Wednesday 6 December 2017

Private Thomas Fitzherbert MORGAN 55670 - WW1

Thomas Fitzherbert MORGAN applied to enlist in the Australian Imperial Forces on the 23rd of March 1917.
As he was under the age of 21 years both parents, T. F Morgan and Sarah Annie Morgan, had to sign their consent.

Thomas enlisted on the 2nd of  May 1917, aged 18 years and 2 months. His Service Number was 55670.
Occupation  Boot repairer.
Born near the town of Euroa.
Marital status single.
Next of Kin, father Thomas F Morgan Euroa.
Permanent address, McGuiness St Euroa

As all enlistees had to do, he signed the declaration:
I, Thomas Fitzherbert Morgan, swear that I will well and truly serve our Sovereign Lord the King in the Australian Imperial Force from 2 - 5 - 17 until the end of the War, and further period of four months thereafter unless sooner lawfully discharged, dismissed, or removed therefrom; and that I will resist His Majesty's enemies and cause His Majesty's peace to be kept and maintained; and that I will in all matters appertaining to my service, faithfully discharge my duty according to law.

SO HELP ME, GOD

Taken and subscribed at Euroa in the State of Victoria this 2nd day of May 1917 as a Private in the 7th General Victorian Reinforcements.

Thomas was 5 foot 3 and a half inches tall with a chest measurement of 30 - 33 inches.
Weight 8 stone 6 pounds.
Fair complexion.
Blue eyes both 6/6
Fair hair
Religious Denomination Presbiterian (sic)

Embarkation from Australia was on the 23rd of July 1918 on board  A74 HMT "MARATHON" at Melbourne
Disembarked A74 London on the 27th of September, 1918.
A74 HMAT MARATHON.
Copyright expired - public domain

Thomas was a Private in the 1st training battalion from Australia allotted to RFTS 7th Battalion.
He proceeded overseas from Southhampton to France on the 25th of January, 1919.

On the 8th of February, 1919 he was admitted to hospital with influenza.
On the 22nd of February, 1919  he rejoined his unit from the hospital.

Thomas returned to Australia from England on board the Persic on the 23rd of May 1919.

Copyright expired - public domain
Either one of two Private Thomas Fitzherbert Morgans who were first cousins once removed.
Australian War memorial Description
"Studio portrait of T F Morgan, either 6842 Private (Pte) Thomas Fitzherbert Morgan or 55670 Pte Thomas Fitzherbert Morgan. A labourer from Euroa, Victoria prior to enlistment, 6842 Pte Morgan embarked with the 20th Reinforcements, 24th Battalion from Melbourne on HMAT Nestor on 21 November 1917. Later reported as missing in action it was subsequently discovered that he had been captured and was being held as a prisoner of war. Following the Armistice he was repatriated to England and returned to Australia on 31 March 1919. 

55670 Pte Morgan, a boot repairer from Euroa, Victoria prior to enlistment, served as a Corporal with the 1st (Depot) Battalion at Broadmeadows before reverting to the rank of Private and embarking for overseas service 7th Victorian Reinforcements from Melbourne on HMAT Marathon on 23 July 1918. He was later allotted to the 7th Battalion but the Armistice was declared before he could join his unit and he returned to Australia on 13 July 1919. Note: Although both men share the same name and are both from Euroa, there is nothing on their records to indicate any relationship. This is one of a series of photographs taken by the Darge Photographic Company which had a concession to take photographs at the Broadmeadows and Seymour army camps during the First World War. In the 1930s, the Australian War Memorial purchased the original glass negatives from Algernon Darge, along with the photographers’ notebooks. The notebooks contain brief details, usually a surname or unit name, for each negative."

Thomas later became a hairdresser and in 1924 was living at the Albion Hotel in Horsham, Victoria.

In 1926 he married Cathrine OLIVER.  They moved to Romsey in Victoria.

The Victorian electoral rolls show Thomas and Cathrine living at Romsey in 1931 and 1936 where he was still a hairdresser.

Thomas also enlisted in WW2
MORGAN THOMAS FITZHERBERT : Service Number - VX105801 : Date of birth - 18 Mar 1898 : Place of birth - ROMSEY VIC : Place of enlistment - FIELD QLD : Next of Kin - MORGAN CATHRINE

By 1949 they were living at 29 Thomas Street, Williamstown and were there until the 1980 Victorian electoral rolls.
Thomas Fitzherbert Morgan died in 1982.
Victorian death registration number 14802.

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Tribute to the soldiers of my family

2 comments:

  1. How frustrating that no-one can tell which Thomas Fitzherbert Morgan is in that image! My only thought is to hope the other TFM was very tall, as the young man in the image doesn't look very tall at all and may well be 5 ft 3 inches. It would be even better if another photo turned up in one of the families of course.

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    1. It is frustrating. I'm hoping a family member may know. The other Thomas Fitzherbert Morgan was aged 31 years, weighed 11 stone and was 5 foot 10 inches tall (I haven't done his story yet) so I am leaning towards the photo being 55670 Pte Morgan.

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