Cyril Augustest Tonkin
From Our Contribution
 | |
| Personal Information | |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | Sep 1887 |
| Place of Birth | Serpentine, Western Australia |
| Death | 21 Feb 1919, aged 31 |
| Place of Death | 5th Light Field Ambulance, Homs, Syria |
| Age at Enlistment | 28 years old |
| Description | 5'2½" (1.59m) tall; weight 125 lbs (56.7kg); ruddy complexion, brown eyes, dark brown hair. |
| Occupation | timber worker |
| Religion | Church of England |
| Address | 'Hope Farm', Serpentine, Western Australia |
| Next of Kin | Father George Richard Tonkin |
| Military Information | |
| Reg Number | 2254 |
| Date of Enlistment | 7 Dec 1915 |
| Rank | Sapper |
| Unit/Formation | 10th Light Horse Regiment, 15th Reinforcement, transferred to 4th Camel Battalion |
| Date of Embarkation | 1 Apr 1916 - 25 Apr 1916 |
| Ship Embarked On | HMAT A38 Ulysses |
| Monument | Serpentine |
| Medals |
British War Medal Victory Medaltest Tonkin |
Contents
Pre War
A student of the Jarrahdale No.39, Primary School 14 Aug 1899 - 28 May 1902. Left school in 1903.
War Service
Soon after entering camp Cyril was located to the 15th reinforcement draft for the 10th Light Horse Regiment, training with them and travelling to Egypt.
Between 1 May 1916 and 17 Jun 1916 he was hospitalised in the 2nd Australian Stationary Hospital receiving treatment for VD. After discharge he was posted to the 3rd Light Horse Double Squadron on 6 Jul 1916.
On 1 Nov 1916 he was impacted by a reorganisation of mounted forces, being transferred to the Imperial Camel Corps. However, on 22 Dec 1916 he was sent to hospital in Cairo for treatment of conjunctivitis, later treatment was for trachoma. After which he was transferred to the Reserve Company of the Imperial Camel Corps.
Eventually discharged from hospital on 29 May 1917. On 20 Jun 1917 he was charged with 'while on Active Service, reporting ill without a cause', the outcome being a fine of a day's pay and two days later a transfer to the 4th Battalion Camel Corps.
Still suffering with conjunctivitis, he was admitted to the 14th Australian General Hospital in Cairo again on 5 Aug 1917, with eyesight classified as defective. On the 16th he was transferred to a headquarters training unit at Moascar, but on 13 Nov 1917 he was moved again, this time to the Details Camp where on 3 Dec 1917 he went before a Medical Board. Reclassified, he was posted on 9 Mar 1918 to the Desert Mounted Corps as a Batman.
His officer appeared to move around between HQ elements until on 22 Feb 1919 Cyril was admitted to hospital in Aleppo, Syria before being moved to the 5th Light Horse Field Ambulance where he died from pneumonia on 21 Feb 1919, and was buried next day at Homs by Chaplain J S McDonald.
Notes
Commemorated on the Jerusalem Memorial panel 59. Buried in Military Cemetery Homs, Syria on 22 Feb 1919. Grave unable to be found in 1924.