Driver Thomas Benjamin Hitchens
Service #: 21229
Summary
FAMILY LIFE
Thomas Benjamin Hitchens was born in 1886 in Maclean, 1893, son of William Henry Hitchens and Rose Mary (Nipperess) Hitchens. Frederick was one of 11 children and two of his brothers, Percy & Frederick also enlisted. Both his parents and one brother are buried in Murwillumbah Cemetery
ATTESTATION
Thomas travelled to Lismore from his home in Murwillumbah on the 22nd September 1915 to complete his application. He answered several questions on the document, and we find out he was a single man and gave his occupation as cane cutter. His next of kin was his father, William, of Murwillumbah. He then signed a declaration confirming he had answered the questions correctly and was willing to voluntarily agree to service in the Military Forces of the Commonwealth of Australia
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CERTIFICATE OF ATTESTING OFFICER
On the second page of the attestation documents the attesting confirms the following; “The foregoing questions were read to the person enlisted in my presence. I have taken care that he understood each question, and his answer to each question has been duly entered as replied to by him”
OATH
He also made the following oath in the presence of the Attesting Officer: “I, Thomas Benjamin Hitchens, swear that I will well and truly serve our Sovereign Lord the King in the Australian Imperial Force until the end of the War, and a further four months thereafter unless sooner lawfully discharged, dismissed or removed therefrom: and that I will resist His Majesty’s enemies and case His Majesty’s peace to be kept and maintained; and I will in all matters appertaining to my services faithfully discharge my duty according to law
SO, HELP ME, GOD.”
MEDICAL EXAMINATION
Thomas was 26 years 9 months old. He was 5ft 8 7/8 inches tall (1.74m) and weighed 11 stone 13 lbs (76kgs). He had a dark complexion, brown eyes & brown hair. Thomas was Roman Catholic
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CERTIFICATE OF MEDICAL EXAMINER
The medical examiner certifies I have examined the abovenamed person, and find that he does not present any of the following conditions, viz: -
Scrofula; phthisis; syphilis; impaired constitution; defective intelligence; defects of vision, voice, or hearing; hernia’ haemorrhoids; varicose veins, beyond a limited extent; marked varicocele with unusually pendent testicle; inveterate cutaneous disease’ chronic ulcers; traces of corporal punishment or evidence of having been marked with the letters D. or B.C; contracted or deformed chest; abnormal curvature of spine; or any other disease or physical defect calculated to unfit him for the duties of a soldier.
He can see the required distance with either eye; his heart and lungs are healthy; he has the free use of his joints and limbs; and he declares he is not subject to fits of any description. I consider him fit for active service
CERTIFICATE OF COMMANDING OFFICER
This is completed during the recruits training. Thomas was in Enoggera training camp when this was completed on 12th April 1916. The commanding officer certifies that this attestation of the abovenamed person is correct, and that the required forms have been complied with. He then states “I accordingly approve, and appoint him as a private in the 36th Battery 9th Field Artillery with service number 21229
TRAINING AT RIFLE RANGE CAMP, ENOGGERA
As was the case with men from the Northern Rivers district in New South Wales, they trained at Rifle Range Camp, Enoggera near Brisbane. The Barracks Block was built as accommodation for men in two dormitories, each 36 feet by 22 feet (10.97 x 6.7 metres). Beds or bunks were not provided, instead each man slept on a palliasse with ground sheet on the floor. For many it was their first time away from home. Men from every walk of life, from clerks and teachers to factory and shop workers, were crammed together
Now training for the new recruits began. Firstly, the recruits had to be inducted into military forms of discipline, command, and order. This was partially achieved through a program of basic training carried and, in a sense, was maintained for a long as a man was in the service. It involved marching and drilling with the rifle, cleaning and caring for personal equipment and being supervised and inspected in ways quite different to ordinary civilian life. For example, no boots should be allowed to get in a bad state of wear but must be sent to the bootmaker without delay for repair. Men who were found with hair long and unshaven had to have a haircut and shave
Secondly, after basic training there followed the far more serious exercise of turning a man into a fighting soldier at least partially prepared for the kind of warfare he was about to experience overseas. The topics and exercises in the syllabus of training were a world away from their former lives and included daily physical training, entrenching, wiring, firing rifle grenades, firing the Lewis light machine gun, dealing with gas attack, using hand grenades, using the bayonet, and the routines to be followed in the trenches.
This training was then put into practice during what were called ‘Field Days,’ when men would practice using the skills they had acquired in mock attacks both by day and by night. How well men had learnt to use their weapons, in cooperation with each other in training, would be tested in the harsh reality of the front line. Training could take several months
INNOCULATIONS
All recruits were given a range of inoculations while in camp. The most important jab was to protect against smallpox and typhoid – indeed, having this was an essential precondition of enlisting.
THE UNIFORM
The recruits were issued with their uniform- service dress jacket was made of Australian wool and its loose fit gave the wearer more allowance for movement. The four large pockets were very useful. A unique feature designed for comfort was the pleated back, which provided a double thickness of cloth down the back that the pack rubbed against. Breeches were corduroy worn with wool wrap puttees. The famous khaki felt slouch hat or early service cap is probably the most distinctive part of the uniform. turned up on the left and featuring a plain khaki band, chinstrap and “rising sun” badge.
SOLDIER’S KIT
Australia's World War I soldiers went to war weighed down by almost 30 kilograms of clothes, weapons, tools and kit.
· Breeches: made from khaki woollen cord fabric, with side pockets and button flies. Soldiers were issued with two pairs of breeches, plus a pair of dungarees. The breeches ended above the ankles and the gap was filled with puttees.
