MOLONY, Thomas John
| Service Number: | 4519 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 10th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Parkside, Adelaide, South Australia, 15 January 1876 |
| Home Town: | Parkside, Unley, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Clerk |
| Memorials: |
World War 1 Service
| 7 Feb 1916: | Involvement Private, 4519, 10th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '10' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Miltiades embarkation_ship_number: A28 public_note: '' | |
|---|---|---|
| 7 Feb 1916: | Embarked Private, 4519, 10th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Miltiades, Adelaide |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by St Ignatius' College
Private Thomas John Molony was an infantry soldier in the 10th and 50th Infantry Battalion in the Australian Imperial Force during World War One. In particular, he served from September 1915 to July 1917. Prior to his commitment to the Australian Imperial Force (AIF), Thomas John Molony was a clerk.According to his AIF enlistment form, Molony’s physical description was as follows:
- 5 feet, 10 inches
- 149 LBS/67 KG
- Fresh complexion
- Blue eyes
- Grey hair
At his time of enlistment, he named his mother as his next of kin.
Molony enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force in September 1915, inspired by the bravery and courage shown by the Australian Gallipoli veterans. At the age of 40, he was allocated to the 10th Infantry Battalion. On 7th February 1916, he embarked on the HMAT Ascanius at Outer Harbor. Shortly after embarkation, the 10th Battalion, including Thomas Molony, was deployed to Egypt for training. After a month of training, the 10th Battalion sailed to France to take part in two years of bitter trench warfare along the Western Front. Thomas John Molony first saw major action at Pozieres in the Somme Valley in July 1916. The battle of Pozieres was an ANZAC offensive against the German front line and was crucial in recapturing the seized town of Pozieres. The first attack started at 12:30 am on Sunday, 23rd July when the Australian 1st Division captured the German front line and seized the main road of Pozieres. The battle lasted until September 3rd, 1916 and claimed the lives of over 8,200 Australian men. On the 13th of August 1916, Molony was transferred from the 10th Battalion to the newly formed 50th Battalion.
The 50th Battalion consisted of both experienced combat veterans and new reinforcements from Australia. On the 23rd of November 1916, Thomas Molony suffered a gunshot wound to the knee whilst in active combat. Presumably, this injury was sustained on the Western Front. It was very difficult to conclude how Thomas Molony acquired this injury, as the 50th battalion were not fighting in any major conflict during November 1916 and his AIF documents do not disclose where or how he obtained the injury. However, when examining the diary entries of the 50th Battalion, it is clear that an unknown soldier has written ‘front line’ under November 15-19th. From this, we can conclude that Thomas Molony was fighting on the front line (of an unknown location) when he acquired his injury.
Private Thomas John Molony returned to Australia on April 8th, 1917He died on the 24th June 1930 and is buried with his parents at the West Terrace cemetary, Adelaide