Military History

Embarked Fremantle per HMAT 'Afric' A19 for Egypt 5.1.1916.
Roll Rank Gunner.
Roll Unit 21st Battery Field Artillery.
Thomas disembarked at Suez. He marched in to Cairo to 1st Div. Artillery Bde (DAB) 15.2.1916. He was transferred to the 2nd Field Artillery Bde. (FAB) at Tel-el-Kebir 3.3.1916. Thomas entrained to Alexandria, joined BEF and embarked for France 22.3.1916. He disembarked at Marseilles 28.3.1916. He transferred to 21st FAB in France 15.5.1916 and was taken on strength 16.5.1916. The troops were moved north to the battlefields by train and billeted in the Flanders Region (AWM 2nd Division.) Thomas was admitted to 1st Field Ambulance Station with Influenza 23.6.1916. He was transferred to 13th Field Ambulance 4.7.1916 and admitted to the 20th General Hospital with nasal obstruction. On recovery, he was discharged and taken on strength with 1st Division Ammunition Column (DAC) 10.10.1916 and transferred back to the 21st FAB 17.12.1916. Thomas hospitalised sick 26.8.1917, diagnosed with dysentery 3.9.1917 and admitted to the Manchester General Hospital in UK with 15.9.1917.(Reported West Australian Newspaper 13.10.1917). He was taken on strength with the 1st Brigade in France 24.1.1917. The 1st Bde. and fought at Passchendaele 1917(AWM 1st Division). Thomas was admitted to hospital sick with dysentery 26.8.1917, he was invalided to hospital at Etaples and transferred to England per HS ‘Ville de Liege’ 15.9.1917. Thomas was admitted to the 2nd Western General Hospital at Manchester 15.9.1917 and then to Harefield Auxiliary Hospital 24.5.1918. He was discharged to the 2nd Command Depot at Weymouth 25.7.1918 and listed for return to Australia for a ‘change’
Embarked for Australia from UK per HT ‘Runic’ D2 23.9.1918.
Returned/Disembarked 27.11.1918.
Discharged 23.1.1919.
Final Rank Gunner, 3rd Battery FA.
Medical Condition Invalided with Dysentery Amoebic
Awards and Medals British War Medal, Victory Medal.
Photo  HMAT 'Afric' at Melbourne Port 1916. Photographer Josiah Barnes, photograph source AWM PB006
             Australian Soldiers en route to the Front line at Flanders, October 1917. Photographer unknown, photograph source AWM E0118
             1st DAC 19 9 1917 transporting ammunition to Birr Cross Road at Ypres. Photographer unknown, photograph source AWM E0073
             Passchendaele 1917. Photographer unknown, photograph source AWM E01200
             HMAT 'Runic'. Donor R. Teague, photograph source AWM P00707.027

Information Source
AWM PB006. HMAT 'Afric' at Melbourne Port 1916. Photographer Josiah Barnes, photograph sourced from the Pictorial Collection of the Australian War Memorial
AWM E0118. Australian Soldiers en route to the Front Line at Flanders, October 1917. Photographer unknown, photograph sourced from the Pictorial Collection of the Australian War Memorial
AWM E0073. 1st DAC 19 9 1917 transporting ammunition to Birr Cross Road at Ypres. Photographer unknown, photograph sourced from the Pictorial Collection of the Australian War Memorial
AWM E01200. Passchendaele 1917. Photographer unknown, photograph sourced from the Pictorial Collection of the Australian War Memorial
AWM P00707.027. HMAT 'Runic'. Donor R. Teague., photograph sourced from the Pictorial Collection of the Australian War Memorial
AWM 2nd Division
AWM Embarkation Roll Harry Thomas
NAA: 2455, Thomas Harry
Wesley Chapel Honour Roll
West Australian Newspapers
Wise H. and Coy. Western Australian Post Office Directories. SLWA

Caversham, Guildford, WA.

Associated Images