· Braces: worn with breeches.
· Puttees: The men wound these strips of woollen cloth, almost three metres long, upwards from the ankle to just below the knee. Soldiers disliked the puttees, probably with good reason: the tight binding restricted circulation and might even have contributed to the high incidence of trench foot. Mounted troops wore leather leggings.
· Shirt: Soldiers were given two grey, collarless, flannel shirt, plus a military shirt.
· Ankle boots: brown and lace-up.
· Socks: Made from wool or cotton. Soldiers were issued with three pairs.
· Greatcoat: the khaki woollen coat (which weighed about 3kg) often doubled as a soldier's bedding and was his chief protection against the cold and wet. The coat came into its own when snow hit Gallipoli in November 1915 and also on the Western Front.
· Jersey
· Singlets: Soldiers were issued with 2 woollen singlets.
· Cotton "drawers" (underpants): Soldiers were issued with two pairs.
· Abdominal belts: a sort of cummerbund that was issued to keep soldiers warm and supposedly ward off disease.
· Backpacks and webbing: The main backpack was a rectangular sack measuring about 15 inches x 13 inches, closed at the top by a folding cover secured by two straps. The webbing included a web belt, cartridge pouches, small haversack, bayonet frog, an entrenching tool holder (plus another holder for its handle), and a water-bottle holder.
· Identity disc: Soldiers were initially issued with one medal "dog tag" on a cord, but later in the war they were given two tags, made of compressed fibre.
· Soldiers were also issued with a "housewife" - a sewing kit containing such items as needles, thimble, thread, wool and button so they could carry out running repairs.
· Also in their kit were a short-magazine Lee-Enfield (SMLE) rifle, a rifle sling, a bayonet and scabbard, and an "entrenching tool" (they were "diggers" after all). This came in two parts, with the helve (handle) separate from the spade part.
· Soldiers were issued with eating equipment (knife, fork, spoon, an enamel mug, water bottle (with two-point capacity), and a mess tin with carrier.
· They also had a clasp knife (with marlin spike, tin-opener and lanyard), razor, shaving kit, soap, comb, two towels, field dressing (carried in the tunic's inside pocket), and a hold-all, in which they could pack their private possessions.
· No item was probably looked after more carefully than their service pay book: privates were paid five shillings a day.
VOYAGE OVERSEAS FROM SYDNEY TO ENGLAND MAY 19116
On the 9th May 1916 his unit caught the troop train from Brisbane to Sydney and on the 11th May they embarked on the HMAT Argyllshire (A8). The entire 9th Field Artillery Brigade, including the 33rd, 34th, 35th and 36th Batteries, sailed on that transport.
Alongside his comrades, Thomas marched aboard, his boots ringing on the gangway. As the ship’s lines were cast off and the quay began to slip away, the reality of war lay ahead, but for now, the sea breeze carried only the sound of voices and the excitement of men bound for adventure, duty, and the unknown.
The epic voyage across the ocean has been described as “the longest journey to war in the history of the world.” They thought it was the start of a new adventure- for many it was their first time so far away from home. However, after some time at sea the biggest problem turned out to be boredom. On the voyage, due to overcrowding, training was limited to mainly to lectures and a little physical training.
SLEEPING & LIVING ARRANGEMENTS
Recruits likely slept in a crowded troop deck below, where rows of hammocks or three-tier wooden bunks were crammed close together.
Air below decks could be stuffy, especially in warmer climates, and seasickness was common during the first few days.
DAILY ROUTINE
Reveille early each morning, followed by physical exercises on the open decks (weather permitting). There were parades and inspections—officers ensured uniforms, rifles, and kit were clean and in order. Training was a little problematic—drill without much space, rifle maintenance, lectures on military discipline, signalling, and trench warfare theory. The ship’s decks were used for marching in tight circles or practising bayonet thrusts into stuffed sacks. Rifle shooting was impossible at sea, so soldiers learned to strip and clean their weapons until it was second nature.
MEALS
Three hearty meals a day were served; breakfast usually consisted of porridge, stew, and tea. Lunch included soup, meat, vegetables, and pudding. Meat, bread with jam and tea was served for dinner. The meals were served in shifts from the ship’s galley. Queues were long, and eating on a rolling ship meant many tried to eat quickly before nausea set in.
HEALTH & SANITATION
Shipboard hygiene was critical—every man was ordered to scrub his section daily to prevent disease. Saltwater baths were the norm, with freshwater rationed for drinking.
THE VOYAGE EXPERIENCE
Entertainment included church drill, concerts, singalongs, card games, and makeshift cricket matches on deck when the weather allowed. In an attempt to keep up morale, an area of the ship was roped off where regular boxing and wrestling tournaments were held. This became commonly known as the Stoush Stadium. No letters could be sent until they reached port, but men often wrote diaries or unsent letters to be posted later.
The troops engaged in lifebelt drill; a cookhouse on deck; soldiers on fatigues peeling potatoes 'spud bashing'; going to the dentist; barber, pay day; soldiers cleaning personal equipment; medical inspection
CROSSING THE EQUATOR CEREMONY
The crossing the Equator ceremony, ‘Neptune’s Journey,’ was played-out on each troopship.
SIGHTS AT SEA
On the way to Egypt, where the ship would refuel & take on supplies, the ship would pass through the Great Australian Bight, cross the Indian Ocean, and stop at Colombo (Ceylon now Sri Lanka) for coal and supplies.
