Fry, Thomas Worth

9476 Gunner Thomas Worth Fry - 6th Field Artillery Brigade

Thomas was born in 1877 in Perth WA to George and Elizabeth Fry, one of eight siblings born into the family. He was educated in Perth and after leaving school he took up work as a boatman and mariner.

The Fry family lived mainly in Fremantle and Shark Bay regions prior to the Great War. Thomas was working for the Fremantle Harbour Trust as a boatman and was living at 127 Mandurah Road South Fremantle.

On the 11th September 1915 Thomas enlisted into the Australian Imperial Force. He was passed as fit for enlistment, with the medical examiner recording Tom's physical attributes as;

Height - 5 feet 7 & 1/2 inches tall;

Weight - 124lbs;

Chest Measurement - 37-40 inches;

Complexion - Fresh;

Eyes - Grey;

Hair - Light Brown;

Distinctive Marks - Faint tattoo on right forearm and heart on left forearm.

After his successful enlistment Tom was sent to Blackboy Hill Camp where he was assigned to No.29 Training Depot. As Tom had previous military service with the Artillery of the Citizens Military Forces, he was assigned to the Field Artillery reinforcement camp.

The Field Artillery were training in Victoria so Tom was sent to Melbourne to continue his training. He was assigned to Essendon Camp and was allotted to the 6th Field Artillery Brigade. Tom trained with this new unit in Victoria for the next few months.

On the 22nd November 1915 Tom and his unit embarked from Port Melbourne aboard the transport ship HMAT Persic. The ship then set sail for Egypt, arriving at Suez on the 21st December 1915.

After their arrival in Egypt the unit began more training and Tom was assigned to the Brigade Ammunition Column. On the 10th March 1916 he was transferred to the 21st Battery of the 6th Field Artillery Brigade.

On the 17th March 1916, the 6th Field Artillery Brigade left Egypt aboard the transport ship Arcadian and set sail for France, arriving at Marseilles on the 23rd March 1916. The men were then disembarked and then entrained for the north of France, reaching the Armentieres sector. They would have their first experience of the Western Front in this sector.

On the 13th May 1916 Tom was transferred to the 22nd Field Artillery Brigade. He served with this unit for the next two months. On the 14th July 1916 it appears that he suffered an injury at his artillery battery as he was sent to hospital suffering from scalded feet. He was admitted to the New Zealand Stationary Hospital at Amiens.

After a week in Amiens he was transferred to the 18th General Hospital at Camiers. He spent over two weeks at Camiers and was then sent to the 2nd Australian Division Base Depot at Etaples on the 10th August 1916. Tom spent the next two months as the base depot camp as he was not yet fully fit to return to his unit.

On the 17th October 1916 he fell ill with bronchitis and was admitted to the 26th General Hospital at Etaples. He spent two weeks in hospital here and on the 1st November 1916 was shipped to England. He was then admitted to Ontario Military Hospital at Orpington.

Tom had a severe case of bronchitis as he was in this hospital from 2nd November 1916 to the 9th January 1917. He was then given a two week furlough.

On reporting back after this leave was over he went to the 1st Australian Auxiliary Hospital at Harefield with eye trouble. He appears to have remained here until the 22nd March 1917 and he was then given a two week furlough, after which he would report into No.2 Command Depot Camp at Weymouth.

Tom had been medically assessed and it had been recommended that due to cardiac issues, he be returned to Australia. On the 4th May 1917 he boarded the transport ship HMAT Themistocles and set sail for home, reaching Fremantle on the 25th June 1917.

Tom was discharged from the AIF on the 13th July 1917.

He then returned home to 127 Mandurah Road South Fremantle and began working as a brewery employee in Fremantle. In 1925 he moved to 22 South Street (later renumbered to 16 South St)

In the 1930's Tom moved to 22 Fifth avenue and was working at His Majesty's Hotel in Fremantle.

Sadly, Tom died on the 10th May 1939 aged 62 in Fremantle. He was buried at Fremantle Cemetery plot Congregational MON DD 0026.