Thomas McNamara

Submitted by Mt Kembla Minin... on Wed, 01/11/2017 - 14:33

First Name:

Thomas

Last Name:

McNamara

Date of Birth:

Wednesday, January 6, 1875

Mother's Name:

Mary McNamara

Father's Name:

John McNamara

Date Enlisted:

Saturday, September 1, 1917

Rank at Enlistment:

Private

Rank at Discharge:

Sapper

Unit:

Tunnelling Company

Service:

Infantry

Awards:

British War Medal

Victory Medal

1914/1915 Star

Date of Death:

Thursday, June 11, 1931

Place of Death:

Petersham, NSW

Details:

Thomas McNamara (Service no 8126) was born in Sixmilebridge, Clare, Ireland in 1875.

At the time of enlistment, Thomas stated he was single, 42 years of age, employed as a miner and resided in Port Kembla. He had listed a friend, Georgina McNamara, as his next of kin. Georgina was, however, his Defacto wife and they had been together for 10 years and had 2 children. They were to go on and have a further 3 children together after the War.

Thomas embarked on the SS Indarra with the Tunnelling Company, June 1917 Reinforcements on 26 November 1917. He arrived in England on 2 February 1918 and then France on 22 March 1918. Before he joined the Tunnelling Company he was wounded in action on 11 April 1918. Thomas was evacuated to hospital in England for treatment of a gun shot wound to his chest.

Thomas was returned to Australia in December 1918 and medically discharged on 1 May 1919.

There is a letter on file from Georgina in 1938 seeking information about Thomas's whereabouts and his file states he had died at his home in Petersham, NSW in 1931.

Sources:

NAA: B2455, MCNAMARA T