SECURITY
By late 1914, German raiders were active, so lifeboat drills were frequent, and lookouts kept watch for suspicious ships. Troopships generally sailed in convoys or at least took zig-zag courses to make torpedo attacks harder. Ships often travelled under blackout conditions at night, with lookouts specifically watching for periscopes or torpedo wakes. The danger was greatest in the Western Approaches near Britain, where U-boats patrolled choke points like the English Channel and Irish Sea.
EGYPT
After several weeks at sea, the men finally saw the dusty shoreline of Port Said or Alexandria. They could only wonder at the sights and sounds they could see as they watched the ship being refuelled and goods taken on board
ENGLAND
About a fortnight later the men finally saw the green shoreline of England. The reality of leaving home truly sank in. The recruits would soon exchange the ship’s cramped decks for the training grounds of England, preparing for what lay ahead.
FARGO ENGLISH TRAINING CAMP
They landed at Plymouth on the 10th July 1916. When the recruits arrived in England, they entered a period of intensive preparation that was both physically demanding and strategically vital. During an interim period, soldiers typically:
· Recovered from the voyage: After long sea travel from Australia, troops needed time to rest and regain strength.
· Underwent medical inspections: To check for illnesses, infections, or conditions like venereal disease that might delay their training.
· Received equipment and uniforms: This included British-issued gear better suited to the Western Front.
· Were assigned to training battalions: Administrative processing sorted soldiers into reinforcement drafts for specific front-line battalions.
· Drilled lightly: They performed light drills, parades, and familiarisation routines while waiting for formal training slots to open.
Then formal training began. Life in camp was austere and relentless. The recruits lived in wooden huts that offered little protection from the English weather, and the damp cold of the Plain came as a shock to men who had trained in Australia and/or Egypt. Days began early, often before dawn, with physical training designed to build endurance and toughness. Long route marches across the open downs were a regular feature, men carrying full packs, rifles, ammunition, and equipment as they were conditioned for the demands of trench warfare.
Training was systematic and increasingly realistic. The men would have spent many hours on the parade ground mastering drill, weapon handling, and unit manoeuvres, but the focus soon shifted to battlefield skills. The battalion practised trench warfare techniques, including entering and clearing enemy trenches, bombing drills with Mills grenades, bayonet fighting, and the rapid consolidation of captured positions.
Musketry training was constant. The men would have fired thousands of rounds on the rifle ranges, honing accuracy, and speed, learning to fire from awkward positions and under time pressure. Lewis gun teams trained separately, while all infantrymen were taught how to operate the weapon if needed. Gas warfare instruction was also compulsory; men practised donning respirators under simulated gas attacks, a grim but necessary preparation for conditions at the front.
Between training cycles, the battalion undertook further instruction at nearby camps on Salisbury Plain, including periods at Perham Down, another major training area used to relieve overcrowding and provide additional field space. Here the emphasis was on large-scale exercises involving entire brigades, practising attacks behind creeping artillery barrages, night operations, and movement under cover. These exercises often lasted days, with men sleeping in the open, reinforcing the endurance and discipline required for front-line service.
Despite the hard routine, there were moments of respite. When training schedules allowed, the men may have been granted short leave to nearby towns such as Salisbury or even London, where Australian soldiers briefly escaped the rigours of camp life. These interludes, however, were short-lived, and the training intensified as the battalion’s departure for France drew closer.
After many months of continuous preparation in England, the men were judged ready for active service. The recruits had been transformed from a newly arrived reinforcement into a fully trained infantryman, accustomed to discipline, hardship, and the mechanics of modern war. When the battalion finally crossed to France, it did so as a cohesive and well-drilled unit, prepared—so far as training could allow—for the brutal realities of the Western Front.
APPOINTED DRIVER SEPTEMBER 1916
While in the camp Thomas was appointed as a driver in his battalion on the 9th September 1916. A driver in WWI was a specialized role responsible for operating horse-drawn transport or motor vehicles. They were the lifeline of the military, braving constant artillery and machine-gun fire to deliver vital supplies, haul heavy artillery, and evacuate the wounded from the front lines
TRANSFERRED T0 AND TAKEN ON STRENTH 23RD FIELD ARTILLERY BRIGADE SEPTEMBER 1916
On 10th September he was transferred to the 23rd Field Artillery Brigade and taken on strength with them. This means a soldier was officially assigned to and accounted for in a specific military unit's nominal roll. It meant they were integrated into the unit for daily operations, including food, discipline, equipment, and frontline duties
ADMITTED TO HOSPITAL EPILEPSY DECEMBER 1916
On 11 December 1916 Thomas was admitted to the military hospital at Fargo suffering from epilepsy. The term could cover a range of conditions. Sometimes men with a genuine history of epileptic seizures were diagnosed after an attack, while in other cases doctors used the term for unexplained convulsions, fainting episodes, blackouts, or seizures brought on by illness, exhaustion, stress, or fever. Military doctors took such symptoms very seriously because an artilleryman worked around horses, guns, ammunition and complex machinery where a sudden loss of consciousness could endanger both himself and those around him.
Fargo Hospital was a substantial military medical facility serving the camps on Salisbury Plain. On admission Thomas would have been placed under observation, his medical history reviewed, and his condition monitored to determine whether he was fit for continued military service. Treatment options for epilepsy were limited at the time, consisting mainly of rest, supervision, dietary management and sedative medications such as bromides, which were commonly prescribed to reduce the likelihood of seizures.
DISCHARGED DECEMBER 1916
After a week of observation and treatment, Thomas was discharged from hospital on 18 December 1916. His relatively short stay suggests that his symptoms had settled sufficiently for doctors to return him to duty, at least temporarily. He then resumed training with the artillery camps on Salisbury Plain, continuing his preparation for eventual service on the Western Front.
