Thomas KEATING

KEATING, Thomas

Service Number: 6068
Enlisted: 23 March 1916
Last Rank: Private
Last Unit: 11th Infantry Battalion
Born: Northampton, Western Australia, Australia, 1897
Home Town: Geraldton, Western Australia
Schooling: Not yet discovered
Occupation: Carter
Died: Killed in Action, Belgium, 7 October 1917
Cemetery: No known grave - "Known Unto God"
Menin Gate Memorial, Ypres, Flanders, Belgium
Memorials: Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Geraldton City Band Honour Board, Geraldton District Great War Honour Roll, Menin Gate Memorial (Commonwealth Memorial to the Missing of the Ypres Salient)
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World War 1 Service

23 Mar 1916: Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 6068, 11th Infantry Battalion
7 Aug 1916: Involvement Private, 6068, 11th Infantry Battalion, Third Ypres, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '10' embarkation_place: Fremantle embarkation_ship: HMAT Miltiades embarkation_ship_number: A28 public_note: ''
7 Aug 1916: Embarked Private, 6068, 11th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Miltiades, Fremantle

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Biography contributed by Stephen Brooks

Thomas Keating’s father had passed away in 1899 when he was only 2 years of age. He and his 7 brothers and sisters were raised by their mother Mary Ann Keating. Three of the Keating boys enlisted, and only one, James Keating M.M. 16th Battalion, returned home. James was returned home for “family reasons”, due to his two brothers being killed in action. This action was approved by the GOC AIF, Sir William Birdwood.

Thomas Keating joined the 11th Battalion in France during January 1917. He was wounded at Bullecourt on 9 April 1917 and spent two weeks in a hospital in France before he was evacuated to England with a severe shell or bullet wound to his left thigh. He spent several months there recovering before he rejoined his unit in Belgium in August 1917.

No details exist in his service file on how he died, but his name is remembered on the Menin Gate Memorial at Ypres, Belgium.

His older brother, 974 Pte William Keating, 32nd Battalion AIF, was killed in action at Fromelles on 20 July 1916, aged 24.

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