TOMAN, James
| Service Number: | 28987 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 27 March 1916, Enlisted at Dubbo. |
| Last Rank: | Gunner |
| Last Unit: | Medium Trench Mortar Batteries |
| Born: | Whitehaven, England , 4 April 1891 |
| Home Town: | Wellington, Wellington, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Railway Fuelman |
| Died: | Killed in Action, Belgium, 10 February 1918, aged 26 years |
| Cemetery: |
Berks Cemetery Extension II A 15 |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Haymarket NSW Government Railway and Tramway Honour Board, Wellington Cenotaph, Wellington Hall of Memory Honour Roll |
World War 1 Service
| 27 Mar 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Gunner, 28987, Medium Trench Mortar Batteries, Enlisted at Dubbo. | |
|---|---|---|
| 17 Oct 1916: | Involvement Gunner, 28987, Medium Trench Mortar Batteries, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '4' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Borda embarkation_ship_number: A30 public_note: '' | |
| 17 Oct 1916: | Embarked Gunner, 28987, Medium Trench Mortar Batteries, HMAT Borda, Sydney | |
| 10 Feb 1918: | Involvement Gunner, 28987, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 28987 awm_unit: 3rd Division Trench Mortar Brigade Australian Field Artillery awm_rank: Gunner awm_died_date: 1918-02-10 |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by John Oakes
James TOMAN (Service Number 28987) was born on 4th April 1891 at Whitehaven, England. He worked for the NSW Railways as a fuelman at Wellington Locomotive Depot from 7th July 1913. He was released from duty to join the Expeditionary Forces on 27th March 1916. He enlisted at Dubbo that same day, giving his wife, Rose, as his next of kin. This was not his first attempt to enlist as he admitted that he had previously been rejected on account of the state of his teeth.
He was allotted to the Medium Trench Mortar Batteries. He embarked HMAT ‘Borda’ at Sydney on 17th October 1916, reached Plymouth (England) on 9th January 1917 and joined the 12th Training Battalion at Perham Downs. He proceeded overseas to France through Folkestone on 15th March to the Base Depot at Etaples and the X3A Battery of 3rd Division Artillery on 28th April.
Toman was killed in action on 10th February 1918. Gunner W H Barber reported that:
‘…Toman’s death took place on the 10th February at 11 p.m. He was killed instantaneously by an enemy minnenwerfer at Warneton in front of Messines. On the afternoon of the 11th he was buried with three other casualties, by the Chaplain of his Religion, behind Red Lodge, Ploegsteert. The ground was held.’
This cemetery was formalised after the war as the Chateau Rosenberg Military Cemetery. Certain difficulties arose with the cemetery, most notably the owners,
‘who for some years have been pressing strongly for its removal in order that the property might be restored. Despite repeated efforts on the part of the [Imperial War Graves] Commission, ably assisted by the Belgian authorities it was found impossible to persuade the owners to allow the cemetery to remain.’
The land was also sloping, with dugouts known to exist in the central parts. The cemetery was therefore abandoned about 1930 with all the burials exhumed and re-interred in the Royal Berks Cemetery. In the words of the military authorities advising Rose Toman of these arrangements:
‘It is said to be one of the most beautiful and impressive of the military cemeteries abroad.’
James Toman’s brother, Bernard (Service Number 4536) also died in the Great War.
- based on the Australian War Memorial Honour Roll and notes for the Great Sydney Central Station Honour Board.