Wilson, Thomas Wright (3448)
Place of Birth: Geelong, VIC
Age: 43 years
Enlistment Details: Monday, 28 May 1917 – Port Melbourne, VIC
Service Number: 3448 view online service record
Address:
156 Thistlethwaite Street
South Melbourne, VIC
Next of Kin:
Beatrice Elizabeth Wilson (wife)
156 Thistlethwaite Street
South Melbourne, VIC
Embarkation Details:
Date: Friday, 7 September 1917
Ship: HMAT Kyarra A55
Port: Melbourne, VIC
Unit: 8th Light Horse Regiment – 29th Reinforcements
Fate:
RTA: Friday, 30 August 1918
Discharged: Monday, 21 October 1918
Son: John Lancelot Wilson
Originally enlisted on 2 October 1915 while living at 151 Heath Street, Port Melbourne but was discharged on 22 November 1915 due to chronic rheumatism before seeing active service. Re-enlisted a few weeks after his son, John, enlisted.
1917 ‘ELECTRIC SPARKS’, Port Melbourne Standard (Vic. : 1914 – 1920), 2 June, p. 3. , viewed 06 Apr 2017, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article88369520
3 Comments
Brian Membrey
It is not clear from his military record as he is not included on the AWM Roll of Honour, but a chance sighting of a Death Notice reveals Thomas Wright WILSON died in No. 11 Australian General Hospital at Caulfield on the first anniversary of the Armistice, 11 November, 1919. He originally enlisted in October 1915 from 151 Heath Street, Port Melbourne, but was discharged with chronic rheumatism after six weeks in training. He re-enlisted at Port Melbourne on 18 June, 1917, his wife now at 156 Thistlethwaite Street, South Melbourne. He served around seven months in Egypt before suffering a back and neck injury when he fell from his horse and after being treated at 14 AGH at Port Said, he was returned to Australia in August with neurasthenia (aka “shell shock”; in today’s terms known as Post-Traumatic Shock Syndrome) and over-age. He disembarked in Melbourne 3 October, 1918, was formally discharged on the 21st October and entered 11 AGH two days later. The cause of death was primarily a prostatic abscess, secondary neurasthenia.
His 19-year-old son, John Lancelot WILSON embarked with the same reinforcements for the 8th Light Horse on board HMAT Kyarra on 7 September 1917, the pair serving with consecutive service numbers 3447/3448. Victorian registrations reveal seven other children, the last four – from 1907 to 1915 – born in Port Melbourne.
Tom Wilson
A few corrections to your entry Brian. Thomas Wright Wilson died in the Caulfield Hospital on 12 November 1918, the day after the war ended. The family story told is the reason he’s not on the Roll of Honour is that he was discharged from the Army before he died in order that his widow wouldn’t receive benefits.
He didn’t fall from his horse, his horse fell on him when it slipped down a wadi when returning from the raid on Es Salt.
Despite the papers saying at the time that he died of his wounds, the death certificate stated cause as the prostatic abscess and nephritis.
He joined up “to keep an eye on his son”, despite being rejected on medical grounds two years previously. Yet, despite his service, he was not treated well by the Army.
If you check his name and mine, you will see how I know these things.
David Thompson
Thanks Tom. The official records rarely tell the whole story.