Jack Alfred Charles Thomas

Born 20 Aug 1897 - Died 1 Oct 1974

Service number: WWI 25966 AWMM
Also known as: Jack Thomas AWMM
Armed force / branch: Army AWMM
Last rank: —
War: World War I, 1914-1918 AWMM

Jack Alfred Charles Thomas — Nominal Roll Vol 2 (Roll 41), Page: 30 - No known copyright restrictions No Known Copyright Restrictions

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Biographical information

Jack Alfred Charles Thomas, also known as Jack Thomas, was born in Wanganui in 1897. Before World War I he worked as a plumber and lived in Wanganui. His next of kin was recorded as his sister, Mrs John D. Hammond, of Churton Street, Wanganui.

Thomas enlisted on 29 May 1916 and embarked from Wellington aboard HMNZT 64 Devon on 25 September 1916. After arriving in England in November, he trained at Sling Camp before proceeding to France in February 1917. He served as a rifleman with the 1st Battalion, New Zealand Rifle Brigade.

During 1917 Thomas was admitted to hospital and spent about two months as a patient in C Ward at the 2nd Australian General Hospital. After returning to his unit, he wrote to Nursing Sister Olive Haynes on 8 September 1917 to thank her and the other nurses for their care. He described the ward as a “home away from home” and wrote that he had never felt so well treated or so much at home since leaving New Zealand.

Thomas acknowledged that returning to military life would require some adjustment after his time in hospital. He described conditions in France as rough and noted that many soldiers at the base were preparing to return to the front line. Although some believed that the 1917 offensive might bring the war to an end, Thomas felt that peace seemed no closer than when he had left New Zealand.

He closed his letter by thanking Sister Haynes, Sisters MacHardy, Crabb, Dwyer and Stafford, the orderlies and the other members of C Ward for treating him as one of their “family” (Letter from Jack Alfred Charles Thomas to Sister Olive Haynes, 8 September 1917: MS-1992-57).

Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira holds this letter as Jack Thomas – Letter to Sister Olive Haynes (MS-1992-57). It is available to view digitally through Pou Kanohi New Zealand at War.

Thomas later experienced further periods of illness and hospital treatment. His medical records refer to continuing pain and swelling associated with an earlier operation, and he was assessed by a medical board before returning to New Zealand. He was discharged on 21 July 1919 following the completion of his period of engagement. His service included more than two years overseas in Britain and France.

After the war, Thomas returned to Lyall Bay, Wellington working as a plumber. He married Tryphena Caroline Gibson in 1923 had one son, Cliff Thomas. He was a member of the Wellington Orphans' Club. He died in Wellington on 1 October 1974. AWMM

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Jack Alfred Charles Thomas