Daulby, Thomas

4100 Private Thomas Daulby - 28th Battalion AIF

Thomas Daulby was born in Fremantle WA to William and Annie Daulby in 1893. He was one of ten children born into the family with, Margaret (1886), William (1887), Alfred (1889), Annie (1890), Mildred (1895), Retha (1896), Ernest (1897), Edith (1899), Dorothy (1901) and Francis (1903). 

Thomas was educated in Fremantle at North Fremantle Primary School and after leaving school took up work as a labourer.

Tom was also a gifted footballer, playing or the 1912 North Fremantle Premiership team in the WAFA.

Sadly in 1913, Thomas's father William died in North Fremantle aged 48. He had been found hanging in a stable in North Fremantle. William Daulby had been a butcher in the firm Daulby and Moog in South Terrace Fremantle.

Thomas continued to live with his mother and siblings in Davies Road North Fremantle.

On the 28th December 1915 Thomas enlisted into the Australian Imperial Force. He was found to be fit for service with the medical examiner recording his physical attributes as;

Height - 5 fee 4 inches tall;

Weight - 127lbs;

Chest Measurement - 34-36 inches;

Complexion - Fresh;

Eyes - Hazel;

Hair - Dark Brown.

Upon his successful enlistment Tom was sent to Blackboy Hill Camp were he was assigned to No.41 Training Depot. He was taken through the basics of infantry work at this training unit.

He remained there for a month as on the 1st February 1916 Tom was assigned to the 10th Reinforcements to the 28th Battalion. He trained with this group in WA for the next two months but on the 1st April 1916, Tom and his reinforcement group boarded the transport ship HMAT Ulysses in Fremantle Harbour and set sail for Egypt.

On arrival in Alexandria Egypt four weeks later Tom was sent to the 17th General Hospital where he was diagnosed with venereal disease. He stayed there till the 2nd May 1916 and was then transferred to the 1st Australian Dermatological Hospital. He would stay here for several more weeks and so was delayed in heading for France. Tom was transferred to the reinforcements camp and then sailed for England in June 1916. On arrival in England he was transferred into the 7th Training Battalion at Rollestone Camp.

On the 25th July 1916 Tom finally arrived in France and was sent to the 2nd Australian Division Base Depot at Etaples. He remained here for several days and was eventually taken on strength of the 28th Battalion on the 8th August 1916.

Tom had missed the 28th Battalions first two attacks at Pozieres ridge on July 29th and August 4th, but he did see action at Mouquet Farm later in August 1916.

In September 1916 the 28th Battalion was sent to Ypres in Belgium which was then a quieter part of the front line. On the 9th October 1916 Tom was sent to hospital ill and was diagnosed with ear trouble, otitis media. He was sent to the 26th General Hospital in Etaples but on the 30th October 1916 was transferred to England.

He was then sent to the 1st Australian Auxiliary Hospital at Harefield and remained there for the next few months. On the 24th January 1917 he was granted a two week furlough and then on the 2nd February 1917 reported into No.2 Command Depot Camp at Weymouth.

Tom was admitted to No.1 Australian Dermatological Hospital in February with venereal disease and was there for the next two months. On the 8th May 1917 he was transferred back to No.2 Command Depot Camp in Weymouth.

Tom's fitness was now at a low standard and the medical authorities made the decision to return him to Australia. On the 23rd May 1917 Tom boarded the transport ship Ayrshire and set sail for home, disembarking in Fremantle on the 9th July 1917.

Tom was discharged from the AIF on the 25th October 1917.

Tom returned to live in North Fremantle for a short time but then went to the Goldfields. In the 1930's he was at Wiluna working as a prospector. By 1943 he had returned and was living at 1 Davies Road North Fremantle. In the early 1950's he was at Carnarvon working as a labourer before moving to Port Headland in 1958.

Thomas Daulby died in Perth in 1963 aged 69. He was cremated at Karrakatta Cemetery on the 6th July 1963.