S25958
VOCE, Thomas Frederick
| Service Numbers: | 5234, S144 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 23 December 1915 |
| Last Rank: | Sergeant |
| Last Unit: | 10th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Norwood, SA, 19 November 1896 |
| Home Town: | Unley, Unley, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Norwood and Tumby Bay |
| Occupation: | Blacksmith |
| Died: | Daw Park SA, 31 August 1971, aged 74 years, cause of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
Centennial Park Cemetery, South Australia |
| Memorials: | Athelstone Memorial Hall, Norwood Primary School Honour Board, Tumby Bay War Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 23 Dec 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 5234, 10th Infantry Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 25 Mar 1916: | Embarked Private, 5234, 10th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Shropshire, Adelaide | |
| 25 Mar 1916: | Involvement Private, 5234, 10th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '10' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Shropshire embarkation_ship_number: A9 public_note: '' | |
| 7 Oct 1917: | Wounded AIF WW1, Private, 5234, 10th Infantry Battalion, Polygon Wood | |
| 25 Jul 1918: | Wounded AIF WW1, Private, 5234, 10th Infantry Battalion, Merris (France), Wounded in Action | |
| 10 Apr 1919: | Discharged AIF WW1, Private, 5234, 10th Infantry Battalion |
World War 2 Service
| 29 Jun 1940: | Involvement Sergeant, S144 | |
|---|---|---|
| 29 Jun 1940: | Enlisted Wayville, SA | |
| 29 Jun 1940: | Enlisted Australian Military Forces (WW2) , Sergeant, S144 | |
| 26 Dec 1942: | Discharged | |
| 26 Dec 1942: | Discharged Australian Military Forces (WW2) , Sergeant, S144 |
THOMAS FREDERICK VOCE
THOMAS FREDERICK VOCE
Thomas Frederick Voce Reg. No 5234 was the son of Mr. Frank Voce and Mrs. Minnie Voce of Bells Road Athelstone, South Australia. He was born and educated in Norwood and his employment was stated as labourer. He enlisted into the 10th Infantry Battalion on 23rd of December 1915, as he had just turned 19 years of age. His younger brother, Leslie Voce Reg. No. 2999 had also enlisted on that day. Leslie was enlisted into the 32nd Infantry Battalion. On the 25th March 1916 Thomas sailed out of Adelaide aboard HMAT Shropshire A9. In March 1917 he was admitted to an army hospital at Etaples, France, with Trench Foot. Trench Foot was a common complaint on the front line in WW1. He was invalided to hospital in England a few days later. In July 1917 he returned to his unit in France, only to be hospitalised again, this time in Havre, with burns to the back. A year later he was hospitalised again with a gunshot wound to the left knee. In January 1919 he returned to Australia via the vessel City Of York. He was discharged from the army on 10th April 1919, after serving 3 Years and 109 days. 3 years and 337 days having been served abroad. He died in September 1971 and is buried in Centennial Park cemetery, Derreck Gardens, Path 21, Grave 82B.
His younger brother Leslie Voce died on active service in France on November 28th 1916
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Submitted 5 May 2016 by Campbelltown Library Volunteers (Digital Diggers)
Biography contributed by Geoffrey Stewart
Tom was born on 19 Nov 1896 at Norwood (SA) to Frank Voce and Minnie Voce (nee Hutchins): the family name is spelled both Voce and Vose on school and Army documentation: it is recorded as Vose on the Tumby Memorial. He was the eldest of 3 children in the family, 2 boys and a girl. . His family lived at Norwood in Adelaide before moving to Tumby Bay in Sep 1907, where they remained for just over 12 months before relocating to Port Lincoln. It is thought that his father was a stone mason.
Tom went to school at Norwood, transferring to the Tumby Bay School and later the Port Lincoln School on relocation of his family. On completion of schooling he returned to the Tumby area with his brother Les and worked on farms in the area until his enlistment in the Army at Norwood at the age of 19: both Tom and his brother, Les, enlisted on the same day! At that time Tom recorded his occupation as labourer.
On enlistment Tom was sent to 2nd Depot Battalion (Bn) at Mitcham for training before being allocated to 16th Reinforcements/10th Bn. He embarked on 25 Mar 1916 aboard HMAT "Shropshire" bound for UK via Alexandria. On arrival he undertook further training before embarking for Etaples (France) on 9 Aug 1916 and was taken on strength by his unit on 22 Aug 1916.
In Feb 1917 he was admitted to 3rd Field Ambulance in France with Trench Fever before being transferred to the HS "Aberdonian" at Calais and evacuated to the East Suffolk Hospital, Ipswich (UK) on 12 Mar 1917. He was released from hospital in May 1917 and rejoined his unit (10th Bn) on 15 Jun 1917.
Tom was wounded in action (WIA) during the battle of Polygon Wood on 7 Oct 1917 and was again admitted to hospital, this time remaining in France: he rejoined his unit on 17 Nov 1917.
After a further 8 months he was again WIA, this time being admitted to hospital with gunshot wounds to his left knee sustained in heavy fighting near Merris on the French/Belgian border; he was evacuated through 3rd Field Ambulance to 55th General Hospital and then via the HS "Jane Peydel" to the London War Hospital (UK), where he remained until 19 Nov 1918, a week after the end of the war.
On release from hospital Tom returned to Australia aboard the "City Of York", embarking at South Hampton on 14 Jan 1919 and disembarking at Adelaide on 24 Feb 1919. He took his discharge from the Army in 4th Military District (Adelaide) on 10 Apr 1919.
On discharge Tom remained in Adelaide, initially with his parents at Norwood. In 1925 he met his wife to be, Freda Louise Nosse at Unley; they were married at St. Augustines Church at Unley on 18 Jun 1927 and continued to live in the Adelaide area. Tom suffered from poor health as a result of his war wounds, often needing to spend periods at the Daw Park Repatriation Hospital. He died at Daw Park on 31 Aug 1971.
It seems hard for us to believe that a person who had been wounded in action on 2 occasions and returned to the front line on each occasion would not have been recognised with a bravery award. It is also hard to believe that this person would not apply for a veterans pension, but that appears to be the case, and is an indication of the pride of our men at the time.
Tom's brother Les, who also served in WW1, was killed in action serving with 32nd Bn in France.
Medals and Decorations
British War Medal
Victory Medal