FRANCE DECEMBER 1916 TRENCH WARFARE
On the 31st December the recruits boarded the ship at Southampton and sailed to France. The soldiers now found themselves fighting the Germans in trench warfare. On the Western Front in 1914–1918, both sides constructed elaborate trench, underground, and dugout systems opposing each other along a front, protected from assault by barbed wire. The area between opposing trench lines (known as "no man's land") was fully exposed to artillery fire from both sides. Attacks, even if successful, often sustained severe casualties. Trench warfare created a living environment for the men which was harsh, stagnant, and extremely dangerous. Not only were trenches constantly under threat of attack from shells or other weapons, but there were also many health risks that developed into large-scale problems for medical personnel. Apart from the inescapable cold during the winters in France & Belgium, trenches were often completely waterlogged and muddy, and crawling with lice and rats
The time soldiers spent in the trenches varied depending on factors like their army's rotation system and the intensity of the conflict in their sector. On average:
· Front-line trenches: Soldiers typically remained here for about 4–6 days at a time. This was where the fighting was most intense and the conditions were the harshest.
· Support and reserve trenches: After time on the front line, soldiers were rotated to these positions for around 6–12 days. These trenches were set further back and offered slightly better conditions.
· Rest periods: Soldiers were then moved away from the trench system entirely for rest, training, and recovery, often lasting several weeks, depending on operational needs.
The rotation system helped prevent complete physical and mental exhaustion, but the constant dangers of trench life meant there was rarely any true respite.
When Thomas crossed from England to France on 31 December 1916, he ceased to be simply a member of the reinforcement stream and entered the administrative system of the Australian artillery in the field. The Australian artillery was expanding rapidly and casualties from the Somme fighting of 1916 had to be replaced. Reinforcements therefore passed through a series of depots and holding units before finally reaching the brigade that needed them.
TRANSFER TO 3RD AUSTRALIAN DIVISIONAL ARTILLERY DEPOT
JANUARY 1917
On 6 January 1917 Thomas was transferred to the 3rd Australian Divisional Artillery Depot (3rd ADA Depot). This was essentially a receiving and training organisation rather than a fighting unit. Here newly arrived gunners were clothed, equipped, checked medically and given instruction in the latest battlefield methods being used on the Western Front. The artillery war was changing quickly, and men arriving from England often needed additional training before being sent to a battery.
POSTED TO 12TH ARMY FIELD ARTILLERY BRIGADE FEBRUARY 1917
A month later, on 4 February, he was posted to the 12th Army Field Artillery Brigade, pending absorption into the 11th Field Artillery Brigade. This did not necessarily mean he served operationally with the 12th Brigade for long. More likely, the 12th Brigade had vacancies and accommodation for reinforcement personnel while final decisions were made about where replacements were needed. Artillery brigades frequently acted as temporary holding formations for drafts of men moving through the system.
Between February and March Thomas would have been learning the routines of artillery warfare at the front—handling ammunition, caring for horses, maintaining guns, laying artillery pieces, and adapting to the realities of trench warfare. He may also have spent time observing batteries in action while awaiting a permanent posting.
TAKEN ON STRENGTH 11TH FIELD ARTILLERY BRIGADE MARCH 1917
Finally, on 17 March 1917, he was Taken on Strength (TOS) of the 11th Field Artillery Brigade, his permanent operational unit. This was the point at which he truly became part of a fighting formation. The previous transfers were largely administrative steps designed to move him through the reinforcement system and place him where the Australian artillery most needed trained gunners.
THE THIRD BATTLE OF YPRES KNOWN AS BATTLE OF PASSCHENDAELE, (JULY 31–NOVEMBER 6, 1917),
This battle that served as a vivid symbol of the mud, madness, and senseless slaughter of the Western Front. The third and longest battle to take place at the Belgian city of Ypres, Passchendaele was ostensibly an Allied victory, but it was achieved at enormous cost for a piece of ground that would be vacated the following year. Hundreds of thousands of soldiers on opposing sides attacked and counterattacked across sodden, porridgelike mud, in an open gray landscape almost empty of buildings or natural cover, all under the relentless harrowing rain of exploding shells, flying shrapnel, and machine-gun fire. Few gains were made.
The Third Battle of Ypres is remembered for its immense human cost and the resilience of those who fought in it
WOUNDED IN ACTION
Thomas was wounded during one of the most brutal phases of the Third Battle of Ypres (Passchendaele). On 6 October 1917 the Australian divisions and their supporting artillery were engaged in preparations for the forthcoming Battle of Broodseinde, which would be fought the next day. German artillery fire was intense throughout the Ypres Salient, and artillery positions were frequent targets for counter-battery shelling. As a gunner with the 11th Field Artillery Brigade, Thomas was likely serving close behind the front line, supporting infantry operations with barrages and defensive fire when he became a casualty.
MEDICAL CHAIN
On 7 October he was admitted to the 12th Australian Field Ambulance. Despite its name, a Field Ambulance was not a vehicle but a mobile medical unit located just behind the fighting. Here his wound would have been dressed, bleeding controlled, and his condition assessed before evacuation further down the medical chain.
Three days later, on 10 October, Thomas reached the 10th Casualty Clearing Station (CCS) in Belgium. Casualty Clearing Stations were effectively advanced hospitals positioned as close to the front as safety allowed. They contained operating theatres, X-ray equipment and specialist surgeons. Men with serious wounds often underwent surgery here before being sent further to the rear.
