S16748
RASTON, Thomas Llewellyn
| Service Number: | 3613 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 32nd Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Port Vincent, South Australia, July 1899 |
| Home Town: | Norwood (SA), South Australia |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Electrical Engineer |
| Died: | Adelaide, 21 October 1981, cause of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: | Not yet discovered |
| Memorials: | Ceduna Merghiny Maltee & Waranda Pictorial Roll of Honor, Ceduna Murat Bay and District WW1 Honor Roll, Norwood Primary School Honour Board |
World War 1 Service
| 12 Aug 1916: | Involvement Private, 3613, 32nd Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '17' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Ballarat embarkation_ship_number: A70 public_note: '' | |
|---|---|---|
| 12 Aug 1916: | Embarked Private, 3613, 32nd Infantry Battalion, HMAT Ballarat, Adelaide | |
| 8 May 1918: | Wounded 3613, 32nd Infantry Battalion, Wounded in Action, Admitted to Lambert Hospital | |
| 11 Nov 1918: | Involvement 3613, 32nd Infantry Battalion |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by St Ignatius' College
Thomas Llewellyn Raston, was born in the middle of July 1899, the only son to mother Margaret Jean Duff and father Arthur Willis Raston. Thomas was born in Port Vincent, but moved to 4, Edsall Street, Norwood at a very young age, and was raised there. Thomas was a Methodist, so he believed in the teachings of John Wesley. At merely the age of 18, Thomas enlisted to fight in the 1st World War on the 21st January 1916, Although Thomas stood only at 5’8 and weighed 130lbs (5 Foot, 8 Inches), Thomas signed up for the war because he wanted to fight along-side his father, who also signed up for the war.
Thomas then waited 8 months before he was transported on the HMAT Ballarat A70, that was transporting troops from Adelaide to the Western Front, which was created by Josiah Barnes and was a Black & White, on the 18th February 1916 and was only used in the 1st World War. Thomas’ service Number was 3613, and he was a private throughout his entire experience in the war.
Thomas served in the 32nd battalion, and the 70th battalion. When fighting, he would have seen his fellow soldiers die in front of him, innocent civilians shot, he would have had to kill just for the sake of winning. During the battle of The Hindenburg line, they had to face the most complicated defences throughout the entire First World War. Thomas was sent to hospital near the end of the War due to arm and back injuries from shrapnel wounds.
Thomas returned from World War 1 on the 9th December, 1918, which was very soon after the war had ended, unlike Thomas’ father, who didn’t return until the 20th April, 1919.
After Thomas’ war experiences, he was awarded two medallions, one of which being the British War Medal (received by fighting for the British) and the Victory Medal (awarded by winning the war and by defeating the opposition. Thomas died in the year 1981, on the 21st of October, possibly due to illness or old age.
Thomas Llewellyn Raston was a true ANZAC soldier, because he was willing to step onto the front lines for his family and his country. Thomas risked his body and life to fight for Australia. Thomas showed the courage, loyalty, bravery and commitment of a true ANZAC, he was a real ANZAC because he killed so that his people didnt have to, he got shot at so that his friends wouldnt have, he left for the war 1 month after his 18th birthday because his father left for the war, he fought alongside many other ANZAC's because he and they knew, that someone had to fight.
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