Thomas William Tasker's Duty to WW1

By conwayt222x
  • The 15th Battalion was formed 6 weeks after the outbreak of war.

    The 15th Battalion was formed 6 weeks after the outbreak of war.

  • The recruits trained Victoria and embarked just before Christmas. After a brief stop in Albany, Western Australia, the battalion proceed to Egypt arriving there in early February 1915

  • thomas enlisted at Enoggera, Brisbane on 28 May 1915.

    thomas enlisted at Enoggera, Brisbane on 28 May 1915.

  • Private Thomas Tasker was assigned to the 8th Reinforcements of the 15th Battalion. He embarked at Brisbane aboard A55 "Kyarra" on 16 August 1915 bound for Egypt.

  • On 18 October, Private Tasker embarked from Alexandria, Egypt on the HT "Kalyan" and joined the 15th Battalion at Lemnos on 23 October. The most intense fighting at Gallipoli was drawing to a close.

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    The battalion served at Gallipoli until evacuation on 20 December. He disembarked from the "Ionian" at Alexandria on 26 December.

  • He transferred to the Machine Gun section of 4th Brigade on 12 March 1916.

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    On 1 June 1916, he embarked again on the "Transylvania" for the Western Front, and disembarked at Marseilles, France on 8 June. On 24 June, he transferred from 15th Battalion to the formalised 4th Machine Gun Company.

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    the "Battle for Pozieres" saw a toll in Australian lives that exceeded all Australian losses at Gallipoli and still represents Australia's highest death toll in its military history.

  • Private Tasker suffered a gunshot wound,

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    First news was conveyed to his mother on 31 August. "REGRET REPORTED SON PRIVATE THOMAS W TASKER WOUNDED WILL ADVISE IF ANYTHING FURTHER RECEIVED".

    Without detail on the nature of her son`s wounds for twelve days, Eva Tasker received some comfort on 12 September. "REGRET REPORTED SON PRIVATE THOMAS W TASKER ADMITTED THIRTYSECOND STATIONARY HOSPITAL SEVENTH AUGUST GUN SHOT WOUND ARM WILL PROMPTLY ADVISE IF ANYTHING FURTHER RECEIVED"
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    On 24 February 1917, Private Tasker was marched in from Perham Downs to the Australian Machine Gun Training Depot at Belton Park, Grantham in Lincolnshire. He rejoined the 4th Machine Gun Company in the field on 5 May.

  • In June 1917, the 4th Division fought in the Battle of Messines and in September in the Battle of Polygon Wood

  • On 4 May, almost a year to the day since his return to the Front after his first wounding, Private Tasker sustained a gunshot wound to the head which fractured his skull and destroyed an eye.

  • He was taken by the 12th Australian Field Ambulance to the 4th Casualty Clearing Station at Pernois but died of his wounds on 8 May. He had not lived to see his 21st birthday.

  • Thomas Tasker was buried in Plot I , Row C, Grave 10 at the Pernois British Cemetery, Halloy-Les-Pernois on 13 May 1918 with Reverend E.G. McKee officiating.