TOMS, William Henry
| Service Number: | 706 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Sergeant |
| Last Unit: | 27th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Parkside, South Australia, 27 June 1887 |
| Home Town: | Hyde Park, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Goodwood Public School, Unley High School, Hoggs Commercial Academy, School of Mines |
| Occupation: | Carpenter |
| Died: | Killed in Action, France, 5 November 1916, aged 29 years |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" Villers-Bretonneux Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux, Picardie, France |
| Memorials: | Adelaide National War Memorial, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Goodwood Public School WW1 Roll of Honor, Goodwood St George Anglican Church Memorial Tower, Unley Arch of Remembrance, Unley Town Hall WW1 Honour Board, Villers-Bretonneux Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 31 May 1915: | Involvement Private, 706, 27th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '15' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Geelong embarkation_ship_number: A2 public_note: '' | |
|---|---|---|
| 31 May 1915: | Embarked Private, 706, 27th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Geelong, Adelaide | |
| 5 Nov 1916: | Involvement Sergeant, 706, 27th Infantry Battalion, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 706 awm_unit: 27 Battalion awm_rank: Sergeant awm_died_date: 1916-11-05 |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Modbury High School
William Henry Toms was born in June 27 1887 at Parkside and was educated at Goodwood Primary School, Unley School then later at Hogg’s Commercial Academy, and the Adelaide School of Mines. Before the war, he was a law clerk for several years and was an all-round athlete. He had married Effie Joyce Toms and had two sons (Ronald and Laurence) before enlisting on 23rd February 1915 and went to the Ascot Park training camp. At the time of enlisting, Toms had worked as an apprentice to his father in the family business.
When he enlisted, he stated that he was willing to be vaccinated. He left for Gallipoli in May 1915 on the HMAT A2 Geelong, where he fought for 3 months, before being in charge of an escort that was sent to Alexandria.
In November of 1915, he contracted an illness and was admitted to hospital after helping to escort a prisoner from the front in Gallipoli. Upon recovery, he left hospital in January 1916, and was promoted to the rank of Corporal on 29thJanuary 1916. Toms rejoined his battalion and left for France in March 1916. His battalion were among the first Australians in action in Belgium. On 26th Augst 1916 he was promoted in rank to Sergeant (temporarily) and then Vice-Sergeant on the 4th November. Toms fought in the battels of Pozieres and Mouquet Farm.
On 5th November 1916, the 27th Battalion engaged with the enemy (Germany) in the Battle of Flers, Somme Valley. Unfortunately, the allies had to retreat after sustaining heavy losses. It was in this battle that Toms lost his life.
His wife Effie Toms inquired initially on 25th January 1917 regarding the whereabouts and status of her husband. Official communications logs (official reports – from Australian Red Cross Society) noted that on 6th December 1916, Sergeant Toms was wounded in action, but the nature of the wounds or what hospital he was at was not known. By February 2nd 1917, a telegram was received indicating that Toms was wounded and missing.
Oswald Leslie Ross, brother in law of Toms, sent a letter dated 1st November 1916 to his sister. In this letter, Ross who was fighting alongside Toms in the same company (27th Battalion, C Company), stated that Toms was wounded and missing, but no further information was provided at the time. Further correspondence on 6th December 1916 stated Toms was seriously wounded in the head. By 10th October 1919, Sergeant Toms was certified as “no trace in Germany”, and was Killed in Action 5th November 1916. This final communication was forward on 16th December 1919 to the family.
William Henry Toms was survived by his wife, Effie Joyce Toms nee Ross, and two sons – Ronald Richard Toms and Laurence William Toms.
Laurence William Toms (a former footballer for Sturt and Glenelg in the SANFL) married Marjory Mary Hession, and had two children – Denise (Robinson) and Ian Toms.
Denise married Garth Robinson in 1964 and had three children – Beth (Mildenhall), Louise (Woolford) and Paul Robinson; and four grandchildren – Grantley and Victoria Mildenhall, and David and Rebekah Woolford. Ian Robert Toms (died in 2018) had one child – Shane McKenzie.
William Henry Tom’s service is commemorated at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, and at Villers-Bretonneux Memorial in Franceplus numerous other Memorials in the Goodwood and Unley area.
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