Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Thomas Bertram Brown was born in the Sydney suburb of Waterloo to his father Bertram Slade Brown and his mother Florence Elizabeth Maddocks. They lived at 92 Buckland Street in Alexandria(1) and Thomas attended Sydney Technical High School at Ultimo house. 

Thomas Bertram Brown was an accomplished student at Sydney Technical High School and underwent military experience through the universal service scheme. On the Friday, 12th of December 1913, during the annual speech day held in the Turner Hall, Thomas received a general merit for his academic performance(3), with his most impressive achievement that year being receiving the second highest mark in Geometric Drawings in the class(4).

From a young age, Thomas was interested in joining the army and participated in the universal service scheme before it was made compulsory. He spent 4 years as a senior cadet and a further 2 years and 10 months in the militia(5). As a senior cadet Thomas participated in 4 whole days, twelve half days and twenty-four quarter day night shifts per year of training(6). On July 1st, 1910, he received his senior cadet uniform and record book, and was allotted to one of the four cadet companies within Sydney Technical High School(7). The four companies “marched regularly in the Ultimo playground encouraged by staff”, armed with rifles(8). Thomas’s training as a senior cadet included physical drills, field-training, and target practice(9). After high school, Thomas went on to become a clerk(10), while also participating in the militia part-time. During his service in the militia, Thomas underwent similar training to the senior cadets but for a minimum of sixteen full days per year instead(11).

On the 25th of October 1917, he enlisted in the Australian Infantry Force, wherein he lied about his age on the enlistment papers and made himself a year older(12). In all likelihood, this was to improve his chances of being selected.

During his service, Thomas Bertram Brown attended further training in military camps in England and assisted in the demobilization efforts after the war. After passing his medical examination, he was recruited on the 26th of November, 1917(13). Thomas was then assigned to the 2nd Engineers Reinforcements(14) and embarked on the H.M.A.T. Persic to England on the 21st of March 1918(15).

After arrival, Thomas was temporarily marched out to training camp number 3 at Parkhouse, Salisbury Plain and after only a week, he was transferred to the Australian Engineers Training Depot (AETD) in Brightlingsea, Essex(16). During his stay at the Brightlingsea depot, he would have learned the skills necessary for his service on the Western Front as a Sapper. The training included musketry, infantry work, knotting and lashing, field geometry and map reading, and other relevant skills in a simulated warlike environment(17).

Thomas was marched out to the Southampton port, embarking to France on the 28th of January 1919(18) to assist with the post-war clean-up in France.

From the French port, Thomas was marched to Leugnies, Belgium(19) and assigned to the 10th Australian Army Service Corps (AASC) company within the 5th Australian Divisional train(20). During his service, Thomas assisted in the demobilization effort after the war, helping other soldiers get back home by providing supplies, rations and transport(21). Within the same company, other soldiers were rewarded for ““The safe delivery of … supplies”” and ““Clearance of the road of broken transport””(22).

Following the conclusion of his service, he was transported to a French port and on the 22nd of May, he embarked on a ship back to England. Thomas finally returned to Australia on the 20th of July, on ship H.M.A.T. Valencia and was discharged from service on the 8th of October(23).

Following his service, Thomas continued his work as a clerk and passing away in 1949. His funeral was held on the 27th of April 1949, where he was attended by his family, including his father, brother, nephew and sister-in-law(24). Thomas was cremated the same day(25).

References:

1. Ken Stevenson, Research on Google Drive
2. First World War nominal roll (1919) Australian War Memorial. AWM113 6. https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/R2290289.
3. Sydney Morning Herald (1913) 'The Schools,' 16 December.
4. Class 1A General Result Sheet: Term ending 19th September 1913 (1913). Sydney Technical High School.
5. Australian Imperial Force Attestation Paper of Persons Enlisted for Service Abroad. (no date) National Archives of Australia. B2455. Australian Infantry Force. http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/scripts/AutoSearch.asp?O=I&Number=1802005
6. Caples, W. G. “The Australian Militia System.” Professional Memoirs, Corps of Engineers, United States Army, and Engineer Department at Large 5, no. 24 (1913): 701–8. http://www.jstor.org/stable/44697838.
7. Ibid
8. Sydney Technical High School World War One Honour Board Project rededicated 23 November 2018 [Booklet] (2019). Sydney Technical High School.

https://digitize-vwma.s3.amazonaws.com/I/documents/5759/file/Rededication_Booklet_F inal_2019.pdf.

