Private Thomas Henry Boland
Service #: 384
Summary
FAMILY LIFE
Thomas Henry Boland was born 1st March 1892 in Coomera, Qld, son of William Joseph & Bridget (Creegan) Boland. He had several brothers & sisters, and two of his brothers, Paul & Robert, also enlisted and returned home. His parents are commemorated on the Banner St Memorial which lists the 2348 pioneer settlers of the Tweed district and both are buried in Murwillumbah Old Cemetery. On the 6th August 1974 Tweed Shire Council (C H Jarvis President) resolved that the area be re-developed into a sacred park. The headstones were destroyed and the human remains are still at the site. Thomas’ brother, Robert, enlisted in February 1916
APPLICATION
Thomas was single labourer, eager to do his bit. He travelled to Brisbane on 9th July 1915 to complete his application which showed his next of kin as his father, William, of Murwillumbah. His medical showed he was 23 years old, 5ft 11 inches tall (1.78m), weighed 155 lbs (703kgs), with a fresh complexion, blue eyes & fair hair. His eyesight was good. Thomas was Roman Catholic and had a scar on his right thigh and moles on his chest. He was enlisted as a private into the 31st Infantry Battalion – B Company with service No 384
31st INFANTRY BATTALION
The 31st was raised in August 1915 as part of the 8th Brigade & it joined the 5th Australian Division in Egypt before heading to the Western Front in France in 1916. The 31st Infantry Battalion's legacy is marked by its resilience, bravery, and dedication to its missions. Its history is preserved through memorials and historical records, ensuring its contributions are remembered and honoured
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 men received their vaccinations for smallpox, rabies & plague, then a recruit 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 would take several months
Two ships left from Melbourne carrying the 31st Battalion Headquarters and Companies A, B, C and D: HMAT A62, 'Wandilla', on 9 November 1915 and HMAT A41, 'Bakara', on 5 November 1915. It is not possible from the Embarkation Roll to determine on which ship Thomas embarked. 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. Attempts at breaking up the boredom, apart from the regular drill, varied. Shipboard activities included regular church parades and concerts. 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. Sports and recreation included boxing, deck quoits, draughts. Also, the commanding officer's morning inspection; kit inspections; submarine drill; recreation such as the on deck 'open air' library, deck billiards, pillow fighting and card games including Nap. As well, conditions on the ships were cramped and the risk of illness was constant.
They had already completed their basic training in Australia but over many more tough months, in the Egyptian training camp, the volunteers left their old lives farther behind. They began their training with physical fitness exercises, they were taught individual and unit discipline, how to follow commands, how to march, some basic field skills and how to safely handle his weapons. Later, as soldiers specialised in a particular area (for example, machine gunner or signaller) they would be trained in specific skills and would take part in practice manoeuvres and sham fights. They would spend many hours learning training in the use of bayonets, anti- gas training and guard duty along with lectures on camouflage or trench warfare and much more.
DISCIPLINED MAY 1916
The 31st were stationed in Egypt at the Ferry Post camp on the Suez Canal. This was a camp and stopping point for Australian troops moving to and from the front and the 31st were heading to France to fight on the western front. On 5th May 1916 Thomas went awl from 1615 to 2200 on 7th May. He forfeited 3 day’s pay.
1916 TRENCH WARFARE
In mid-1916 the 31st proceeded to France, destined for the Western front, where they found themselves fighting in trenches, and not in the heat of the African desert. 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, 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.
BATTLE OF FROMELLES 19TH JULY 1916
The 31st Battalion fought its first major battle at Fromelles, having only entered the front-line trenches 3 days previously. It was intended as a diversion to prevent German reinforcements from moving to the Somme, but the attack was poorly planned and executed. Australian and British forces faced heavily fortified German positions near Aubers Ridge, including the "Sugar Loaf" strongpoint. The assault resulted in catastrophic losses, with over 5,500 Australian casualties, including nearly 2,000 killed. The battle is remembered as one of the darkest days in Australian military history
WOUNDED IN ACTION 19TH JULY 1916
The attack was a disastrous introduction to battle for the 31st – it suffered 572 casualties, over half of its strength. One of the casualties was Thomas who, on the 19th, received gunshot wound to his leg, mild & admitted to the 3rd Canadian General Hospital where he spent many months.
CONVALESCENT CAMP
He would then have been transferred to a camp where he would convalesce but continue with drilling & training as the technology and techniques were rapidly changing and soldiers had to be up to date when they were ready to rejoin their units.
