No:	Rank and Name:	Regiment and details:
5144	Pte Samuel McColm	49th Batt, 6 Oct 15, RTA, 25 Aug 17
6	Sgt Charles Francis McComas	29th Batt, 21 Jul 15, RTA, 5 Jul 19
1781	Sgt William McComas	6th LH, 11 Sep 15, RTA, 16 Mar 19
6068	Cpl William McComas	3rd Batt, 17 Jan 16, RTA, 2 Jan 19
372	Pte Albert McComb	10th FAB, 1 Aug 15, RTA, 13 Feb 17
3571	Lieut Arthur Rowland McComb	AFC, 30 Apr 15, RTA, 4 Jul 19
9889	Pte Bertram Elmer McComb	2nd ACCS 23 Jul 15, RTA, 12 May 19
33256	Dvr Edgar Raymond McComb	11th FAB, 26 Oct 16, RTA, 12 Jul 19
69157	Pte Eric Reginald McComb	Reinf, 16 Aug 18
22927	Gnr Ernest Richardson McComb	3rd DAC, 26 Nov 15 DOD, 9 Jan 17
5947	Lieut Frank McComb	26th Batt, 6 Dec 15
10464	S/Sgt Henry Layton McComb	AMC, 20 Apr 16, RTA, 19 Oct 18
968	Pte Herbert Henry McComb	37th Batt, 28 Feb 16, DOW, 23 Feb 17
574	Pte Hugh McComb	2nd CC, 6 Jun 16, RTA, 10 Apr 19
13626	Pte Samuel Clarkson McComb	7th FA, 29 Nov 15
1442	Sgt Clarence Edward McCombe	2nd FABAC, 22 Aug 14, RTA, 9 Dec 18
839	Dvr Hamilton Boyd McCombe	3rd Pioneers, 26 Jan 16
1411	Pte Herbert James McCombe	10th LH, 5 Aug 15, RTA, 22 Jan 17
1857	Cpl Lindal John McCombe	12th AFA, 18 Jan 15, RTA, 21 Mar 19
2857	Sgt Mayne Samuel McCombe	48th Batt, 11 Apr 16, KIA, 4 Apr 18
61155	Pte Reginald Sybil McCombe	6th Batt, 25 Mar 18, RTA, 24 Jan 19
1204	Pte Robert McCombe	A Cp HQ, 15 Mar 15, RTA, 22 Sep 19
17213	Drv Samuel McCombe	3rd FCE, 6 Jun 16, RTA, 24 Jan 19
1061	Pte Charles John McCombie	20th Batt, 3 Mar 15, RTA, 5 Apr 19
5130	Pte Edward Richard McCombie	6th Batt, 29 Jan 16, RTA, 21 Apr 18
2682	Spr Arnold George McComish	3rd FCEng, 28 Aug 1915, KIA, 23 Jul 16
5758	Sgt Leo McComish	44th Batt, 13 Mar 16, RTA, 21 Jun 16
962	Pte William McOmish MM	11th Batt, 22 Aug 14, RTA, 22 Jul 17
2050	Cpl Albert Charles Thom	21st Batt, 24 Aug 15, DOW, 13 Oct 18
7079	Pte Albert George Thom	10th Batt, 26 Oct 16, RTA, 9 Aug 19
3210	Pte Archie Stuart Thom	47th Batt, 10 Nov 16, KIA, 12 Oct 17
2718	Pte Bertram Andrew Thom	11th Batt, ............., RTA, 31 Mar 1916
474	Pte Bertram Edgar Thom	5th MG Batt, 20 Jun 16, RTA, 7 Jun 18
2674	Pte Charles Thom	5th Pioneers, 22 Jul 16, RTA, 6 Nov 18
9	Lieut Charles Henry Thom	4th FCEng, 18 Aug 14, KIA, 29 Oct 15
11418	Gnr Frederick Alfred Thom	3rd AFA, 19 Aug 15, RTA, 12 Dec 18
1247	Pte George Thom MM	34th Batt, 16 Feb 16, RTA, 1 Jul 19
2333	Pte George Thom MM	15th LH, 14 Dec 15, RTA, 25 Sep 19
2395	Pte George Macky Thom	33rd Batt, 14 Jul 16, RTA, 20 May 19
17610	Dvr George Nicol Thom	14th FCEng, 4 Sep 16, RTA, 10 Jun 19
755	Pte Gordon Alan Thom	1st RU, 7 Oct 15, RTA, 9 Feb 16
14959	Spr John Thom	4th FCEng, 14 Feb 16,
19326	Pte John Bernard Thom	AAMC, 11 Sep 17, RTA, 25 Feb 18
4625	Pte James Waddell Thom	39th Batt, 4 Sep 16,
7063	Pte James Willoughby Thom	15th Batt, 19 Oct 16, RTA, 21 Dec 17
3956	Pte Keith Young Thom	6th Batt, 2 Aug 15, RTA, 5 Apr 19
5110	Pte Montague Manning Thom	26th Batt, 14 Jan 16, RTA, 4 Jun 19
803	Pte Reston Nish Thom	37th Batt, 22 Aug 16, RTA, 11 Dec 18
1206	Sgt Richard Vernon Thom	11th LH, 18 Apr 15, RTA, 19 Apr 19
28143	Dvr Roy Archibald Thom	4th DAC, 5 Jul 16, RTA, 22 Sep 19
1058	Pte William Thom	38th Batt, 17 Mar 16, RTA, 9 Dec 18
3934	Pte William Thom	1st Pioneers, 1 Sep 15, RTA, 26 Mar 19
7497	Spr William Brown Thom	3rd Sig C, 24 Jan 16, RTA, 23 Sep 1.
3320	Pte William James Thom	32nd Batt, 5 Feb 16, RTA, 9 Aug 19
723	Pte Alfred Henry Stanley Thoms	11th Batt, 5 Sept 14
2240	Pte George Thoms	54th Batt, 1 Apr 16, RTA, 24 Aug 18
3976	Pte John Thoms	59th Batt, 2 Dec 15, RTA, 27 Jul 17
39326	Gnr John Allan Thoms	12 AFA, 4 Dec 17, RTA, 28 Feb 19
5773	Pte Stanley Ebenezer Thoms MM & Bar	5th Batt, 19 Feb 16, RTA, 12 Jun 19
2745	Pte Walter Thoms	55th Batt, 10 May 16

 

Grahame has selected one distinguished soldier from the list in order to illustrate the additional information available on the embarkation roll.

