Thomas Kennedy Irwin (Junior)

Personal details

Date of birth	Wednesday 18 July 1894
Mother's name	Elizabeth Irwin (nee McIntosh)
Father's name	Thomas Kennedy Irwin (Senior)
Date of death	Monday 27 July 1936
Place of death	Wollongong

Service details

Rank at enlistment	Private
Rank at discharge
Unit	2nd Light Horse Field Ambulance
Awards	British War Medal, Victory Medal

Story

Thomas Kennedy Irwin (Service No 3628) was born on 18 July 1894 in Wollongong to Thomas Kennedy Irwin (Snr) and Elizabeth Irwin (nee McIntosh).

His pre-war life saw him attending Wollongong Public school and ultimately working as a coach painter at Dwyers Wollongong. He was also a member of the North Wollongong 'Water Rats' Surf Lifesaving Club and served in the 'Home Service Ambulance' prior to enlisting.

He married Constance (nee Hodgson) in 1917 and they had six children together: Gloria, Thelma, Charles, Thomas, James and Robert.

Thomas Kennedy Irwin enlisted on 22 May, 1917 at Victoria Barracks, Sydney. His father Thomas Kennedy (snr) and brothers Charles Duff and William McIntosh also served in the First World War. He was attested in Sydney, 25 May 1917 at age 22 and embarked from Melbourne on HMAT Commonwealth A73 on 2 November 1917.

He joined the 2 nd Light Horse Field Ambulance and was active at the Sinai Desert, Solomon's Pools, Jericho, Jerusalem and Damascus.

According to records on the National Australian Archives, Tom was discharged due to medical unfitness.

He returned to Australia aboard HT Malta in 1919. On his return, Tom and his family lived at 311 Keira Street. The house was built in 1925.

TK Irwin was involved in many hobbies apart from the Lifesaving Club. According to the Illawarra Mercury, this included an active interest in boxing and involvement on the Wollongong Cricket Team.

Thomas Kennedy Irwin died in 1936 as a result of mustard gas poisoning used in trenches. He is buried at Wollongong Presbyterian Cemetery and commemorated on the North Wollongong Honour Roll along with his brothers.

Information sources

Ancestry.com. Australia Marriage Index, 1788-1950 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.
AWM, First World War Embarkation Rolls - Thomas Kennedy Irwin, Australian War Memorial, Canberra 2014, http://www.awm.gov.au/people/rolls/R1957586/, viewed 16 July 2014.
Late T.K Irwin', Illawarra Mercury, 31 July 1936, p.7.
NAA: B2455, IRWIN, THOMAS KENNEDY

Related Images

Caption: Tom Irwin front row, far right. Taken at the Jordan River.

Caption: Tom with horse, 'Archer'. Taken at Mena Camp.

Caption: Taken before leaving Australia

Caption: Photo was taken late 1920s. Tom Irwin is seated, front row, first left.

Caption: 1917 photo of North Wollongong Water Rats after winning 'Rescue and Resusetation' at Thirroul Easter Sports Carnival. Tom Irwin, seated second row on the left.

Caption: Troops with gas masks

Caption: 2nd Light Horse on parade

Caption: Postcard from T.K Irwin (Jnr) to wife, Con

Caption: "Rag time cooks". Tom, front

Caption: T.K Irwin (jnr) was employed as a coach painter for Dwyers Wollongong.

Caption: Lifesaving Competition Medal labelled "Thirroul Easter Sports" 1917. Reverse inscription: "Rescue and Resuscitation Competition won by NWLSC - T. Irwin".

Caption: Tom is third from left. Information on the back: "A group of my mates. Jack Moon is five from left. To Con, From your TK." Taken at the Jordan River.

Caption: Thomas Kennedy Irwin Junior, 1914

Caption: Studio portrait of Private Thomas Kennedy Irwin (centre), and two of his sons, Private William McIntosh Irwin (left), and Private Charles Duff Irwin (right). Pte Thomas Kennedy