On 11 October he was transferred to the 7th Canadian General Hospital at Étaples on the French coast. Étaples was one of the largest medical centres in the British Expeditionary Force, a vast complex of hospitals, camps and medical facilities. Thousands of wounded men passed through it every month. At the Canadian hospital Thomas would have received more extensive treatment, nursing care and a period of recuperation away from the guns and mud of Flanders.
By 18 October his condition had improved sufficiently for him to be discharged from hospital and sent to the 6th Convalescent Depot at Étaples. These depots acted as recovery centres where soldiers regained strength through rest, exercise and light duties before being declared fit for military service.
On 21 October he was moved to the 14th Convalescent Depot, at Trouville on the Normandy coast. This transfer suggests that while he was recovering well, he was not yet ready to return to front-line artillery service. Life in the convalescent depots was far more relaxed than at the front, with physical training, route marches and medical inspections designed to restore soldiers to full fitness.
On 22 November he was transferred to the Base Depot, indicating that medical authorities now considered him fit for duty. The following day he joined the Australian General Base Depot (AGBD) at Le Havre, the main Australian reinforcement and holding depot in France. Here recovered soldiers waited for transport and orders assigning them back to their units. The depot handled thousands of men and served as the administrative gateway between the rear areas and the front.
Thomas then spent the winter of 1917–18 at the depot system. This period often involved refresher training, equipment issue, administrative processing and waiting for a vacancy in his original unit. The winter of 1917–18 was particularly severe, and movement to the front was carefully managed to ensure that returning men were fully fit.
REJOINED UNIT FEBRUARY 1918
Finally, on 19 February 1918, after more than four months away from the guns, Thomas rejoined the 11th Field Artillery Brigade. He returned at a critical time. Within weeks the German Army would launch its great Spring Offensive, and every experienced artilleryman was urgently needed. Having recovered from his wound and successfully passed through the entire evacuation, hospital and convalescent system, Thomas resumed his place with the brigade as it prepared for one of the decisive years of the war.
When Thomas rejoined the 11th Field Artillery Brigade on 19 February 1918, he returned to a very different war from the one he had left in October. The brigade was then holding positions in the relatively quiet sectors of northern France and Belgium, rebuilding after the Passchendaele fighting and preparing for the campaigning season of 1918.
FEBRUARY AND MARCH 1917
During February and March, the artillery's work was relentless despite the absence of major battles. The gunners fired harassing shoots against German trenches, supported trench raids, registered targets, repaired gun positions damaged by winter weather, and moved vast quantities of ammunition. The brigade was also training intensively in new artillery techniques, including predicted fire and coordinated barrages, lessons learned from the hard fighting of 1917. Thomas would have been reacquainting himself with his gun crew, horses, equipment and routines after four months away recovering from his wound.
THE GREAT SPRING OFFENSIVE (OPERATION MICHAEL)
MARCH TO JULY 1918
In March 1918, the new Bolshevik government of Soviet Russia ended its role in the First World War by signing the Brest-Litovsk Treaty with the Central Powers.
This had a significant impact on the war in Western Europe, giving rise to the German Spring Offensive, also known as the ‘Kaiserschlacht’ (the Kaiser’s battle).
The Russians had been beaten by the Germans in a number of battles early in the war, but they had also inflicted substantial defeats on the Ottomans, Germans troops and Austrian-Hungarian forces.
With the signing of the treaty, however, the Germans ‘freed up’ their forces on the Eastern Front, reinforced their army on the Western Front, and raised it to 206 Divisions.
In response, the Allies raised 172 Divisions on the Western Front, including a growing number of Americans, which provided sufficient impetus for the Germans to mount their Spring Offensive.
Erich Ludendorff, the commander of the German Army on the Western Front, believed if Germany did not act, the Allies would achieve ascendancy.
The Germans were aware the balance of power was shifting and, while they held a superiority in numbers, this would soon change if they did not strike a decisive blow.
The German offensive was spearheaded by Operation Michael and supported by operations Georgette, Gneisenau and Blücher-Yorck, supported by smaller operations to deal with battlefield contingencies.
Operation Michael began with a devastating barrage of nearly 10,000 artillery pieces and mortars. The attacks were spearheaded by path-finding ‘Stormtroopers’, followed by immense numbers of infantry.
The German attack worried Australia’s diggers as much as those in high command, with soldiers bitter about the German successes.
Barwick though was aware this was the German’s ‘last throw of the dice’ and he was supremely confident the Australians would check the German advance.
Operation Michael seemed a success in terms of captured territory, prisoners and equipment, but it did not deliver an over-arching strategic blow to the Allies.
It did not destroy the British Army nor drive a wedge between the British and French forces.
Michael, along with the other German Spring Offensive operations, failed to achieve the desired aim of bringing the Allies to their knees.
After the Spring Offensive finished in July 1918, the initiative crossed to the Allies who — with the addition of American troops — brought Germany to its knees in a number of subsequent battles.
Germany surrendered less than six months after the last operation in its Spring Offensive
Everything changed on 21 March 1918 when the Germans launched their great Spring Offensive (Operation Michael). Although the 11th Field Artillery Brigade was not initially in the main assault sector, the entire British front was thrown into crisis. Australian artillery units were moved frequently, firing defensive barrages and supporting infantry rushed into threatened areas. Through late March and early April Thomas and his comrades would have experienced long hours at the guns, hurried movements, and constant uncertainty as the Allies attempted to halt the German advance.
