Cambridge, Thomas Lusher
16752 Sapper Thomas Lusher Cambridge - 4th Division Signal Company
Thomas Lusher Cambridge was born in Patearoa New Zealand on the 15th March 1880 to Owen and Catherine Cambridge. His mother Catherine died on the 11th November 1881 and his father died on the 18th March 1893. He was then brought up by relatives.
He moved to WA in the 1900's where he found work as an Insurance Agent in Fremantle
He married Priscilla Colburn in 1915 in Subiaco WA and they lived at 147 Glyde street East Fremantle. (now renumbered 83 Glyde)
On the 28th April 1916 Thomas enlisted into the Australian Imperial Force in Fremantle. He was accepted as fit for service with the medical examiner recording his physical attributes as;
Height - 5 feet 5 inches;
Weight - 132lbs;
Chest Measurement - 34-38 inches;
Complexion - Fresh;
Eyes - Blue Grey;
Hair - Grey.
Upon his successful enlistment Thomas was sent to Blackboy Hill Camp where he was assigned to No.70 Training Depot. On the 10th June 1916 he was assigned to the Australian Army Service Corps where he spent the next two months. He was then transferred to the Signal School and after successfully completing the course he was assigned to the 9th Reinforcements to the 4th Division Signal Company.
On the 12th December 1916 Thomas and his reinforcement group entrained for Fremantle Harbour where they boarded the transport ship Orsova. The ship then set sail for England, reaching Plymouth on the 17th February 1917.
After being disembarked the men were sent to the signalling camp at Perham Downs. Thomas was then sent to the Engineers Training depot at Shefford and he remained there till September 1917.
On the 26th September 1917 he proceeded to France and was sent to the Royal Engineers Depot at Abbeville. He spent a month here then on the 27th October 1917 he was evacuated to hospital with scabies. He was in hospital and rest camps for the next two months as he had also developed bronchitis.
On the 17th January 1918 Thomas was returned to England and sent to Colchester Military Hospital. He was there for three weeks and was then transferred to the 3rd Australian Auxiliary Hospital at Dartford. His health was assessed and he was also found to have an irregular heart, so the medical authorities decided to return Thomas to Australia.
On the 28th February 1918 Thomas was transferred to No.2 Command Depot Camp at Weymouth. He would be based here until he was assigned a berth on a troopship home.
On the 17th June 1918 Thomas boarded a transport ship and set sail for Australia, reaching Fremantle on the 8th August 1918. Thomas was discharged from the AIF on the 4th September 1918.
He joined up with his wife and they then moved to Victoria Park.
On the 2nd December 1918, his health now improved, Thomas signed up for home service though he was discharged the following year.
A son Keith was born in 1920 and the family then moved to 190 Lake Street East Perth before moving to 77 Gloster St Subiaco in 1925. During the early 1920's he was still working as an insurance agent.
He then tried his hand at farming and in 1926 moved to Kelleberrin. The farming only lasted for a few years and by 1931 the family was living at 13 Francis St North Perth and Thomas was now working as an estate agent. In 1939 they moved to Cambridge street Wembley.
There were in Wembley for a few years and then when he retired they moved to Kalamunda in 1958.
Thomas died on the 20th December 1959 at Kalamunda aged 79. He was cremated at Karrakatta Cemetery.
(Photo courtesy of family ancestry site)