Brennan, Theo

4259 Private Theo Brennan - 28th Battalion AIF

Theo Brennan was born in Ballarat Victoria in 1886 to Catherine and John Brennan.

The family later came to Western Australia and initially took up residence in the goldfields. 

In 1912 Theo married Catherine Kerr in Kalgoorlie and they then moved to Hampton Road South Fremantle where Theo found work as a Storekeeper.

On the 8th December 1915 Theo enlisted into the AIF. He was accepted as fit for service with the medical examiner recording his details as;

Height - 5 feet 11 inches tall;

Weight - 140lbs;

Chest Measurement - 36-39 inches;

Complexion - Fresh;

Eyes - Hazel;

Hair - Brown.

Theo was sent to Blackboy Hill Training Camp and was then assigned to the 10th Reinforcements to the 28th Battalion. On the 1st April 1916 this group embarked from Fremantle Harbour aboard the transport ship Ulysses. 

The ship arrived in Egypt just over three weeks later. Upon arrival Theo would have discovered that the 28th Battalion had already departed for France so he was temporarily assigned to the 7th Training Battalion. He went with this training unit to France and set up the training camp at Etaples.

Theo didn't join the 28th Battalion until the 2nd August 1916. Theo had missed the 28th Battalion's first action at Pozieres but joined them in time for the second attack on 4th August 1916 when Theo's unit helped capture the vital windmill position.

Theo survived this action and subsequent fighting at Mouquet Farm. In September 1916 the 28th Battalion went to Belgium for several weeks but by late October 1916 had returned to the Somme battlefield.

On the 5th November 1916 the 28th Battalion were tasked with an attack on Germans positions. The conditions were horrible with the muddy shell hole strewn ground almost impassable, but the attack went ahead.

Theo was badly wounded with a gunshot wound to the chest. He was evacuated to hospital at Rouen France and then to England where he was admitted to the 3rd London General Hospital. The gun shot had also struck his lung so it appeared that it would take some time to recover.

He spent several months in hospital and in June 1917, while he wasn't going to return to the front, Theo applied to work with the AIF Depots in England. He did this for a few months but on the 31st October 1917 he boarded a transport ship Berrima which brought him home to Fremantle. Theo was discharged from the AIF on the 21st January 1918.

After the war Theo became very active, with the Fremantle branch of the RSL as well as the Fremantle Tramways Board and the Fremantle Council.

In 1931 he had to have an operation to save his sight but one eye had to be removed.

Theo Brennan died in 1962 at the age of 76.