Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

- By Kevin Sinclair

Tom was born Joseph Thomas Smith at Broken Hill on Australia Day, January 26 1922, the only boy of three children.
His grandfather and father were both born in England, but both became miners in Broken Hill with the South Mine.
Tom began his schooling at the Alma Public School, and worked his way through to 6th class before attending the Junior Technical School.
In 1935, the local secondary schools combined to form the Broken Hill High school, so Tom enrolled. He stayed at high school until he was 13 1/2 years old, when circumstances (including the Depression and family needs) forced him to leave.
Fortunately, he was able to gain work with Stan Newton, who operated a hardware and furniture store in Oxide Street and then expanded to open a second store in Patton Street (where the Star Discount is now).
While Tom was employed at the South store, it was destroyed by fire (on the evening of the coronation of King George VI) but was rebuilt.
Tom's role that evening was to stand guard to prevent looters and inquisitive people from going into the dangerous mess of hanging timber and corrugated iron. He recalls that the iron and timber were moving around in the blustery conditions, and making weird noises that were eerie enough to deter anyone thinking of entering the building.
While working for Stan in 1937, Tom injured his back and found it almost impossible to carry the furniture without a lot of pain. He decided to go back to school to further his knowledge while allowing his injury to recover.
Back at school, Tom enjoyed the challenge and was elected to House Captain and Prefect by his peers.
Completing his formal education in 1940, Tom had a stroke of luck. Colin Hay (Junior), who was a journalist with the Barrier Miner, enlisted in the RAAF. The paper was looking for a replacement for Colin, and gave Tom an interview. (Incidentally, Tom played a key role in producing out Probus Newsletter in February 1985, when our resident editor Dick Kelly was on leave.)
He was given the job, which included reporting on all local sport (except horse racing) as well as general reporting. Tom knew most of the personalities involved in sport, so he had little trouble gathering information and views in that area.
In 1941 Tom applied to join the RAAF, but was refused because he was working in a vital industry and also because his father had died, and he was the sole family provider.
Shortly afterwards, however, Tom was conscripted to do three months Army training at Warradale in South Australia. During this time Japan bombed Pearl Harbour, so Tom found himself to be a permanent soldier.
He was assigned to the 43rd Battalion Infantry Division, and was sent by rail and truck to Darwin. Their first task was to locate, measure and chart all the roads in the area. At that time none of the roads were mapped, and it was vital to have them recorded for purposes of defence and evacuation. It was the wet season, so this was no easy task, but the job had to be done.
When the Japanese bombed Darwin, Tom and six of his group were travelling on the main north-south highway, and immediately jumped out of their vehicle to take refuge.
Unfortunately the paddock they chose was a corner of the Darwin airport, which was being hit with anti-personnel bombs ("Daisy cutters") which spread shrapnel at ground level. It was frightening, and not the best place to be.
In 1942 Tom was transferred to the Air force and started a course as navigator and bomb aimer.
This course took him to two locations in Victoria and two in South Australia, and on completion he was posted to Tocumwal to become a member of the 99 liberator Squadron. Then it was back to Darwin to fly patrols to the north.
At the end of the war, the squadron was asked to collect war prisoners, mostly from the Changi war camp, and take them to the various capital cities for urgent medical treatment. Tom was saddened and upset as he spoke of the weakened and malnourished atrocities at the hand of their captors.
In March 1946 Tom was discharged and returned to Broken Hill where he gained immediate employment at the zinc corporation as an underground labourer. He started as a trucker servicing the mining and maintenance departments. He then moved to the Survey Department, where he performed the duties of sampler/survey assistant before once more rejoining the Mining Department.
He spent the next two years as a trainee miner at the face before an opportunity came about to join the concentrator team as a Control Room Operator, when computers were being introduced to the main stream ore treatment. When the company decided to retreat the old skimp dumps, Tom was given the job of Supervisor in the Retreatment Plant, and remained on this job until he retired in January 1979.
Back in 1946 when he was working at Zinc, Tom knew a young lady named Ida Semmens. Ida was involved with the local Philharmonic Society, and was selected to be the society's solo artist at a Quartette Club concert. There was a party after the concert, and Ida was invited to bring a partner; hence Tom arrived on the scene.
The couple married on December 21 1946 - hence their Golden Wedding anniversary recently, and the shower of congratulations from Probus friends.
Ida and Tom raised four sons and a daughter, all of whom are living away from the Hill.
Ray lives in Melbourne, Trevor is with the RAAF (at Melbourne), Russell is a Mount Tom Price in Western Australia, while Neville resides in Sydney. Daughter Robyn is at Humpty Doo in the Northern Territory.
After retirement, Tom and Ida travelled around most of Australia, visiting their children and the better known tourist areas. They have also visited Canada, .S.A. and Fiji.
Ida retains a keen interest in both Philharmonic and Repertory, having performing in numerous productions and concerts, while Tom plays lawn bowls regularly with the Retired Men's Club and occasionally with his old club, Pasminco.
Tom was invited to join Probus when the formation of a local club was being considered. He attended the inaugural meeting, and has enjoyed his long association with our club.
We at Probus wish Ida and Tom many more years of good health and happiness and many more years of enjoyment from their various interests.