WOUNDED IN BATTLE APRIL 1918- MEDICAL CHAIN
It was during this period of intense fighting that Thomas was wounded for a second time on 20 April 1918. The exact nature of the wound is not recorded, but the fact that he moved quickly through the medical system suggests it was comparatively light. He was first treated by the 129th Field Ambulance, where immediate first aid would have been administered near the front line.
The following day, 21 April, he was admitted to the 29th Casualty Clearing Station. Here medical officers would have examined his injuries and determined whether surgery or further hospital treatment was required. Casualty Clearing Stations were equipped to deal with everything from minor wounds to major operations.
On 22 April Thomas was transferred to the 8th General Hospital at Rouen. Rouen was one of the principal medical centres of the British Expeditionary Force, containing numerous hospitals capable of treating thousands of wounded soldiers. His stay there lasted only a few days, indicating that doctors expected a relatively rapid recovery.
By 25 April he had been discharged to the 2nd Convalescent Depot at Rouen, where wounded men regained strength through rest and light duties. Five days later he was moved to the 1st Australian Convalescent Depot at Le Havre, suggesting his recovery was progressing well and he was being returned into the Australian administrative system.
On 11 May Thomas entered the Australian General Base Depot at Le Havre. This was the final stage before returning to his unit. Here he underwent medical inspections, administrative processing and refresher training while awaiting transport to the front.
The entire process was remarkably quick compared with his first wound. REJOINED UNIT MAY 1918
Barely a month after being hit, Thomas was considered fit for active service once more. On 23 May 1918 he rejoined the 11th Field Artillery Brigade in France, returning to his gun position as the Allies prepared for the great battles that would ultimately turn the tide of the war.
When he returned to his battery in late May, the German Spring Offensive was still threatening the Allied armies. Although the main German attacks had begun to lose momentum, the situation remained uncertain and artillery units were under constant pressure. Thomas would have resumed his duties as a gunner almost immediately. Life revolved around maintaining the guns, moving ammunition, caring for horses, preparing firing data, and standing ready to support infantry whenever required.
JUNE AND JULY 1917
During June and July, the Australian Corps was heavily involved in a series of local attacks designed to improve Allied positions around Villers-Bretonneux and Hamel. Artillery played a vital role in these operations. Thomas and his comrades spent long hours firing registration shoots, counter-battery missions against German guns, and protective barrages. Between engagements they repaired gun pits, improved camouflage, dug shelters and endured the constant threat of enemy shellfire.
THE BATTLE OF HAMEL 4TH JULY 1918
The Battle of Hamel during World War One was a major milestone in Australian military history and cemented the reputation of commander General John Monash.
At precisely 3.10am, the guns thundered into life and the soldiers rose, lit up cigarettes and followed the booming artillery barrage into battle, their objective a French village named Le Hamel.
As dawn loomed it was all over. The village had fallen, casualties were mercifully light (by World War One standards) and victory was complete.
In his detailed planning, Australian commander Lieutenant General John Monash calculated this would take 90 minutes. It actually took 93.
By mid-1918, the allies had much going in their favour. The massive German March offensive was running out of steam and the blockade of Germany was starting to bite. Supplies, even food, were running low.
American forces were arriving in big numbers and there were ample stocks of food and munitions.
In May, Monash was chosen to lead a united Australian Corps, comprising five divisions with around 120,000 troops. Previously Australian divisions were allocated to British corps according to need.
Monash promptly got on with planning for Hamel, his first battle for a united Australian Corps. For the Western Front, this wasn't a huge deal, just advancing two kilometres on a 6.5-kilometre frontage.
Monash planned meticulously, writing later that a modern battle was akin to an orchestral composition, with every unit entering at precisely the proper moment to play its part in the general harmony.
What Monash planned was a progenitor of a modern-day combined arms operation, featuring infantry, armour, artillery and aircraft, all working together.
The Australian Army recognises this heritage - Darwin-based 1st Brigade's major biennial warfighting exercise is called Hamel.
Monash saw the benefits of emerging technology.
The diggers had a low opinion of British tanks, which performed poorly the previous year at Bullecourt.
Monash believed they could be useful and the Australian Corps was assigned 60 of the latest Mark V models and before going into action, tanks and infantry practised together, the soldiers developing much needed confidence in the machines and their crews.
Hamel had another feature - Americans. Hamel was to be their first action, with the diggers mentoring these newcomers on the battlefield.
It was for precisely that reason that Monash picked July 4 - American Independence Day.
Initially about 1000 were to participate but US commander General John Pershing objected, insisting that most and then all be withdrawn.
Monash drew the line - either the Americans were in or he would cancel the attack.
They were in and at 3.10am, more than 600 guns deluged German positions with high explosives and poison gas. Infantry followed close behind the artillery barrage with the tanks close behind, ready to be called forward to crush wire or obliterate strong points.
With no preliminary bombardment to alert defenders, surprise was complete. In many places, German soldiers fought hard. Sergeants Thomas Axford and Henry Dalziel were awarded the Victoria Cross for heroism in attacking German positions.
But the result was never in doubt. German losses were substantial, around 2000 including 1600 prisoners captured, along with 200 machine guns and trench mortars. Compared with earlier battles, Australian casualties were light - about 1400 dead and wounded, while 45 of the accompanying Americans were killed.
The highlight of this period was the Battle of Hamel on 4 July 1918. Although a comparatively small battle, it was a remarkable success and became a model for later Allied offensives. Australian artillery units worked closely with infantry, tanks and aircraft in a carefully coordinated attack. If Thomas's battery was involved, he would have participated in the meticulously planned bombardments that helped secure victory within a matter of hours.
