Thomas Herbert Cullen

Submitted by Mt Kembla Minin... on Sun, 06/12/2015 - 12:44

First Name:

Thomas

Middle Name:

Herbert

Last Name:

Cullen

Mother's Name:

Margaret Cullen (nee Neville)

Father's Name:

Francis Cullen

Date Enlisted:

Friday, August 27, 1915

Rank at Enlistment:

Private

Rank at Discharge:

Private

Unit:

13th Battalion

Company:

Service:

Infantry

Awards:

British War Medal

Victory Medal

Date of Death:

Wednesday, April 11, 1917

Place of Death:

Bullecourt, France

Cause of Death:

Killed in action

Details:

Thomas Cullen (Service No 1700) was born in Bathurst, N.S.W. around 1879 and had attended Rockley Public School.

Thomas enlisted at the age of 36, when he lived at Helensburgh, N.S.W. He was single, and worked as a smelter.

Thomas embarked from Sydney on board HMAT A35 Berrima with 2nd Reinforcements, 30th Battalion, on 17th December 1915. After the troops arrived in Egypt Thomas was transferred to D Company, 13th Battalion, on 4th March 1916. He arrived in France on 8th June 1916 and saw service on the Western Front.

On 7th August 1916, while fighting on the Somme, Thomas was wounded and evacuated to hospital for treatment of gun shot wounds to his back and spine. He rejoined his unit in Belgium on 11th September 1916.

Thomas survived the terrible winter of 1916/1917. During the fighting at Bullecourt on 11th April 1917, Thomas was sighted in enemy trenches by a fellow solider, Private J W Dawson; Private Dawson stated that Thomas was "badly wounded ... he was conscious, but in a bad way. We were taken Prisoner of War in this trench about 1/4 of an hour later. Never saw Cullen again."

Thomas was initially listed as missing in action, but later declared killed in action on 11 April 1917.

There is no known grave for Thomas; he is commemorated on the Australian National Memorial at Villers-Bretonneaux, France.

Thomas' brother, Oliver Cullen (Service No 6965), also served.

Sources:

NAA: B2455, CULLEN T H