5773    Pte Stanley Ebenezer Thoms MM and Bar 

       

Embarked at Melbourne on 4 April 1916 on the ship HMAT Euripides. On enlistment on 19 February 1916, age 18, joiner, single, of 2 Regent Street, Elsternwick, Melbourne, next of kin his sister, Miss J Thoms, 2 Regent Street, Elsternwick, Congregational, pay 5 shillings a day.

      

Under Honours and Awards, Private Thoms was awarded the Military Medal as gazetted on 8 November 1917 with the following citation:

     

Near Bullecourt, France on 8th and 9th May 1917, Private Thoms continually carried despatches from Battalion and Company Headquarters to Brigade Headquarters, a distance of 1000 yards, along trenches which were practically obliterated by heavy shelling.  Despite heavy barrage and continual sniping he continued his work, showing great courage and devotion to duty.  This man has been recommended before for his excellent work at Thilloy.

       

Private Thoms was recommended but not awarded the Croix de Guerre for Conspicuous gallantry at Thilloy on 2nd March 1917 during a particularly heavy enemy barrage Private Thoms with great courage repaired many breaks in the 

telephone wire between Coy & Battn Hqrs and continued on this dangerous task for nearly an hour.  In addition to the heavy barrage he was being sniped at by the enemy continuously but he persisted in his task until communication was restored.  This man has shown great courage on previous occasion& has been recommended for a decoration.

     

He was awarded a bar to the Military Medal as gazetted on 15th September 1919:

During operations at St Martin Woods near Foucaucourt on the 23rd August 1918 Pte Thoms performed the duties of linesman.  The line to front line Companies being continuously cut, this soldier did most valuable work under heavy enemy shelling in keeping the lines repaired.  He was always at his post and though suffering with his eyes from the affect of Mustard Gas bombardment he refused to leave his post during the shortage of linesmen.

     

Further by going to the defence records held by the National Archives and now copied on their web site, you can see all documents from a soldier’s file.  Usually this is around 20 to 30 pages of information.

    

Private Thoms signed his Attestation Paper for service overseas on 19th February 1916.  This form reveals he was born at Elsternwick and was aged 18 years and 5 months, had been an apprentice, not married, next of kin was his mother Jessie Thoms of 2 Regent Street, Elsternwick, and he had been a cadet for four years and in the Citizen Forces for two days.   Thoms height was 5 feet 6.25 inches, weight 9 stone 8.25 pounds, chest 31-35 inches, complexion fresh, eyes brown, hair brown, religion Congregational.  He had 3 small moles on the left side of his chest.

    

His statement of service states he served in France and returned from England in 1919.  His casualty form reveals he undertook training at Tel-el-Kebir, Egypt, in 1916 before departing Alexandria on 22nd May 1916 on the ship MT Tunisian.  He disembarked at Marseilles on 4th June 1916, marched to Etaples on 7th June and taken on strength on 30th July 1916.  He took leave in the UK on 26th February 1918 to 16th March 1918, was appointed Lance Corporal on 27th September 1918, temporary Corporal 8th March 1919 to 10th April 1919 on leaving to return to Australia on the ship Port Darwin disembarking on 27th July 1919.

     

His sister, Miss J Thoms of Elsternwick was advised of his Military Medal on 23rd January 1918 and his Bar to the Military Medal on 8th October 1919 and Lance Corporal Stanley Ebenezer Thoms was discharged on 10th October 1919.  He also received the 1914/15 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.

It is interesting to note that Private Thoms spent no time in hospital and was not charged with any offence as these are two common entries on a soldier’s service documents.

   

From the Victorian (Australia) births, deaths and marriages indexes it was possible to establish that Stanley Ebenezer was born in St Kilda in 1897, the youngest child of fourteen children to John Irwin and Elizabeth Mary Thoms (nee Wilson). The first child of the couple, Louise Jessie, had been born at Emerald Hill, Melbourne in 1868 and others were born in Emerald Hill, Prahran, Caufield and St Kilda.

    

The index of the Victorian Probate Office shows that Stanley Ebenezer Thoms  died on 6th April 1980 at Carnagie, Victoria and on page 26 of the “Age” dated 8th April 1980 the following death notice appeared:

     

Thoms - On April 6, Stanley Ebenezer, loved husband of Tess, loved father of Enid (dec) and Jean, loved father-in-law of Ron Appleton, loved pa of Barbara and Bill Thomson, Jennifer and Jamie Ma and David and Mandy Appleton, loved pa of Katie and Nicky and loved brother of Floss .  This gallant clansman was buried in Cheltenham Cemetery.

   

References:

    

Australian War Memorial web site on 3rd July 2008 - www.awm.gov.au

National Archives Australia web site on 3rd July 2008 - www.naa.gov.au 

Victorian Probate Office index on microfiche

Digger - Victorian Births, Deaths and Marriages Indexes on CDs

State Library of Victoria newspapers on microfilm

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Last updated 01/06/2014