The weeks following Hamel were busy but hopeful. For the first time in many months, the initiative was clearly passing to the Allies. German attacks had failed, American troops were arriving in increasing numbers, and preparations were underway for a major offensive that commanders hoped would break the deadlock on the Western Front.
JULY AND EARLY AUGUST 1917
Throughout July and early August, Thomas and the 11th Field Artillery Brigade were heavily engaged in these preparations. Ammunition stocks were built up, guns were secretly moved into position, firing plans were rehearsed and every effort was made to conceal Allied intentions from the enemy. The work was exhausting and often carried out at night to avoid German observation.
AUGUST 1917
By the beginning of August, Thomas found himself preparing for what would become the Battle of Amiens, the opening blow of the Allied Hundred Days Offensive. On the morning of 8 August 1918, as the guns unleashed one of the most carefully coordinated barrages of the war, he was wounded for the third and final time.
So, the period between May and August was not a quiet one. Thomas returned from his second wound to find himself involved in the transition from desperate defence against the German offensives to the opening stages of the Allied advance that would ultimately end the war. It was a time of constant artillery work, increasing Allied confidence, and preparation for the great offensive in which he would suffer his final wound.
THE BATTLE OF AMIENS AUGUST 1918
On the night of 7 August 1918, Gunner J.R. Armitage lay in readiness for the attack the next day. In his diary, he wrote:
It was utterly still. Vehicles made no sound on the marshy ground ... The silence played on our nerves a bit. As we got our guns into position you could hear drivers whispering to their horses and men muttering curses under their breath, and still the silence persisted, broken only by the whine of a stray rifle bullet or a long range shell passing high overhead ... we could feel that hundreds of groups of men were doing the same thing - preparing for the heaviest barrage ever launched.
The Attack
At 4.20 am the next day:
all hell broke loose and we heard nothing more. The world was enveloped in sound and flame, and our ears just couldn't cope. The ground shook.
A mass of assembled Allied forces, including Australians, launched an offensive to push through the German front lines to victory. It was to involve the 1st French and 4th British armies, but was led by combined Australian and Canadian forces.
There was a mist, which helped the element of surprise, and through it moved the joint forces of a line of tanks and infantry. The crucial work of the heavy artillery held off fire from German guns, so that troops could get across the land.
Setting out from the positions of Villers-Bretonneux and Hamel, the Australian troops in two hours had accomplished all their objectives, and the Canadian troops that had begun the attack alongside them had advanced several kilometres. In just over 3 hours, the enemy's front line had been overrun.
In total, the Allied forces captured 29,144 prisoners, 338 guns, and liberated 116 towns and villages. Ludendorff called 8 August "the black day of the German army".
When Sapper Harold Grant heard of the advance he wrote:
Great news ... Australians caught Fritz napping.
Many German weapons were captured in the advance. However, the advance was achieved at a high cost, with 21,243 Allied casualties, one-quarter of who were killed.
WOUNDED IN ACTION THIRD TIME AUGUST 1918
Thomas's third and final wounding came during one of the most important days in Australian military history. On 8 August 1918, the opening day of the Battle of Amiens, the Allied armies launched a massive offensive that shattered German positions east of Amiens. The day became known to the Germans as the "Black Day of the German Army." Australian infantry and artillery played a crucial role, and the guns of the 11th Field Artillery Brigade fired enormous preparatory and supporting barrages throughout the attack.
As a gunner, Thomas would have been serving close behind the advancing infantry, maintaining an intense rate of fire to support the assault. German artillery batteries were under heavy pressure but continued to return fire, and it was during these operations that Thomas received a gunshot wound to the neck, his third wound of the war. Whether caused by a bullet or a fragment from shellfire recorded as a gunshot wound, a neck wound was potentially serious and would have required immediate medical attention
MEDICAL CHAIN
On the day he was wounded he was admitted to the 13th Field Ambulance, where the wound would have been dressed and stabilised. Given the location of the injury, medical officers would have been particularly concerned about damage to major blood vessels, nerves, or the airway.
The following day, 9 August, he was transferred to the 20th Casualty Clearing Station. Here surgeons could undertake more advanced treatment and carefully assess whether the wound required an operation. Because he was moved the same day to the 8th Stationary Hospital, it appears that while serious enough to require hospitalisation, the wound was not considered life-threatening.
Thomas remained under treatment until 25 August, when he was discharged to No. 1 Convalescent Depot at Boulogne. By this stage the wound was healing satisfactorily, although a neck injury could leave stiffness, pain and limited movement for some time after the initial trauma.
The next day he was transferred to No. 6 Convalescent Depot, probably at Écault near Boulogne, one of the large recovery centres used by the British Expeditionary Force. Here he entered the familiar routine of physical rehabilitation, medical inspections and gradual return to fitness. Men recovering at these depots were encouraged to exercise, undertake light duties and rebuild their strength before being returned to active service.
On 12 September he was declared sufficiently recovered to be discharged to the Base Depot system and entered the Australian General Base Depot at Le Havre. However, his recovery was evidently not quite complete. On 17 September he was admitted sick from the AGBD, although the nature of the complaint is not recorded. Such admissions were common and could have involved complications from his wound, infection, influenza, or simply a recurrence of symptoms noticed during medical examination.
After returning to duty he moved through the Australian depot system at Le Havre, passing between the Australian Convalescent Depot, the Australian General Base Depot and associated command depots as administrators determined where he would be employed.
