Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Commendation for Gallantry (Australia).

Son of James Duncan Cumming and Mary Cumming, of Northcote, Victoria, Australia.

DUTY NOBLY DONE... EVER REMEMBERED

2/4 Anti Tank Regiment, Captured at Singapore.  First sent to Changi prison but was one of the first 3,000 prisoners sent to work in Burma on the Burma/Thailand Railway.

He was working on the Burma side and escaped but was re-captured a few days later.  He was one of eight prisoners from 4th Anti Tank Regiment to be executed on 6 June 1942. The eight executed men became known as the Tavoy Eight.

20 June 2013  Award; Commendation for Gallantry.

Father served WW1. 1st AIF.

DEATH OF BDR. T. S. CUMMING
Mrs M Cumming, of 36 Croxton Street, Croxton, mother of VX 31670, Bdr. T. S. Cumming, who died as a POW under the Japanese, and who formerly was in the employ of Phillip and Nicholson, Upwey,  and was well known throughout the district, has received the following touching letter from Chaplain F H Bashford, Bonegilla, Vic.—
Dear Mrs Cumming,—May I please convey to you my very deep sympathy in the loss of your dear son, a very gallant soldier. Doubtless, you iiave heard the story of his death from many of his friends,  but as an eyewitness I would like to add my testimony to the gallant way" in which he died. You have every reason to be proud of him. All that could be done to obtain a reprieve for him and his pals  was done by Brigadier A. H. Varley and his staff, and the R.C. padre and myself intervened and pleaded on their behalf, but without success. The Japanese would not allow me even to ask them their  religious denominations, such was their cruel and callous attitude towards these unfortunate friends of ours, With Brigadier Varley I was forced to watch their death, which was instantaneous. They  suffered no pain whatsoever. The way they died was simply magnificent and immediately prior to their death there went up a "cheerio" to each other and a "cheerio" to all. It was really a marvellous  display of courage and complete contempt for an enemy who absolutely ignored all the humane laws of warfare. To me it was an inspiration and made me poud to be an Australian.
As we had not been allowed to have any contact with them, therefore we were unable to find out their religious denominations. The R.C. padre and myself buried them on the spot where they died, and today their graves are in a portion of the local Chinese Cemetery and marked with crosses of imperishable material, a hallowed spot to us—of eight noble soldiers of the A.I.F. 
And so he died gallantly, bravely, but in dying he is not dead, for the spirit of such brave men lives on to inspire others- With such brave and noble men as these to remember and to inspire us, we  never need fear for the future of our country. Then again it should be an inspiration to us all to pray and work for world peace, that such happenings will not occur again. Yours in sympathy.
F. H. BASHFORD, C.F.

Survived by his parents,  brothers Harry and David, sister Helen(Nell) Lewis.