Bickley, Thomas George
No.6852 – Private Thomas George Bickley – 16th Battalion AIF
Thomas George Bickley was born in Fremantle Western Australia in 1882 to Absolom & Mary Bickley. He had several siblings, with Harriet (born 1866), Caroline (born 1875), William (born 1883), Walter (born 1888), Alexander (born 1889) and Arthur (born 1892). Thomas attended school in Fremantle and after leaving spent 5 years as a carpentry apprentice to S Burgess Fremantle. Unfortunately, tragedy had struck the family early on in Tom’s life when his older sister Caroline, aged just 12, was killed in an explosion at North Fremantle Quarries when she had taken her father Absolom his dinner. A charge had accidentally exploded early, killing Caroline while she waited by her father’s work hut. Absolom Bickley and the other workers were not hurt.
When he was 18 Thomas went to South Africa where he served in the 1st Imperial Light Horse and saw 11 months of active service. After his return he continued with his Carpentry trade and after initially living in Fremantle went to work in various country areas, namely Collie, Greenbushes and Wagin. In 1907 in Wagin he married Rose Buck and they continued to live in this district. Rose was indigenous and in 1912 Thomas was in legal trouble when he was charged with supplying liquor on a reserve. On top of this he also soon had to face a case of perjury.
In September 1916 Thomas offered his services to the AIF. He was accepted with the medical examiner finding that Thomas was 5 feet 9 & ¾ inches; weight of 170 lbs; chest measurement of 36-38 inches; fresh complexion; blue eyes and light brown hair. His religious denomination was Church of England.
He was initially assigned to the 8th Reinforcements to the 51st Battalion, but was transferred to the 22nd Reinforcements to the 16th Battalion. He left Fremantle with this group on the 9th November 1916 aboard the “Argyllshire”. After arriving in Devonport England on the 10th January 1917, the men were sent to the 4th Training Battalion at Codford on the Salisbury Plains.
On the 12th February 1917, Thomas was admitted to Sutton Veny Military Hospital in Wiltshire with bronchitis. Thomas’s condition continued to deteriorate and he died on the 23rd February 1917. The Hospital Matron wrote that;
“he was admitted to this hospital on February 12th suffering from a severe attack of bronchitis, which was more than his heart could stand and he died on Feb. 23rd. Everything possible was done for him and he suffered very little. He was buried at Codford of course with military honours".
On the 26th February 1917 Thomas was buried at St Mary’s Churchyard at Codford.
Rose died on the 28th August 1937 on an Aboriginal Reserve in Narrogin WA.