TAYLOR, Tom Braithwaite
| Service Number: | 1510 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 13 July 1915, Keswick, South Australia |
| Last Rank: | Trooper |
| Last Unit: | 3rd Light Horse Regiment |
| Born: | Hyde Park, South Australia, 19 November 1890 |
| Home Town: | Adelaide, South Australia |
| Schooling: | St Peter's College, Adelaide South Australia |
| Occupation: | Wool classer/Station overseer |
| Died: | Killed in Action, Egypt, 9 January 1917, aged 26 years |
| Cemetery: |
Kantara War Memorial Cemetery F 113 |
| Memorials: | Adelaide National War Memorial, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Hackney St Peter's College Fallen Honour Board, St Peters All Souls Anglican Church Honour Board WW1, St Peters Heroes War Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 13 Jul 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 1510, Keswick, South Australia | |
|---|---|---|
| 27 Oct 1915: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 1510, 3rd Light Horse Regiment, Enlistment/Embarkation WW1, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '1' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Benalla embarkation_ship_number: A24 public_note: '' | |
| 27 Oct 1915: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 1510, 3rd Light Horse Regiment, HMAT Benalla, Adelaide | |
| 9 Jan 1917: | Involvement AIF WW1, Trooper, 1510, 3rd Light Horse Regiment, Battle of Rafa, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 1510 awm_unit: 3rd Australian Light Horse Regiment awm_rank: Trooper awm_died_date: 1917-01-09 |
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From the book Fallen Saints
Tom Braithwaite Taylor of College Town, South Australia was born in Adelaide and was educated at the Collegiate School of St Peter.
He was an enthusiastic member of the cadet unit and throughout his time at St Peter’s enjoyed the respect of the staff, was held in high regard by his peers and was recognised as a tower of strength in all athletic competitions.
He won his colours in the inter-collegiate football contest and sports teams, and in 1908 and 1909 he secured the college cup.[i]
Tom held a fascination for life in the ‘bush’ and after leaving the School worked for some time on Myrtle Springs station North West of Leigh Creek before leaving to study wool classing at the School of Mines in Adelaide. After completing the course, he worked as station overseer on Mena Murtee station near Wilcannia New South Wales until he returned to South Australia to enlist in the AIF.
He enlisted at Keswick on 13 July 1915 and was held in transit at the Infantry Base Depot, Mitcham until in August when he joined the 11th quota of reinforcements for the 9th Light Horse Regiment.
At the beginning of September, he was reallotted to the 11th quota of reinforcements for the 3rd Light Horse Regiment and sailed from Adelaide aboard HMAT Benalla on 27 October 1915.
He joined the regiment in October and after reporting sick to 1st Light Horse Field Ambulance on 26 April was hospitalised for a few days suffering with Oedema to one of his arms.
He returned to his regiment in April, fell ill again in July and was incapacitated for most of August then in September after treatment and convalescence was taken on the strength of C Squadron, 1st Light Horse Training Regiment at Moascar as a temporary corporal.
In late November, he was reverted to trooper at his own request and then on 18 December returned to the 3rd Light Horse Regiment and was 25 years of age when killed at Rafa on 9 January 1917.
Trooper John Dalzell when interviewed at the end of January 1917, said, ‘He was not in my squad but we went over in waves & he came up to fill a space next to me before he was hit- we were then elbow to elbow. As far as feeling goes death was instantaneous though he breathed for a moment longer. We sang out for stretcher-bearers but then said it did not matter as all was over. I did not know him personally but saw his name on his kit.’ [ii]
The following excerpt is from his obituary published in an Adelaide newspaper less than weeks after his demise.
His personality won for him many loyal friends, who admired him for his manly breadth of character. The news that he has made the supreme sacrifice for King and country will be heard with sincere regret far and wide in the Commonwealth.[iii]
[i] ibid., 27 January 1917, p. 45
[ii] Australian War Memorial, Australian Red Cross wounded and missing enquiry bureau files – Taylor, Tom Braithwaite / 2710312, viewed 29 October 2005
[iii] Adelaide Chronicle, 27 January 1917 p. 45
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