HERFORD, Thomas Elias
| Service Number: | 70 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 17 August 1914, Enlisted at Sydney |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 1st Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Smithfield, New South Wales, Australia, December 1879 |
| Home Town: | Turramurra, Ku-ring-gai, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Shopman |
| Died: | Gunshot wound to the thigh and died on the operating table, King George's Hospital, London, United Kingdom, 7 October 1915 |
| Cemetery: |
Nunhead (All Saints) Cemetery, London England Cemetery reference is 16.33431N, |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour |
World War 1 Service
| 17 Aug 1914: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 70, Enlisted at Sydney | |
|---|---|---|
| 18 Oct 1914: | Involvement Private, 70, 1st Infantry Battalion, ANZAC / Gallipoli, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '7' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Afric embarkation_ship_number: A19 public_note: '' | |
| 18 Oct 1914: | Embarked Private, 70, 1st Infantry Battalion, HMAT Afric, Sydney | |
| 9 Aug 1915: | Wounded AIF WW1, Private, 70, ANZAC / Gallipoli, Wound to the right hand and a severe wound to the thigh. Invalided to England on 3 September 1915 |
Help us honour Thomas Elias Herford's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Carol Foster
Son of Henry and Mary Henrietta (Nash) Herford of 'Nashville', Jersey Road, Turramurra, NSW
Husband of Emily Herford of Lower Forth Street, Woollahra, NSW
Medals: 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal
Biography contributed by Cathy Sedgwick
The summary below was completed by Cathy Sedgwick – Facebook “WW1 Australian War Graves in England/UK/Scotland/Ireland”
Died on this date – 7th October…… Thomas Elias Herford was born at Smithfield, New South Wales on 7th (or 9th - badly written numeral in Baptism Register) December, 1878.
He married Emily Allen in 1909 at Balmain North, New South Wales.
On 17th August, 1914 Thomas Elias Herford enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (A.I.F.) stating he was a 35 year old, single (Thomas Herford stated No to the question “are you married?”), Shopman (information for the Roll of Honour by his mother stated he was Manager of a Tailor’s Shop) from Jersey Road, Parramatta*, NSW.
(*Note: Later advice from Mrs Nash, mother of Thomas Elias Herford, states that Parramatta is incorrect – it should be Turramurra.)
Private Thomas Elias Herford, Service number 70, embarked from Sydney, New South Wales on HMAT Afric (A19) on 18th October, 1914 with the 1st Infantry Battalion – Headquarters.
He was transferred from Headquarters Signallers to “G” Company on 29th November, 1914.
On 28th March, 1915 Private Herford was admitted to No. 2 General Hospital at Mena with haemorrhoids. He was transferred to Base Depot Camp at Abbassia on 15th April, 1915. Private Herford rejoined his Battalion at Gallipoli on 3rd May, 1915.
Private Thomas Elias Herford was wounded at Gallipoli on 10/11th August, 1915**. He was admitted to 1st Casualty Clearing Station at Anzac on 9th August, 1915** with Shrapnel wound/s to Hand (**dates as per Casualty From - Active Service). Private Herford was transferred to Hospital Ship Neuralia on 12th August, 1915 with bullet wound/s to right Thigh. He was admitted to 15th General Hospital at Alexandria & was reported to have G.S.W. (gunshot wound/s) to Thigh – severe on 16th August, 1915. Private Herford embarked from Alexandria for England on Hospital Ship Letitia on 3rd September, 1915.
He was admitted to The King George Hospital, London, England on 13th September, 1915 with G.S.W. (gunshot wound/s) to right Hip. The Hospital Admissions form recorded: “Wounded Aug 9/15 at Gallipoli. Small circular wound on outer side of thigh. X rays show a shrapnel bullet in the neighbourhood of the hip joint immediately above the head of the femur.”
Private Thomas Elias Herford died at 2.40 pm on 7th October, 1915 at The King George’s Hospital, Stamford St, London, England from wounds received in action – gunshot wound to right Thigh, while under anaesthetic. The Hospital Admissions form recorded: “Oct 7/15 Taken to operating theatre to have bullet extracted. Died on table before operation was commenced.”
On 11th October, 1915 Private Herford was buried in All Saints Cemetery, Nunhead, Greater London, England.
(The above is a summary of my research. The full research can be found by following the link below)
https://ww1austburialsuk.weebly.com/nunhead.html
Click images to start slideshow.