very useful information, and later guided his Company on to the work under cover of darkness. He showed great courage throughout the operations.' Source: 'Commonwealth Gazette' No. 219 Date: 20 December 1917 | |
| 30 Oct 1919: | Honoured Mention in Dispatches, Awarded, and promulgated, 'London Gazette' No. 31448 (11 July 1919); 'Commonwealth Gazette' No. 124 (30 October 1919). | |
| 26 Mar 1920: | Discharged AIF WW1, Sergeant, 3042, 4th Pioneer Battalion, 2nd MD |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Evan Evans
From Gary Mitchell, Sandgate Cemetery
Served bravely during The Great War, resting at Sandgate Cemetery, not forgotten.
54 years ago today, on the 7th December 1967, Sergeant Thomas John Fitzgerald (M.B.E., M.M., M.I.D.), 4th Australian Pioneer Battalion (Reg No-3042), farm hand from Young, New South Wales and 99 Ingal Street, Mayfield, N.S.W. (1928) and 166 Beaumont Street, Hamilton, N.S.W., was laid to rest at Sandgate Cemetery, age 72. CATHOLIC 3-92. 136.
Born at Monteagle, New South Wales about 1894 to Martin Edward and Winifred Fitzgerald of Chilling Works Siding, Young, New South Wales - see family history; husband of Ruth Amy Fitzgerald nee Hawkins (married 23.3.1919 at the Church of the Sacred Heart, Islington, London, died 1996, sleeping here), Thomas enlisted August 1915 at Cootamundra, N.S.W.
Admitted to hospital 23.3.1918 (not stated, still in hospital 17.8.1918).
Awarded Military Medal, 9.7.1917.
Mentioned in Despatches, 16.3.1919.
Tom returned home December 1919 with wife Ruth, and was discharged on the 26th March 1920.
Mr. Fitzgerald’s name has been inscribed on the Young Soldiers Memorial Tower, Pitstone (Young) First World War Honor Roll (photo, unveiled date unknown, 44 names inscribed, 8 Fallen) and The Capt. Clarence Smith Jeffries (V.C.) and Pte. William Matthew Currey (V.C.) Memorial Wall.
I have placed poppies and a 1914-1918 WAR label at the Fitzgerald gravesite in remembrance of Tom’s service and sacrifice for God, King & Country.
Many thanks to Thomas's Granddaughter Julie A Fitzgerald for the wonderful photos and family history. December 2021.
Hello, I am Thomas's Granddaughter. I'm now 71 and live in Dungog, N.S.W.
He was brought up by his grandparents as his parents. He didn't know his sister Catherine was his birth mother until 1919 when he arrived home (with English bride) after his parents had died of influenza. His savings had been given to and spent by his sister. She said "well I thought you would be killed, everyone was dying."
Ancestry DNA identified his father to be Ernest Frederick Burns Blythe, then a rover in N.S.W. with stud sheep from Tasmania. EFBB became a Member of Tasmanian Parliament. The genes were strong as Pop’s role involved high level liaison on behalf of "constituents" and he was a skilled public speaker.
Only pregnant wives were allowed on the ship back from England. My Grandmother, who was the daughter of a professional music hall comedian, wore a pillow up her dress to show her bump and not be left behind. Pop was the bridge partner to the General returning on the ship. More information than you need but a lovely story of an interesting life of an ordinary man.
Early years on coming to Newcastle he ran a dairy farm in Cardiff and organised socials at the Cardiff Catholic Church.
Lest We Forget.
Click images to start slideshow.