MAIR, Thomas Newell
| Service Number: | 10 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 25 August 1914, Sydney, New South Wales |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 13th Field Ambulance |
| Born: | Ipswich, Queensland, Australia, 26 July 1885 |
| Home Town: | Bellevue Hill, Woollahra, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Ipswich Boys' Central School, Queensland, Australia |
| Occupation: | Tram Conductor |
| Died: | Pneumonia, France, 25 October 1917, aged 32 years |
| Cemetery: |
Etaples Military Cemetery Plot XXX, Row G, Grave No. 12A, |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Haymarket NSW Government Railway and Tramway Honour Board, Ipswich Soldier's Memorial Hall Great War |
World War 1 Service
| 25 Aug 1914: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 10, Sydney, New South Wales | |
|---|---|---|
| 23 Sep 1914: | Involvement AIF WW1, Corporal, 10, 1st Light Horse Field Ambulance, Enlistment/Embarkation WW1, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '22' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Southern embarkation_ship_number: A27 public_note: '' | |
| 23 Sep 1914: | Embarked AIF WW1, Corporal, 10, 1st Light Horse Field Ambulance, HMAT Southern, Sydney | |
| 1 Apr 1917: | Transferred AIF WW1, Private, 13th Field Ambulance | |
| 25 Oct 1917: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 10, 13th Field Ambulance, Third Ypres, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 10 awm_unit: 13th Australian Field Ambulance awm_rank: Private awm_died_date: 1917-10-25 | |
| 25 Oct 1917: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 10, 13th Field Ambulance |
Help us honour Thomas Newell Mair's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Paul Trevor
'MAIR, Thomas Newell. Private, No. 10, 13th Aust. F. Amb., 52nd Battn. Born in Ipswich in 1885 and educated at the Ipswich Boys' Central School. Son of the late John and Emily Isabell Mair, of Rowlands Terrace, Ipswich. Enlisted on 11th August, 1914, and sailed for Egypt in September. Was at the landing on Gallipoli, and remained until the evacuation. Sent to France, and severely wounded on 11th October, 1917, and sent to General Hospital, Camiers, France, and died of wounds on 25th October, 1917.' from Queenslanders Who Fought in the Great War. (nla.gov.au)
'HEROES OF THE DARDANELLES.
PERSONAL NOTES.
Mrs J. Mair, Ipswich, has received advice that another of her sons, Corporal T. N. Mair, of the New South Wales Light Horse, was invalided to England on July 28 last. Before enlisting in the mother State Corporal Mair was a well known mounted trooper in North Queensland.' from The Brisbane Courier 20 Oct 1915 (nla.gov.au)
'PERSONAL.
Ald. A. T. Stephenson is in receipt of a letter and postcard dated February 2 last from Pte. Tom Mair (son of Mrs. John Mair, of the Western Suburbs). The postcard contains the photograph of Pte. Mair, and an Egyptian soldier in full uniform. He says he saw quite a lot of Ipswich boys at Gallipoli. Including W. Woodford (railway), Norman Ploetz, and Charlie Scott, all of whom were "doing well." Pte. Mair is, he says, also "pretty right." He concludes his letter as follows :-- "l get the good old 'Q.T.' regularly from home. News from Ipswich is always very welcome to the lads from that part." from Queensland Times 6 Apr 1916 (nla.gov.au)
'ROLL OF HONOUR.
MAIR.—In loving memory of our dear son and brother, Corporal No. 10 Thomas Newell Mair, 1st L.H., 1st F.A., 1st Brigade, A 52nd, B., who died of wounds on October 25, 1917, Military Base Hospital, Etaples, France.
Some time, some day, our eyes shall see
The face we hold in memory;
And God shall link the golden chain,
Still closer, when we meet again.
(Inserted by his loving mother, sister, and brothers, Mrs. Mair, "Toms-Leigh," Rowland Terrace, Ipswich; Mrs. J. O'Neill, Sydney, Jack, Bob, Will, and Ernie.)' from Queensland Times 25 Oct 1919 (nla.gov.au)
Biography contributed by John Oakes
Thomas Newell MAIR was born on 26th July 1885 near Ipswich in Queensland. He went to school in Ipswich. On 1st February 1914 he joined the NSW Government Railways and Tramways as a tram conductor (casual) in Sydney. His position was made permanent on 2nd April 1916. However, he had been released to join the Expeditionary Forces on 22nd August 1914.
On this date he began a chequered career in the AIF. Just after he enlisted, he was appointed to the rank of Corporal (Service Number 10) in the 1st Light Horse Field Ambulance. He nominated his mother, Emily Isabelle Mair, in Ipswich, as his next of kin.
On 18th October 1914 he embarked for Egypt aboard HMAT A27 ‘Southern’ at Sydney.
He was left behind in Malta, due to being Absent Without Leave on 18th July 1915. He left there for England on 26th July 1915. He was reduced to the rank of Private on 4th September 1915.
By 18th January 1916, Thomas was back in Egypt. His military record shows that he was on detachment at Khatabba as a Trooper. On 9th April 1916 he was admitted to hospital at Abbassia with venereal disease. This kept him off duty until 13th May 1916 when he was discharged to Tel-el-Kebir. On 28th May 1916 he embarked for England at Alexandria.
On 21st July 1916, in England, a Court Martial found him guilty of being Absent Without Leave and falsely telling an officer that he had lost his leave pass. His penalty was four days in custody and loss of nine days pay.
At another Court Martial held on 24th October 1916 he was charged with desertion, on the basis that he was Absent Without Leave from 14th August 1916 to 9th October 1916 with the intent of avoiding embarkation. He was also charged with being in possession of a forged leave pass. He was found guilty and was initially sentenced to 18 months imprisonment with hard labour. 12 months of this sentence was subsequently remitted. Nevertheless, on 7th November 1916 he was sent to Wormwood Scrubs Prison in England.
On 4th March 1917 he left England for France where he was taken on strength of the 13th Field Ambulance on 24th March 1917. On 1st April 1917 he was detached for Medical Corps duty with the 52nd Infantry Battalion. On 17th June 1917 he was found to be Absent Without Leave until apprehended by Military Police, for which his penalty was 21 days Field Punishment.
On 28th September 1917 he was sent to England on leave. He reported sick when he returned from leave on 14th October 1917, initially diagnosed as suffering from acute abdominal colic. By 22nd October 1917 this had developed into a pyloric ulcer, peritonitis and pneumonia. He died of these diseases on 25th October 1917.
His grave is in Etaples Military Cemetery, Etaples, Nord Pas de Calais, France. The Australian War Memorial states that he died of wounds, and gives his place of association as Ipswich, Queensland.
- based on the Australian War Memorial Honour Roll and notes for the Great Sydney Central Station Honour Board.
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