9. Caples, “The Australian Militia System”
10. Stevenson, Research on Google Drive
11. Caples, “The Australian Militia System”
12. Australian Imperial Force Attestation Paper of Persons Enlisted for Service Abroad
13. Ibid
14. Ibid
15. Casualty form active service: Army Form B.103 (no date) National Archives of Australia. B2455. Australian Infantry Force. http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/scripts/AutoSearch.asp?O=I&Number=1802005
16. Ibid
17. Australian Imperial Force Unit War Diaries, 1914-18 war: Australian Engineer Training Depot for January (1918) Australian War Memorial. AWM4 14/41/2. https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C1345917
18. Casualty form active service: Army Form B.103
19. Australian Imperial Force Unit War Diaries, 1914-18 war: 5th Australian divisional Train for January 1919 (1919) Australian War Memorial. AWM4, 14/41/2. https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C1354366.
20. Casualty form active service: Army Form B.103
21. Lindsay, N. (1992) Equal to the Task: The Royal Australian Army Service Corps
[E-book].

https://www.historia.net.au/equal-to-the-task_v1-raasc/e1-p3_real/e1-c14_w1.html.

22. Australian Imperial Force Unit War Diaries, 1914-18 war: 5th Australian divisional Train for February 1919 (1919) Australian War Memorial. AWM4, 14/41/2. https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C1354367.
23. Casualty form active service: Army Form B.103
24. Stevenson, Research on Google Drive
25. Search for notices (no date). https://ryersonindex.org/search.php.
26. Anzac spirit | Australian War Memorial (no date). https://www.awm.gov.au/articles/encyclopedia/anzac/spirit

Bibliography:

Ken Stevenson, Research on Google Drive
First World War nominal roll (1919) Australian War Memorial. AWM113 6. https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/R2290289.
Australian Imperial Force Attestation Paper of Persons Enlisted for Service Abroad. (no date) National Archives of Australia. B2455. Australian Infantry Force. http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/scripts/AutoSearch.asp?O=I&Number=1802005
Casualty form active service: Army Form B.103 (no date) National Archives of Australia. B2455. Australian Infantry Force. http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/scripts/AutoSearch.asp?O=I&Number=1802005
Caples, W. G. “The Australian Militia System.” Professional Memoirs, Corps of Engineers, United States Army, and Engineer Department at Large 5, no. 24 (1913): 701–8. http://www.jstor.org/stable/44697838.
Sydney Technical High School World War One Honour Board Project rededicated 23 November 2018 [Booklet] (2019). Sydney Technical High School. https://digitize-vwma.s3.amazonaws.com/I/documents/5759/file/Rededication_Booklet_Final_2019.pdf.
Australian Imperial Force Unit War Diaries, 1914-18 war: Australian Engineer Training Depot for January (1918) Australian War Memorial. AWM4 14/41/2. https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C1345917
Lindsay, N. (1992) Equal to the Task: The Royal Australian Army Service Corps [E-book]. https://www.historia.net.au/equal-to-the-task_v1-raasc/e1-p3_real/e1-c14_w1.html.
Australian Imperial Force Unit War Diaries, 1914-18 war: 5th Australian divisional Train for February 1919 (1919) Australian War Memorial. AWM4, 14/41/2. https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C1354367.
Search for notices (no date). https://ryersonindex.org/search.php.
Anzac spirit | Australian War Memorial (no date). https://www.awm.gov.au/articles/encyclopedia/anzac/spirit.