Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Thomas Loveday Prout #517 12th Machine Gun Company/ 4th Machine Gun Battalion

Tom Prout was born in Boonah to James and Priscilla Eliza Loveday Prout. Young Tom attended Maroon State School before starting work in the family grazing business. By the time he enlisted on 17th August 1916, he had just turned 21. Tom gave his address as Knapp’s Creek via Boonah. He presented as a fine recruit, standing 6’ tall. His left hand bore scars from a serious accident earlier in his life and his 5th finger on his left hand was missing.

Tom’s parents had retired from the land by 1916 and were living at Laurel Avenue, Chelmer. After spending some time at Enoggera, Tom was allotted as a reinforcement for the 12th Machine Gun Company. After some home leave, he travelled to Seymour for intense training with the Vicker’s Heavy Machine Gun. Tom and other reinforcements boarded the “Medic” in Port Melbourne on 16th December 1916.

By the end of February 1917, Tom was in camp at Perham Downs near Plymouth and two months later was at the Australian Machine Gun Base Depot in France. On 6th May, he finally was taken on strength by his unit; the 12th Machine Gun Company. Australian operations on the Western Front in the latter half of 1917 were focussed on the Ypres Salient in Belgium. The machine gunners were involved in laying down intense barrages to protect advancing infantry beginning with the Battle of Messines Ridge in June and progressing on to Menin Road, Polygon Wood, Broodesinde Ridge and Passchendaele during September and October.

When the Belgian Campaign was closed down for the winter, the Australians went into winter quarters around the village of Poperinghe. Tom enjoyed two periods of leave in England during the relatively quiet period of that northern winter.

1918 would prove to be the decisive year of the war. In March, the Germans launched a surprise attack against the British 5th Army which was holding the line on the Somme. All of the gains achieved with so much blood in 1916 were back in German hands as the advance threatened to break through the British lines to Amiens. The British Supreme Commander in the Field, Douglas Haig, called for some elements of the Australian divisions in Belgium to be rushed south to plug the line and halt the advance. The 12th and 13th brigades of the 4th Division were the first units to meet the Germans at Dernacourt on 5th April. Throughout April more and more brigades of Australians were deployed to the Somme. Finally, the Australians halted the advance at Villers Brettoneux on 25th April, within gun range of Amiens.

Tom’s unit had been in the front line meeting the German stormtroopers for most of April. With the front re-established, the Australian General John Monash encouraged his battalion commanders to harass the enemy by night patrols while he began planning the first counter offensive.

The battle of Hamel on 4th July was a limited operation involving two Australian Divisions, including Tom and the 4th MG Battalion. Monash planned to use all of the tools at his disposal, including artillery, machine guns, aircraft, tanks, smoke and deception in a co-ordinated attack which he estimated would take 90 minutes. It in fact took 93 and Monash’s reputation soared. The French President, Clemenceau, came to visit Monash’s headquarters the day after the attack and the 4th MG Battalion were part of the review, as recorded in the unit war diary.

The Hamel success spurred the British to strike an even bigger blow against the enemy on the Somme, and again Monash would spearhead the planning for what would become to be considered the turning point of the war.

The Battle of Amiens began on 8th August 1918. Across a wide front; Australian, Canadian and British divisions pushed east along the south bank of the Somme River. Late that day, Tom Prout sustained a severe shrapnel wound to the chest. He was transferred to a casualty clearing station near Proyart where he unfortunately died on 10th August. The nursing sister in charge at the 20th CCS wrote to Tom’s parents with some details of his last moments.

Tom Prout was buried in the Vignacourt British Cemetery. A number of personal items were returned to Tom’s mother and in the 1920’s James and Priscilla received Tom’s campaign medals as well as a memorial plaque and scroll signed by the King.

born 4/6/1897
enlisted 17 Aug 1916