Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Thomas (known as Tom) was born in Bordertown on the 6th February 1912, the only son of Kathleen Beatrice and James Hamilton Windebank. Tom had a sister, Eileen Alice Gleeson, affectionately known as ‘Glee’. The two grew up in Mundalla, in the Tatiara farming region of South Australia. Their father, James was on the school committee, with Annual concerts being held in the local Institute. Arbour day was also celebrated with the students planting many trees in the school grounds.

Living in the country, schools celebrated with an annual where parents usually helped with transport, with the children riding on the back of trucks. Lunch was provided and followed by a sporting-based series of competitions for all age groups. Tom and Glee were both actively involved in the Mundalla Tennis Club. Tom also played cricket for Pine Hill where he was a successful bowler and also noted as being outstanding with the bat.

Post school, Tom was farming at Wolseley when WWII erupted. Aged 28, he enlisted on the 29th June 1940 and was allocated to the newly formed 2/48th Battalion as SX7217. Following training in the Adelaide Hills, Tom had brief pre-embarkation leave, returning to Wasleys where the local Institute Hall to farewell both Tom and another popular sportsman, Corporal Nicol McLellan SX7054, also with the 2/48th Battalion. Following dancing, both young men were presented with a wallet and pair of socks from the Warworkers, £ 1 from the Patriotic Committee, and a gift from the R.S.L. The Pine Hill residents, with whom Tom was very popular, also presented Tom with a fountain pen and the Pine Hill cricket club presented him with a cigarette case. The Wolseley Football Club also added their best wishes before supper and dancing resumed with the evening concluding with patriotic singing.

Tom and his mother spent time with sister at Naracoorte on 25th October and were honoured at a farewell held in the Naracoorte Town Hall where Tom was presented with a parcel ot literature and" cigarettes at the station by the Cheer-Up Society before he boarded the Stratheden on the 7th November. He arrived in the Middle East on the 17th December but within weeks had contracted mumps, then three months later, appendicitis. By September, Tom was again in hospital being treated for renal colic and was placed on the seriously ill list. fortunately the end of August he was removed from that list.

Tom’s service also earned him an unofficial title – of being a Rat of Tobruk. Initially designed to be a derogatory term to demoralise the troops, leaflets were dropped urging the men to surrender as they were living like rats in their hand-hewn underground refuges, beset by flies, dust and heat. Contrarily, the taunt was quickly adopted as a badge of honour.

In May ’41 Tom was a vital part of the Siege of Tobruk. Activity had been noticed forward of Post S25 on a spur between two wadis. Sangers had been constructed and there was much movement. John Glenn in Tobruk to Tarakan described how ‘Their commanding officer gave orders for the mortars to engage. Privates Carroll and Windebank carried an 81mm Italian mortar in during the night and were ready by dawn. The first round was right on the target, and soon the area was obliterated.’
As letters arrived back in Bordertown, faint news was shared with other families anxious for details of the young men overseas. Corporal Jack Jarrett, who was injured in ’42, while convalescing wrote sharing that he had enjoyed ‘wheat biscuits for breakfast’ and the food was good. He added that he had seen Tom and other Bordertown men, who had also been in England, Tobruk and Syria.

Following convalescent leave, Tom was classified as being fit for service other than with field formations.

Finally, the 2/48th headed back to Australia via Melbourne in February ’43 and by March Tom was back home at Wasley where a huge welcome home Social was organised for the three young men who had been farewelled in ’40. The Institute was crowded as dancing, community singing, and the National Anthem were all part of the entertainment. Speeches were made about the guests having been in many parts of the world since they were farewelled from the hall, but that they were glad to be home again, and probably wished the job were finished. The young men acknowledging the great work the Comforts Fund was doing Lieut. McLellan recalled at Tobruk they were hard pressed for a smoke but that the Comforts Fund issue came to light. Knowing their own people were behind and supporting them was great encouragement. Pte Windebank said he thought, being the only private, he would not be called on to make a speech. However, he added, the officers had always let him down. He, too, was glad to be back again.

Tom also announced his engagement to Doreen Grear of Cheltenham that month. Doreen was a talented athlete in her own right, being part of the Thistle hockey team which took out the Premiership in ’39. After announcing his engagement, Tom was one of eighteen ‘Naracoorte Lads’ of the fighting force welcomed home with a social in their honour.

He then served for two years as Warrant Officer QB175 with the Australian Red Cross Field Force from June ’44, including service in New Zealand and Liverpool, UK.

Communities back home were innovative in their activities to raise funds for the Fighting Forces Comforts Fund. In the South-East a photograph exhibition was organised, displaying almost 250 photos of Services personnel from the local districts, displayed in twelve groups in the shop adjoining the Corner Café at Bordertown. The photos were grouped with six from Bordertown, two from Mundulla and one each from I Buckingham, Wirrega, Pine Hill, and Pooginagoric. Tom was in the Pine Hill group with each group having a sponsor. To view the exhibition, admission was by a silver coin, which at the end would be shared amongst the groups. Additionally, in front of each group was a container for people to ‘back their favourite’.

Finally, Tom was discharged on the 19th January ’44.

Two years later, a mass welcome Dinner, Social and Dance was held in the Wolseley Institute, with visitors coming from Bordertown to celebrate the return of the service people. Australian and British flags decorated the stage, as did a huge ‘Welcome Home’ sign and flowers. The National Anthem, followed by community singing were part of the celebrations. An assurance was given that the community would help in the rehabilitation of their service people as peace ensued. Returnees, including Tom, were presented with a cheque for £5. On behalf of Army personnel, Tom responded with thanks before dining and dancing ensued. A minute silence was later held for those who paid the supreme sacrifice.

Tom and Rose welcomed the first of three daughters, when Ann Gleeson was born at the Tatiana Soldier’s Memorial Hospital in July ’48. Aged just five years, she died in ’54 in the Children’s Hospital. Her sister, Janet Sue arrived the following year but was just seven when she died in ’62. Helen Joy had arrived in ’60 but tragically also died aged ten in 1970. All now rest together in the Naracoorte Cemetery.

In later years, Tom continued to be involved in sport, including as a lawn bowler with the Naracoorte RSL team. He was fortunate to score a maximum of eight shots for an end and each player was rewarded with a bottle of claret.
Aged 94, Tom died on the 5th November 2006 and is buried in the Naracoorte Cemetery, Plot D ’39. Rose lived to be 84 and died on the 5th December 2009.

Researched and written by Kaye Lee, daughter of Bryan Holmes, SX8133, 2/48th Battalion