Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

- Completed by Grant High School

Thomas Little was born in the South-East of South Australia, in the regional city of Mount Gambier, in March 1923. His parents, James and Elizabeth Little, were both British subjects, with Thomas citing on his Statutory Declaration that he followed the Church of England (National Archives of Australia, n.d.). Growing up, Thomas began his education at Mil Lel Primary School in Year 1, before transferring to the newly built Tarpeena Primary School in 1929, where he finished his primary school years. Thomas went no further in his educational studies as he left school at the end of Year 7 to pursue work. His early life saw him as a farm hand and hard worker across the country and the surrounding areas. Before enlisting in the war, Thomas was a machinist for two years at Litchfield Engineering Limited.

Thomas first enlisted in the war in 1942, in the city of Adelaide. Thomas was just 19 years old when he enlisted in the war, demonstrating his courage and bravery. During this time, he was enlisted in the Australian Military Forces as Private, S50916, before being medically discharged in June of 1942. Due to a lack of records and knowledge from his family, it is unclear why he was medically discharged. Passionate to join the War again, Thomas then enlisted in August of 1944 in Adelaide using several character statements to demonstrate his strong demeanor and career before the war. Before enlisting in the Air Force during World War 2, Thomas was engaged as a 1st Class Machinist, described by his employer as a “diligent and conscientious worker.” He valued punctuality and was valued for his integrity. In another character statement, Thomas was described by a neighbour as, “honest in every way, also of upright character” (National Archives of Australia, 2025).

These statements ultimately supported Thomas to become part of the Australian Royal Air Force, serving as a Trainee Cook, before being promoted to an Aircraftman. Due to being discharged in 1942, he actually received a second
service number (153587), which he had until the end of his career. He gained a promotion as a Leading Aircraftman (LAC) in March of 1945, before being discharged ‘On Demobilization’ in early June of 1946. During this time, Thomas had several postings. Notable postings included when Thomas became a part of the 80 Squadron, posted in Morotai in April of 1945, before moving to Tarakan in May of 1945. Upon his return, he was awarded the Pacific Star, War Medal (1939-1945), and the Returned from Active Service Badge.

The 80 Squadron was formed at Townsville, Queensland, on the 10th of September 1943, and was equipped with many fighter aircraft, under the command of Leader Glen Cooper (Monument Australia, 2023). On the 13th of November, it became part of the RAAF’s main mobile unit upon its formation. This group’s main role was to support the rapid advance of Allied units along the north coast of New Guinea (Harding, 1996). 

Ultimately, Thomas was discharged from the RAAF on demobilisation in June of 1946 (Virtual War Memorial Australia, n.d.) and returned to Tarpeena, where he lived out the rest of his life. Interestingly, due to the lack of records and resources on Thomas’s involvement in World War II, his nephew wrote a formal letter to request a discharge of personal records, so that a book on the Little family could be written with validity. Ultimately, when interviewing his son Garry, it was discovered that this “nephew” was not actually a nephew, but rather an unknown to the family.

After the War, Thomas married Valmai Clare Little, who passed away well after Thomas in 2005, aged 74. Together, they had six children, Gary, Victor (John), Christine, Trevor, Kerrilyn and Alison, eventually becoming proud grandparents. Thomas had eight grandchildren when he died: Matthew, Sianne, Kylie, Bradley, Kristy, Lisa, Rebecca, and Jonathan, with more born after his time of death. After being discharged from the war, Thomas was offered a soldier settler block of land in Tasmania, where he could settle down and be recognised for his service to his country. Thomas declined this offer and instead continued living in Tarpeena. From here, Thomas began with around 12 cows to make a living for his family while his parents grew vegetable gardens. Thomas provided for his wife and children in many other ways, including carrying water buckets to orchards and fruit trees for people in the community, and also served as a debt collector. In 1948, Thomas and his brother erected a Mount Gambier stone dairy where they milked cows and supplemented their income with contract ploughing for SAPFOR. During this time, Tom and Valmai lived in a SAPFOR-owned flat before moving into their own home in 1953. By this time, their farm, growing potatoes and cattle, became a steady income for both brothers, and both were able to stop their contract work (Jones, 1997).

Thomas became well known in the community, as he consistently went above and beyond to support children, families and the community of Tarpeena, becoming a part of the District Council of Mount Gambier from 1971 to 1983. To recognise his contributions, a bike track was built in his honour, being named the Tom Little Cycle Track in 1986. This is because he had devoted time to ensure students at the Tarpeena school had a safe way of getting to and from school, as the students used to travel on bikes on the highway, and also honoured Tom’s time as a local councillor from 1971 to 1983 (Jones, 1997).

Thomas sadly passed away at the age of 59 on the 4th of January in 1983, due to a heart attack (with heart issues being a known trait in the Little family). Thomas was a smoker, which adds to the health issues that he was facing before his death in 1983. He is buried in his hometown next to his wife, Valmai (Val), Mount Gambier, at the Carinya Gardens Cemetery. After his death, his land was given to his sons, John and Garry, with Garry still residing there now with his wife, Lyn.

References:

Australian War Memorial 2024, 'Dawn of the Legend: 25 April 1915' (Special Exhibition), Australian War Memorial, viewed 26 August 2025, https://www.awm.gov.au/visit/exhibitions/dawn.
City of Mount Gambier 2025, Carinya Gardens Cemetery, City of Mount Gambier, viewed 26 August 2025, https://www.mountgambier.sa.gov.au/services/regulatory/cemeteries.
Department of Defence, 2025, Pacific Star, Australian Government: Department of Defence, viewed 15 August 2025, https://www.defence.gov.au/adf-members-families/honours-awards/imperial-awards/pacific-star
Harding, J 1996, It Had to B.U. – The Life Story of 80 Squadron R.A.A.F – Kitty Hawks in the S.W.P.A., 1st edn, ISBN 0959279350.
Jones, A.D., 1997, Redgums, Pines and Pastures – A History of the Tarpeena District, A.D. Jones.
Monument Australia 2023, '50th Anniversary of 80 Squadron', Monument Australia, viewed 26 August 2025, https://monumentaustralia.org.au/themes/conflict/ww2/display/92806-50th-anniversary-of-80-squadron.
National ANZAC Centre 2025, WWII Australia Service Medal 1939–1945, 1939–1945 Star, and Pacific Star, [medals], National ANZAC Centre, Albany, Western Australia, viewed 26 August 2025.
National Archives of Australia, n.d., RecordSearch, accessed 20 August 2025, https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/SearchScreens/BasicSearch.aspx.
Virtual War Memorial Australia, n.d., 'Thomas Little', Virtual War Memorial Australia, viewed 25 August 2025, https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/517307.

Primary Sources:
Interview with Garry Little (Thomas Little’s son) Little, G. 2025, personal interview, 24 August.
City of Mount Gambier 2025, Carinya Gardens Cemetery, City of Mount Gambier.
Tom Little Bike Track, Tarpeena, South Australia, n.d.