DISCIPLINED
During this time, on 4th August he overstayed his pass by 25 minutes and forfeited 1 day’s pay.
THE HINDENBURG LINE 1917
He rejoined his unit on 22nd February 1917. In early 1917, the German Army withdrew to the Hindenburg Line allowing the Allied front to be advanced and the 31st Battalion participated in the follow-up operations. The Hindenburg Line was a German defensive fortification built during the winter of 1916–1917 on the Western Front in France. It stretched from Arras to Laffaux, near Soissons on the Aisne. The line was designed to consolidate German defences after the exhausting battles of Verdun and the Somme in 1916. It featured concrete pillboxes, barbed wire, and machine-gun positions, creating a defence system up to eight miles deep.
The battalion subsequently missed the heavy fighting to breach the Hindenburg Line during the second battle of Bullecourt as the 8th Brigade was deployed to protect the division’s flank.
HOSPITALISATION- VENEREAL DISEASE APRIL 1917
Thomas was admitted to hospital on 7th April 1917 with venereal disease. Since the early dawn of military manoeuvres and activities, sexual hygiene and behaviour have proven to be a major problem for the Worlds’ Armies, and WW1 proved to be no different. Soldiers on assignment overseas were often lonely, had time to spare, got homesick, or were just looking for female companionship. VD was a great source of military inefficiency: although it had a low mortality rate, it resulted in loss of manpower, and the cure was expensive, time-consuming, and often ineffective. The usual course of treatment involved 7 injections of 606, an antibiotic drug - the powder was dissolved and then injected into the buttocks — not particularly pleasant but effective. The other treatment was 7 uses of mercury ointment. He rejoined his outfit on 27th June.
HOSPITALISATION – VENERAL DISEASE SEPTEMBER 1917
Unfortunately, he was admitted to hospital with VD again on 15th September 1917, this time for 51 days and rejoined his unit on 14th November.
BETWEEN BATTLES
Between battles, battalions engaged in a variety of critical activities to recover, prepare, and maintain their effectiveness. Some of the key activities included rest & recovery, continuing their training, maintaining their weapons & uniforms, building & reinforcing the trenches & dugouts & barbed wire defences
They also conducted patrols and reconnaissance to gather intelligence on enemy movements and maintain control over no-man's-land & engaged in activities like writing letters, playing games, and sharing stories to bond as a unit and maintain their spirits. This downtime between battles was essential for ensuring that battalions could perform effectively when called back into action.
BATTLE OF AMIENS AUGUST 1918
Unlike some AIF battalions, the 31st had a relatively quiet time during the German Spring Offensive of 1918 as the 5th Division was largely kept in reserve. The Allies launched their own offensive with the battle of Amiens on 8 August 1918, in which the 31st Battalion participated. It was subsequently involved in the operations that continued to press the retreating Germans through August and into September. The 31st fought its last major action of the war in September 1918 when the 5th and 3rd Australian Divisions, and two American divisions attacked the Hindenburg Line across the top of the 6-kilometre-long St Quentin Canal tunnel; the canal was a major obstacle in the German defensive scheme. The 31st was resting and retraining out of the line when the war ended on 11 November 1918.
GOING HOME
His records show he was in No 2 General Hospital, Hurdcott, England with no details as to when he was admitted but he was discharged on 1st April 1919 so he prepared to return to Australia. After the Armistice, the Australian Prime Minister Billy Hughes insisted Australian troops be repatriated (returned home) as quickly as possible. This logistical challenge was enormous with 135,000 troops brought home from Britain in 147 voyages, and 16,773 troops from the Middle East in 56 voyages, mostly on a first come, first go basis. There was a lack of suitable ships to transport personnel home and many had to wait several months before they were headed back to Australia. Thomas returned to Australia on the Trasos Montes, disembarking on 22nd May 1919. He was discharged 19th July, 1919.
FOR HIS SERVICE
For his service, John was awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, and the Victory Medal.
HOME LIFE
He married Edith Florence Alcock in Casino in 1921 and died in that town on 18th May 1976, aged 84. He is buried in East Lismore General Cemetery. Plot RC; Row: 3F Plot: 1
If you have any additional information about this individual, we invite you to email us at rsl@msmc.org.au.
Memorial Location
We do not know the memorial location of this individual
Buried Location
East Lismore General Cemetery. Plot RC; Row: 3F Plot: 1
