Thomas Frederick Cairnes

Submitted by Mt Kembla Minin... on Sat, 14/01/2017 - 09:57

First Name:

Thomas

Middle Name:

Frederick

Last Name:

Cairnes

Mother's Name:

Margaret Cairnes nee Lavelle

Father's Name:

Thomas Cairnes

Date Enlisted:

Monday, February 21, 1916

Rank at Enlistment:

Private

Rank at Discharge:

Sapper

Unit:

Tunnelling Company 4

Company:

Headquarters 1

Service:

Infantry

Awards:

British War Medal

Victory Medal

Date of Death:

Friday, September 7, 1928

Place of Death:

Callen Park, Sydney

Details:

Thomas Cairnes (Service No 3579) was born in Forbes, N.S.W. around 1880. He married Mary Gunn in Bulli, N.S.W. in 1901and they had 5 children.

At enlistment Thomas was 35 years old, worked as a miner and lived at Helensburgh, N.S.W., and had 3 years service with the Wollongong Garrison Artillery in N.S.W.

Thomas embarked on HMAT A69 Warialda with Tunnelling Company 4, Headquarter, 1 on 22nd May 1916 and arrived in England on 18th July 1916. He joined the 1st Tunnel Company on the Western Front on 30th September 1916 .

On 12th November 1916 Thomas was admitted to hospital sick and returned to his unit on 26th January 1917.

On 8th November 1917 Thomas was buried by a shell explosion and suffered contusions. As a result he was sent to England for treatment and although he recovered from his physical injuries he was not returned to France.

Thomas was repatriated to Australia in June 1918 and finally discharged medically unfit with myalgia on 2nd November 1918.

He died in 1928 at the Callen Park Mental Hospital in the suburb of Rozelle in Sydney.

Thomas is buried in Rookwood Cemetery, Sydney.

Sources:

NAA: B2455, CAIRNES T F