THOMAS, Jack Everett
Service Number: | SX11226 |
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Enlisted: | 4 February 1941, Adelaide, SA |
Last Rank: | Lance Corporal |
Last Unit: | 2nd/48th Infantry Battalion |
Born: | Burra, South Australia, 5 February 1917 |
Home Town: | Colonel Light Gardens, Mitcham, South Australia |
Schooling: | Mt Bryan East School.South Australia |
Occupation: | Labourer for Keane’s Quarries Limited |
Died: | Myrtlebank, South Australia, 13 December 1983, aged 66 years, cause of death not yet discovered |
Cemetery: |
Centennial Park Cemetery, South Australia |
Memorials: |
World War 2 Service
4 Feb 1941: | Involvement Lance Corporal, SX11226 | |
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4 Feb 1941: | Enlisted Adelaide, SA | |
4 Feb 1941: | Enlisted Australian Military Forces (WW2) , Lance Corporal, SX11226, 2nd/48th Infantry Battalion | |
29 Jan 1946: | Discharged | |
29 Jan 1946: | Discharged Australian Military Forces (WW2) , Lance Corporal, SX11226, 2nd/48th Infantry Battalion |
Five Years of Service
Jack was born at Nurse Woollacott’s Nursing Home at Redruth, Burra, a town in the mid-north of SA on the 5th February, 1917. Jack’s father, known as F.E. Thomas, was a wheat agent in the area. The children attended Mt Bryan East School.
The day prior to his 24th birthday, Jack enlisted to serve in WWII on the 4th February ’41. He had been a labourer for Keane’s Quarries Limited who at the time were working on the Sleep’s Hill Tunnels between Eden Hills and Blackwood. These were originally designed for train use but were closed after WWI, becoming popular for local families and children to visit and explore. In the 1930’s they were repurposed with huge volumes of rock being removed from the floor and earth imported to commercially grow mushrooms. Unfortunately, an infection in the crops led to the tunnels being abandoned by ’38. However, with the bombing of Darwin in ‘42 and the fear of bombings further south, the tunnels provided an ideal storage for the State Library’s treasures. Whilst working on the tunnels, Jack was also part of the Militia for several months as S19984.
Jack was allocated the number SX11226 and immediately placed in the 2/48th Battalion as part of the reinforcements. He nominated his sister Irene Pearl as his next of kin, but as the war progressed, changed this to his brother Eric.
His early training was in Terowie, not far from where he was born, as those conditions were considered similar to the desert conditions of the Middle East. Following a brief time of leave, Jack embarked for overseas, arriving in the Middle East in May and spent time in a Staging Camp. However, by August ’41 whilst with the Kit Store, Jack received the first of what would be several ‘Conduct to the prejudice of good order and military discipline’ charges and was heavily penalised by being confined to barracks for a week. He continued to attract several offences including being absent without leave and being found beyond camp limits. His penalty was 21 days of field punishment and forfeiting a total of 22 days precious pay. Just after Christmas in ’42 Jack’s conduct again attracted a fine.
Fortunately for Jack, the Battalion’s time of service in the Middle East, was concluding with the 2/48th returning to Australia via Melbourne in February ’43. Unfortunately, on returning to home soil, the following month Jack was again fined a day’s pay for being AWOL. He travelled to Queensland for training in tropical conditions and to prepare to face a very different enemy in New Guinea. Whilst there, in July Jack was again severely punished by being confined to barracks for five days for non-attendance at Parade. Early the following month he arrived at Milne Bay.
The tropical conditions contributed to Jack developing a high fever called Pyrexia of Unknown Origin (PUO) in early October, that then developed into Malaria. By February the following year, Jack left New Guinea, but on the return voyage, was again hospitalised with malaria and on arrival in Brisbane transferred to another hospital until the end of February. Within days of being discharged, Jack received two further fines for conduct prejudice to the good order. This preceded a further bout of malaria causing him to be placed in Kapara Convalescent Home at Glenelg, used as a nursing hostel during both World Wars. Soon after being discharged, in November Jack was again facing a charge of conduct to the prejudice and confined to barracks for another three days.
By February ’45 Jack nominated his brother Eric as his next of kin. Three months later he began a Chiropodist Training Course in Queensland before returning to Morotai and thence to Tarakan where in September he was appointed as Lance Corporal for the remainder of his service. Jack was finally discharged on the 29th January ’46.
Whilst living in Myrtle Bank, aged 66 Jack died on the 13th December, ’83. His service is remembered at Centennial Park Cemetery.
Researched and written by Kaye Lee, daughter of Bryan Holmes SX8133, 2/48th Battalion.
Submitted 10 October 2023 by Kaye Lee