ENTWISTLE, Thomas
| Service Number: | 311328 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Sergeant |
| Last Unit: | A Squadron, 1st Armoured Regiment |
| Born: | Manchester, England, 10 October 1935 |
| Home Town: | The Rock, Lockhart, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Career Soldier |
| Died: | Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, Australia, 10 December 2014, aged 79 years, cause of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
Drayton and Toowoomba Cemetery, Queensland |
| Memorials: |
Vietnam War Service
| 10 Dec 1969: | Involvement Australian Army (Post WW2), Sergeant, 311328, B Squadron, 1st Armoured Regiment | |
|---|---|---|
| 23 Dec 1969: | Involvement Australian Army (Post WW2), Sergeant, 311328, A Squadron, 1st Armoured Regiment |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Bryan Entwistle
"Tommy's" first encounter with the military was through national service in the United Kingdom where he was Corps allocated to the Royal Armoured Corps, and posted to the 4th 7th Royal Dragoon Guards for two years. During this time, he saw duty with the BAOR in Germany.
"Tommy" Entwistle came to Australia in the early 1960s having joined the Australian Army in London.
He was Corps Allocated to the Royal Australian Armoured Corps as a Regular and Reservist soldier, discharging at the rank of Warrant Officer Class Two.
"Tommy" is best remembered for the " 'ump Back Bridge", where while on exercise at Tin Can Bay, he was called to send his "locstat" to "Zero Alpha".
He replied that he was near the " 'ump back bridge", and because of his Northern English accent, which made people laugh at HQ, he was asked about three times to send his "lockstat" so others could hear his reply.
"Tommy" spent a year in South Viet Nam from December 1969 to December 1970, based with the First Armoured Regiment at the Australian Task Force, Nui Dat, Phuoc Tuy province.
At first, he was posted in the field as a troop sergeant with the Centurion tanks, but was later called in to run the unit's command post until the end of his tour of duty.
He was a well respected Sergeant radio instructor at the Armoured Centre's Radio Wing at Puckapunyal, Victoria, training both newly arrived officers and troopers to the Corps in radio telephone procedures and operations.
Following discharge from the Regular Army, he went on in 1974 to join the 2nd 14th Queensland Mounted Infantry at Wacol Queensland, where he was again teaching and instructing with all aspects pertaining to radios.
After being promoted to Staff Sergeant, "Tommy" went on to OCTU, posted to the unit at the Queensland Agricultural College at Gatton Queensland, where he retired as a Warrant Officer Class Two in 1986. All up he devoted approximately 26 years to the ADF.
In 1989 he took up a posting at Kapooka with the Everyman's Welfare Service, where he worked providing assistance for recruits and personnel of the 1st Recruit Training Battalion.
He eventually was retired from this position in ca 1993. The Everyman's hut at Kapooka is dedicated to his memory.
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