Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Thomas Munro’s was born in St Helens in 1897, the photographs of him are just after he enlisted in late 1915, aged eighteen. He was a miner in one of the tin mines near St Helens and was the son of Thomas and Edith Munro.

He was awarded a gallantry medal less than six months later and eventually, in 1917, killed in action four days after turning twenty years of age.

Thomas Munro was part of a group of thirteen men of the 52nd Battalion who were all recommended for a bravery award, for the following action in France. On 14 August 1916, “Some wounded men, having been left out in front of the firing line near Mouquet Farm, a party under Lieutenant Ralph Anderson volunteered to go out from Albert, a distance of 8 kilometres, and try and bring them in. This they did, having to make their way for a very long distance over ground and through saps that were being shelled heavily by the enemy; with much trouble in the darkness, they located the men in No Mans Land, near the enemy trenches, and brought them back to safety over ground that was being swept by our own guns and over the ground being heavily bombarded by the enemy.”

Munro was the only one of the thirteen men who received a Military Medal, and he was still only 18 years of age, the others were awarded a Congratulatory Card by their Divisional Commander. It was a particularly hazardous enterprise amongst extremely heavy fighting and less than two weeks later, four of the thirteen were killed in action, two were severely wounded, and one was wounded and captured by the Germans.

Thomas Munro survived the heavy fighting during 1916. Back home in Tasmania his mother was widowed when her husband died (aged 46) in the Launceston Base Hospital during January 1917.

Thomas survived the Battles of Messines and Polygon Wood before he was killed by heavy shell fire near Menin Road in Belgium on 17 October 1917. His remains were never found and his name is listed on the Menin Gate Memorial at Ypres.

Due to the death of his father in early 1917, Thomas’s mum, Edith Munro, had to sign a statuary declaration declaring she was next of kin. It was witnessed by Thomas Haley who ran the only general store in St Helens for over sixty years.

Edith received a pension of 40 shillings a fortnight from the Government. She was sent the Military Medal her son was awarded in 1918. She called her son Hildred, his second name, although he was generally known as Thomas Munro. She placed a notice in the Launceston Examiner during November 1917,

MUNRO. --Killed in action in France, on October 17, 1917, Private Hildred Thomas Munro, dearly beloved son of E. Munro, St. Helens, aged 20 years.

“He marched away so bravely,

His young head proudly held;

His footsteps never faltered,

His courage never failed.

His king and country called him;

The call was not in vain;

On St. Helens roll of honour

You will find our dear Hildred's name.”