Tasmanian War Casualties

WW1

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Hamilton, Thomas

Born 15^th November 1889 Westbury Tasmania to Robert and Hanorah Hamilton (nee Connolly) a carpenter who departed Melbourne 5^th January 1916 on board “HMAT Afric” with the 12^th Battalion.

Cpl Hamilton was killed in action 6^th October 1917 in Polygon Wood and is commemorated in the Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood, Belgium.

Sorrow was expressed throughout the Westbury district when the fact became known that Tom Hamilton, a former pupil of the convent school there had early in October made the supreme sacrifice in France in defence of Christianity and the Empire. Though not robust of frame he was wiry and agile and regarded it as a duty to enlist over two years ago in order to do his little bit in the grand cause. He was attached as a Lewis gunner to the 12^th Battalion where he won a military medal and a bar with the inscription “for bravery in the field” on the obverse and the King’s head on the reverse. On the rim are inscribed the words “4323 Pte T Hamilton 12^th Aust Inf”. It was remarkable, says a Westbury correspondent that the medal which he sent to friends arrived the same day as the official notice of his lamented demise. It was presented to him by General Birdwood. Tom was not only noted for his bravery on the field but also for his unobtrusive piety everywhere. In a letter to Father Kelsh on September 2^nd he wrote “We had mass this morning in the village church. Jim and Frank (his brothers) and I were at Holy Communion so we are quite prepared for anything that comes our way.” He served some time in Egypt but was glad when ordered to leave the country of ‘sin and sand’ as he put it for France. He was barely 28 years old.

The Weekly Courier 13^th December 1917

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Tasmanian War Casualties, Honouring the past, building understanding.