Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Military Medal

'On 4th October 1917, East of YPRES, he displayed conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty in action. He worked with his Brother [1815 P. CHALMERS] throughout the whole of the Brigade Operations, acting as Stretcher Bearers. Both displayed great gallantry in carrying wounded and both continued their work without intermission for nearly fifty hours. Their devotion to duty was a fine example to all other stretcher bearers, whom they organised and supervised throughout. Stretcher-bearing under the conditions which prevailed was a most arduous task calling for bravery and perseverance beyond the ordinary.'
Source: 'Commonwealth Gazette' No. 95
Date: 27 June 1918

Thomas Main Chalmers was one of three brothers from Mysia, Victoria, who enlisted in the AIF during the Great War. Two of them won Military Medals for bravery in the field, and two of them lay unburied in the fields of France and Flanders.

They were born and raised at Mysia, near Boort, in Victoria. A farming locality really, it still only had a population of 26 in the 2021 census.

Thomas’s older brother, 2598A Pte. David Alexander Chalmers 7th Battalion AIF had been killed in action near Mouquet Farm on 20 August 1916, aged 25.

Thomas enlisted on the same day as his brother Peter, and they were given consecutive regimental numbers in the 38th Battalion. They joined their unit at the front in late 1916.

The two brothers seemed to work as a team at stretcher bearing and they were both awarded a Military Medal for their work at the Battle of Broodseinde on 4 October 1917 for “great gallantry in carrying wounded and both continued their work without intermission for nearly fifty hours.”

This was probably a feat unique to the AIF, the fact that two brothers were decorated as partners in an act of gallantry.

Thomas’s brother, 1815 Pte. Peter Chamers, M.M. 38th Battalion AIF, was killed in action nine days later, on 13 October 1917, aged 24. Thomas was wounded by the same shell which killed his brother.

Thomas was evacuated to England and when recovering wrote to the HQ of AIF depots “Sir, I hereby appeal to you for consideration for the sake of my dear ones at home especially my mother. I am the only one left out of three brothers that came away. My two brothers names are Pte. D.A. Chalmers and Pte. P. Chalmers.

I am willing to accept any work that I am capable of doing over here so I could let my mother know that I would not be going back to France which would help her to bear the loss of her other two sons….”

To the great credit of those in charge at senior levels of the AIF, including General Birdwood, GOC AIF, Thomas Main Chalmers was soon ordered to be returned to Australia for family reasons, the decision taken during January 1918.

Thomas left England during April 1918. He married in 1920 and raised a large family, and continued farming near Mysia until he passed away during 1956.