Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

One of my earliest memories is of visiting Nana's house in Canning Street Carlton and wondering about the picture of the soldier on her wall. Nana eventually moved into a nursing home, her house was sold and the picture disappeared. About 20 years later I found the photo, stashed behind a wardrobe, as we were moving mum from our family home.
Since then I have carried out some research on this soldier, and his story is poignant, as are the parallel stories of the other millions of soldiers.
Tom Flynn was Nana's little brother, the 5th child of John and Ellen Flynn, Irish immigrants, of Laang, Western Victoria. Tom's mother died when he was about 10. According to my father John Flynn was a difficult man. No doubt his 3 sisters took Tom under their wing. Tom was a groom, and I believe he was working in Ballarat at the time he enlisted.
Tom enlisted in the 1st AIF from the town of Warrnambool, on the 28th February, 1916. Nana would of been living in Warrnambool at the time, and one of her sisters lived nearby at Dennington. Dad would of been coming up to his 3rd birthday.
Tom set of as a reinforcement for the 58th Battalion.
His military training was at Lark Hill, on the Wiltshire diowns, down by Stone Henge. He managed to lose 13 days pay for being AWOL for a day. Hopefully he and his mates had a good day out.
Tom tranferred to France in late December 1916. The 58th Battallion had been battered during the battle of the Somme, and at Fromelles before that. They were now pushing at the Germans just south west of Baupume, at a place called Gueudecourt. They were also enduring one of the coldest winters experienced in Europe.
A major push by the AIF occurred on the 4th February, 1917. During that push Harry Murray of the 13th Battallion won a Victoria Cross.
Sadly, Tom was Killed in Action, 100 years ago today. Most likely he copped a bullet to the head whilst digging a trench towards no mans land.
In my research I came across records created by the Australian Red Cross. The Red Cross provided a service to the loved ones back home. They would try to find details of how a soldier had died or where they had gone missing. Obviously Nana, her sisters, brother and father were anxious to find out how and where Tom died. The Red Cross would visit the Australian soldiers recovering from a 'Blighty' and ask the soldiers if they had any information. Surprisingly, the amount of detail was quite good. The dossier can be viewed at https://www.awm.gov.au/…/collection/pdf/RCDIG1045822--1-.pdf
I found it touching that these men made a large effort to provide snippets of information that they knew would mean a lot to the family.
The lyrics from the "Green Fields of France" ring true
"In some loyal heart is your memory enshrined?
And, though you died back in 1916,
To that loyal heart are you forever 19?"
Nana did enshrine Tom's memory in her heart.
Tom is buried near Baupume, in a cemetery about a kilometre from the London-Paris railway.
Thomas Flynn, 1909A, 58th Battalion, 1st AIF. K.I.A. 4/2/17 R.I.P.