TUCKER, Spencer Gordon
| Service Number: | 577 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 14 January 1916 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 36th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Carcoar, New South Wales, Australia, 1 December 1894 |
| Home Town: | Carcoar, Blayney, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Carcoar Public School, New South Wales, Australia |
| Occupation: | Labourer |
| Died: | Killed in Action, Belgium, 1 May 1917, aged 22 years |
| Cemetery: |
London Rifle Brigade Cemetery II,E.3 London Rifle Brigade Cemetery Wallonie, Belgium, London Rifle Brigade Cemetery, Wallonie, Belgium |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Blayney Pictorial Honour Roll No 1, Carcoar War Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 14 Jan 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 577, 36th Infantry Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 13 May 1916: |
Involvement
AIF WW1, Private, 577, 36th Infantry Battalion, Enlistment/Embarkation WW1, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '17' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Beltana embarkation_ship_number: A72 public_note: '' |
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| 13 May 1916: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 577, 36th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Beltana, Sydney | |
| 1 May 1917: | Wounded AIF WW1, Private, 577, 36th Infantry Battalion, Duty Officer Entry: Killed in Action, buried near Ploegsteert Wood, on the Ploegsteert , Armentiers Road: 400 Yards from Cross Roads: at Ploegsteert, 2 1/4 miles N. of Armentiers | |
| Date unknown: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 577, 36th Infantry Battalion, The Outpost Villages - German Withdrawal to Hindenburg Line |
Help us honour Spencer Gordon Tucker's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Ant McLean
577 Private Spencer Gordon Tucker, 36th Infantry Battalion 1st AIF
Son of Alfred Tucker and Mary Anne Hawkin of Box Hill, Carcoar, New South Wales.
Born 1 Janurary 1894in Carcoar, NSW, educated at Cocoar Public School and employed as a labourer prior to enlistment.
Spencer enlisted in on 14th Janurary 1916 in Liverpool NSWand was posted to "C" Company 36th Infantry Battalion 1st AIF.
On April 11th he was absent without leave (AWOL) until the next day noon and awarded 3 days confined to Barracksand forfeited one day pay.
He embarked from Sydney, 13 March 1916 aboard the Troopship 'Beltana' and Disembarked in Davenport 9th July 1916.
After training in England he proceeded to France, 22 November 1916.
Killed 1 May 1917 by a sniper at Le Touquet and is buried at London Rifle Brigade Cemetery.
An eye wittness account of Tucker by Private O'Brien, 36th Battalion, 1st AIF:
' I knew Tucker, he and I were in 'B' Company. He was a Sniper and was a Mate of Corporal Abernethy. They were inseperable. He was in a fire-Bay at 'Le Boissetti' (note, probably Le Touquet) near Armentieres before the Messines Fight about a month before - he was sniped through the head whilst sitting on the parapet in a quiet sector, and killed him outright and i saw him carried out dead as i was then in reserves. I saw his dead body and recognised him and am quite sure he was killed outright. He was a very good sniper.
An extract from the 36th Battalion War Diary, 1 May 1917, Le Touquet Sector.
Counter Battery shelling proceeding most of the day. Quiet in the front line. Our aircraft very active. Three Boche planes and one balloon seen to fall.
At 10.55pm, much noise of working parties in Frelinghien, turned artillery on point in rear of Brewery.
The Above in formation was provided by Johan Moors, Resident Historian of Ypres, Belgium.
October 2020.
Biography
Spencer was born in the village of Carcoar to Alfred and Mary Tucker, he was the 6th child of 8.
His Father Alfred was a farmer, the property was called "Boxhill"
Spencer was a competitive athletic bloke and was a keen shooter, this skill led to him being selected as a sniper.
Spencer departed Sydney- 13/5/1916, A 72 "Beltana"
On the 1/5/1917, Spencer was killed by an enemy sniper, at Le Touquet, Armentieres.
He is remembered in the village.
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