TRANSFER TO EMPLOYMENT COMPANY OCTOBER 1918
The most telling entry appears on 9 October 1918, when Thomas was transferred to the 11th Australian Employment Company and taken on strength in the field. Employment Companies were generally composed of men who remained fit enough for useful military service but were no longer considered suitable for front-line combat duties. Their work included labouring, road construction, stores handling, salvage operations, camp maintenance and other essential tasks supporting the armies in France.
After being wounded three times—at Passchendaele in October 1917, during the German Spring Offensive in April 1918, and finally at Amiens in August 1918—it is not surprising that the Army decided not to return Thomas to the guns. Artillery service was physically demanding and often dangerous. By October 1918 he had given more than two years of active service in France and had survived some of the fiercest fighting of the war. The transfer to the Employment Company allowed him to continue contributing to the war effort while avoiding the extreme physical demands and risks of front-line artillery work.
WAR ENDED 11th NOVEMBER 1918
The armistice that ended the First World War on the Western Front was signed between Germany and the Allies on 11 November 1918.
DECEMBER 1918
By December 1918 the war was over, but Thomas's military service was not quite finished. After his transfer to the 11th Australian Employment Company in October, he spent the final weeks of the war and the immediate post-Armistice period performing the essential support work needed to keep the Australian forces functioning in France. Employment Companies were heavily involved in road repairs, handling stores, salvaging equipment, maintaining camps and assisting with the enormous administrative task of winding down a wartime army.
On 3 December 1918 Thomas was marched out to the Australian General Base Depot. This was usually the first step in the demobilisation process for men who were no longer required in their current units. Two days later, on 5 December, he was marched into a unit at Rouelles, near Le Havre. Rouelles was one of the principal Australian staging areas where men awaiting repatriation were gathered, medically examined and processed for return home.
On 6 December he was classified "B Class" for return to Australia and transferred to England. This classification generally indicated that, although fit enough for certain duties, his war service and repeated wounds made him unsuitable for further active campaigning. The Army was now preparing to send him home.
Thomas crossed the Channel and disembarked at Southampton on 7 December 1918 before proceeding to Hurdcott Camp on Salisbury Plain. Hurdcott was one of the major Australian demobilisation camps in England. Thousands of Australian soldiers passed through its huts and training grounds while awaiting transport home. For many men this period was both welcome and frustrating. The war was over, but shipping shortages meant that soldiers often waited weeks or months before a berth became avail
AWL CHRISTMAS DAY 1918
It was not unusual during this period for men awaiting repatriation to become impatient with military routine after the fighting had ended. At 9.00 Thomas went AWL until 1400 on the 27th December. He was awarded 7 days confined to barracks and forfeited 3 days’ pay.
CONFINED TO BARRACKS
Serving CC is highly restrictive and physically demanding
· Confinement to the Lines: The soldier cannot leave the base or their designated unit lines. They are completely restricted from taking local leave or going out on weekends.
· Loss of Privileges: Access to the boozer (base canteen/bar), phones, and general leisure activities is stripped away.
· Extra Duties and Fatigues: Infantry soldiers will be put to work doing heavy labour, base maintenance, cleaning, or administrative fatigue duties outside of normal working hours.
· Punishment Parades: The soldier must attend multiple "musters" or check-in parades throughout the day (sometimes as early as 0600 and as late as 2200) in full uniform to ensure they are remaining where they are supposed to be.
GOING HOME JANUARY 1919
Eventually Thomas received a place aboard the transport Demosthenes for the long voyage home. The journey would have taken him through seas now at peace, a very different experience from the tense wartime voyages of 1916. He arrived back in Australia on 6 March 1919, ending almost three years of overseas service.
CLOTHING AND NECESSITIES GIVEN TO SOLDIERS FOR SOLDIERS PROCEEDING TO AUSTRALIA FOR DEMOBILISATION
Badges Hat Badges Collar (2) Bags kit universal
Bags kit sea Braces (pair) Brush, shaving
Brush, tooth Breeches M.S (Military service)
Cap comforter (warm cap) Comb, hair
Disc identity with cord Drawers (2 pairs)
Great Coat Hat, Khaki fur Hat, white
Holdall Housewife (compact sewing kit)
Jackets Cardigan Jackets S.D (service dress)
Leggings 1 pair Laces, leather 1 pair
Puggarees, small (a traditional Indian head wrap, worn in warm conditions
Puttees, 1 pair (cloth bandages worn by soldiers, to provide support and protection
for the lower leg)
Razor Shirts, flannel (2) Socks, 3 pairs
Singlets (2)
Strap chin Soap piece Suit, working
Towels, hand (2)
Titles “Australia” (4)- Australian soldiers and non-commissioned officers wore an “Australia” title at the base of their shoulder straps. Each serving soldier also wore unit titles above this which indicated the units to which they belonged
DISCHARGE MAY 1919
His discharge followed on 4 May 1919, bringing his military career to a close. It was the end of a remarkable period of service. Thomas had left Australia as an artillery reinforcement in May 1916, served through some of the hardest fighting of the Western Front, been wounded three times, evacuated through the military medical system on each occasion, and returned repeatedly to duty. He witnessed the grim aftermath of the Somme, endured Passchendaele, survived the German offensives of 1918, and took part in the Allied advance that brought the war to an end.
When Thomas stepped back into civilian life in May 1919, he did so as one of the fortunate survivors of a generation that had paid a heavy price. His service record reveals not only courage under fire but also a remarkable determination to return to duty after each wound, serving his country until the war itself was finally won.
DEATH
Thomas died in 1962 in Casino, aged 76
If you have any additional information about this individual, we invite you to email us at rsl@msmc.org.au.
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