PORT, Thomas James
| Service Number: | 2237 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 19 July 1915, Melbourne, Victoria |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 21st Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Drysdale, Victoria, Australia, 10 May 1897 |
| Home Town: | Tatura, Greater Shepparton, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Sacred Heart Catholic School, Drysdale, Victoria, Australia |
| Occupation: | Bootmaker |
| Died: | Died of wounds, Caulfield, Victoria, Australia, 11 March 1918, aged 20 years |
| Cemetery: |
Tatura Public Cemetery, Victoria, Australia |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Tatura R.S.S. & A.I.L.A. Sub-Branch Honour Roll, Tatura War Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 19 Jul 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 2237, Melbourne, Victoria | |
|---|---|---|
| 27 Sep 1915: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 2237, 21st Infantry Battalion, Enlistment/Embarkation WW1, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '13' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Hororata embarkation_ship_number: A20 public_note: '' | |
| 27 Sep 1915: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 2237, 21st Infantry Battalion, HMAT Hororata, Melbourne | |
| 1 Aug 1916: | Wounded AIF WW1, Private, 2237, 21st Infantry Battalion, Battle for Pozières , Shell wound (buttocks, shoulder and wrist) | |
| 11 Mar 1918: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 2237, 21st Infantry Battalion |
Thomas James Port
Thomas James Port - 2237 Private
Thomas (Tom) James Port was the eldest son of Thomas Mathew and Rose Hannah Port. Like his father, he was a bootmaker by trade. Tom grew up in Tatura and was active in the Tatura Fire Brigade and the Tatura Town Band. He was a foundation member of the latter.
After initially being rejected on medical grounds, Tom became the youngest man to enlist from Tatura in July 1915, at the age of 18. Tom was attached to the 21st Battalion and he sailed for Egypt on the “Honorata” and then on to France. Tom survived the fighting at Fleurbaix and Armentiers before being seriously wounded by shrapnel near Pozieres on 30 July 1916.
Tom had been a member of the battalion band but when on the front line, members of the band were required to bring in the wounded from the battlefield. Tom returned home to Australia on the Hospital ship “Karoola”.
Tom had ongoing problems with his wounded hip and subsequently died in the Caulfield Military Hospital on 3 March 1918. The cause of death was septicaemia and heart failure.
Of the men listed on the Tatura War Memorial, Tom is the only man not recognised on the Australian War Memorial’s Roll of Honour and of the 32 men listed on the Tatura War Memorial Tom Port is the only one to be buried on Australian soil.
Tom is buried with his Grandfather William Port in the Catholic section of the Tatura Cemetery.
Submitted 30 March 2015 by Janne Griffith
Biography
Thomas James Port - 2237 Private
Thomas (Tom) James Port was the eldest son of Thomas Mathew and Rose Hannah Port. Like his father, he was a bootmaker by trade. Tom grew up in Tatura and was active in the Tatura Fire Brigade and the Tatura Town Band. He was a foundation member of the latter.
After initially being rejected on medical grounds, Tom became the youngest man to enlist from Tatura in July 1915, at the age of 18. Tom was attached to the 21st Battalion and he sailed for Egypt on the “Honorata” and then on to France. Tom survived the fighting at Fleurbaix and Armentiers before being seriously wounded by shrapnel near Pozieres on 30 July 1916.
Tom had been a member of the battalion band but when on the front line, members of the band were required to bring in the wounded from the battlefield. Tom returned home to Australia on the Hospital ship “Karoola”.
Tom had ongoing problems with his wounded hip and subsequently died in the Caulfield Military Hospital on 3 March 1918. The cause of death was septicaemia and heart failure.
Of the men listed on the Tatura War Memorial, Tom was the only man not recognised on the Australian War Memorial’s Roll of Honour (an oversight since corrected) and of the 32 men listed on the Tatura War Memorial Tom Port is the only one to be buried on Australian soil.
Tom is buried with his Grandfather William Port in the Catholic section of the Tatura Cemetery.
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