Thomas McGow
From Our Contribution
Ancestry.com | |
Personal Information | |
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Date of Birth | unknown |
Place of Birth | Brisbane, Queensland |
Death | 17 Mar 1967, aged 81 |
Place of Death | Palmyra, Western Australia |
Age at Enlistment | 30 years, 7 months |
Description | 5'6½" (1.69m) tall; weight 104 lbs (47.2 kg); fresh complexion, blue eyes, dark brown hair, mole in middle of his back |
Occupation | barman |
Religion | Church of England |
Address | Ninth avenue, Armadale, Western Australia |
Next of Kin | Wife Mrs Lily McGow |
Military Information | |
Reg Number | 764 |
Date of Enlistment | 13 Jan 1916 |
Rank | Private |
Unit/Formation | 44th battalion, D Company / 11th Brigade, 4th Division |
Date of Embarkation | 6 Jun 1916 - 21 Jul 1916 |
Ship Embarked On | HMAT A29 Suevic |
Date of Return | 6 Jun 1919 - 8 Jul 1919 |
Ship Returned On | SS Somali |
Fate |
Wounded in Action 9 Jun 1917 at Messines Wounded in Action 4 Oct 1917 Broodseinde Ridge Returned to Australia |
Monument | none currently |
Medals |
British War Medal Victory Medal |
Pre War
Married Lily Ramsell in 1913. Lily died at Hilton Park, aged 90 in 1981.
Electoral Roll entries: 1906 a kitchen man at the National Hotel in Fremantle; 1910 yardman; 1912 barman at the Terminus hotel; 1916 with Lily at 301 High street, Fremantle, barman
War Service
Soon after entering Blackboy Hill camp Tom was allocated to the newly formed 44th Battalion. He travelled with the battalion to England and participated in their training at Larkhill before they proceeded to France from Southampton on 25 Nov 1916.
At Messines on 9 Jun 1917 he was wounded with shell fragments to his left hand during an enemy bombardment as D Company moved up to reinforce other elements of the battalion who had taken casualties. He was treated by the 2nd Australian Casualty Clearing Station and then the 1st Australian General Hospital in Rouen before he rejoined his battalion on 4 Aug 1917 after six weeks in Convalescent Depots.
Wounded a second time, again with a shrapnel injury to his left hand during the bombardment prior to the German assault at Broodseinde Ridge which coincided with an Australian one. D Company lost 50% of their men during the bombardment which lasted 3 hours. The battalion loses were 64 dead and 250 wounded in the action. Tom was treated by 11th Field Ambulance and the 44th Casualty Clearing Station before being admitted to the 16th General Hospital. Tom again spent time in a Convalescent Depot before rejoining the battalion again on 3 Nov 1917.
In Feb 1918 he was granted two weeks leave in England, and another leave in mid January 1919. Tom remained in France with the 44th Battalion until 7 Apr 1919 when he marched out to No 3 Group Depot in Codford, England where he begin the process of returning to Australia.
Discharged at 5th MD on 22 Aug 1919.
Wounded....Thomas McGow of Armadale....[1]
Post War
Electoral Roll entries - 1922 Thomas was alone at 7 Hammond street, Balkatta, a barman. 1925 both at 8 McMillan street, Victoria Park , and in 1931 - 1937 at 32 Kent street, Victoria Park. [1936 -37 Norman Thomas also with them]. 1943 both at 14 Clivedon street, Balkatta, and in 1949 -1954, Thomas has no occupation, with them living at 5 Turner street, North Perth. 1958 - 1963 both are living at 31 Money road, Melville.
Son, Norman Thomas (b. 12 Nov 1913 ; d. 2012 aged 98) served during WW2 as a naval officer F2766/13. Daughter Joan M born 1920?
References
- ↑ "THE TOLL OF WAR". The Sun (954). Western Australia. 15 July 1917. p. 3. Retrieved 25 July 2017 – via National Library of Australia.