Connolly, Thomas

3094 Corporal Thomas Connolly - Australian Army Service Corps AIF

Thomas Connolly was born in Brisbane Queensland in 1891 to Bridget and John Connolly. The family moved to NSW and then to Western Australia. Once in WA the Connolly's took up residence at Perth Road North Fremantle. Tom completed his schooling at CBC Fremantle.

At school Tom had also been a member of the Army and Naval Cadets and was subsequently a member of the Royal Australian Naval Reserve.

When the Great War began, Tom was working as a clerk in Fremantle. On the 28th June 1915 Tom enlisted into the AIF. He was accepted as fit for service with the medical examiner recording Tom's physical atributes as;

Height - 5 feet 6 & 1/2 inches tall;

Weight - 130lbs;

Chest Measurement - 34-36 inches;

Complexion - Dark;

Eyes - Blue;

Hair - Black.

After his successful enlistment Tom was sent to Blackboy Hill Camp for training. He was initially assigned to the 9th Reinforcements to the 16th Battalion but that was then changed to the 10th Reinforcements to the 16th Battalion.

On the 13th October 1915, Tom left Fremantle Harbour aboard the transport ship HMAT Themistocles and set sail for Egypt. After arriving in Egypt in November and was sent to the reinforcement camp. Tom was then diagnosed with mumps and this delayed him joining the 16th Battalion until February 1916. He was only with the 16th Bn for a month as in March 1916 he was transferred to the newly forming 48th Battalion.

Tom was then sent to the Australian Army Service Corps, and worked for the 19th Depot unit of Supply. He departed with this unit for France in June 1916.

On arrival in France, Tom reported sick and was diagnosed with enteric. He was sent to hospital in England and his condition would take some time to recover from as he remained in England for the rest of the war.

After he had somewhat recovered Tom was given a physical assessment and was found not yet to be fit for service in France, so he was utilised by the Australian Army Service Corps in England.

Tom served with the AASC in England up till 1920 and would have been among the last of the AIF to leave England, only embarking for Australia on 12th March 1920 aboard the transport ship Ceramic. Tom disembarked in Fremantle on the 18th April 1920.

Tom was officially discharged from the AIF on the 16th August 1920.

In the Great War, Tom's brother Mark died in France in 1918 and an Uncle died at Gallipoli in 1915. Two other brothers, James and Richard also served but fortunately survived the war and made it home.

After the Great War, Tom continued to reside in Fremantle and went to work for Tropical Traders and Paterson's Ltd Fremantle.

In 1928 Tom married Margaret Ogden in Perth and they would have two children, Peg and Peter. Prior to WW2 the family lived at 6 Adrian Street Palmyra.

Thomas Connolly died in Fremantle on the 2nd August 1950 aged 59.