Davidson Aus. Inf

[Desmond7]

From Ballymena Observer August 1916.

[Bob Doneley]

This is 2056 Pte Thomas Francis Davidson, 5th Reinforcements, 2nd Bn AIF, a 24 year old seaman when he enlisted on 1st Feb, 1915.

The 2nd Battalion was among the first infantry units raised for the AIF during the First World War. Like the 1st, 3rd and 4th Battalions it was recruited from New South Wales and, together with these battalions, formed the 1st Brigade.

The battalion was raised within a fortnight of the declaration of war in August 1914 and embarked just two months later. After a brief stop in Albany, Western Australia, the battalion proceeded to Egypt, arriving on 2 December. The battalion took part in the ANZAC landing on 25 April 1915 as part of the second and third waves, and was led by Lieutenant Colonel G. F. Braund, who was killed in action nine days later. On 6 August, the 1st Brigade led the charge at Lone Pine. Among the dead was the commander of the 2nd Battalion, Lieutenant Colonel R. Scobie, killed during a Turkish counter-attack. The battalion served at ANZAC until the evacuation in December 1915.

After the withdrawal from Gallipoli, the battalion returned to Egypt. In March 1916, it sailed for France and the Western Front. From then until 1918 the battalion took part in operations against the German Army, principally in the Somme Valley in France and around Ypres in Belgium. The battalion's first major action in France was at Pozières in the Somme valley in July 1916. Later the battalion fought at Ypres, in Flanders, before returning to the Somme for winter.

In early 1917 the German Army withdrew to the formidable defences of the Hindenburg Line. As the 2nd Battalion advanced towards these defences in April 1917, Private T. J. Kenny attacked several enemy machine gun positions with grenades, earning the 2nd Battalion's only Victoria Cross. The battalion spent much of the rest of 1917 fighting in increasingly horrendous conditions around Ypres.

In 1918 the battalion returned to the Somme valley and helped to stop the German spring offensive in March and April. The battalion subsequently participated in the Allies' own offensive, launched to the east of Amiens on 8 August 1918. This advance by British and Empire troops was the greatest success in a single day on the Western Front, one that German General Erich Ludendorff described as "the black day of the German Army in this war".

The battalion continued operations until late September. At 11 am on 11 November, 1918, the guns fell silent. The November armistice was followed by the peace treaty of Versailles signed on 28 June 1919.

Between November 1918 and May 1919 the men of the 2nd Battalion returned to Australia for demobilisation and discharge.

Thomas Davidson, as at 1919, had not returned to Australia, nor is he recorded as a fatal casualty. Presumably he took his discharge in the UK.

His service records are on line, but I am having difficulty accessing them this morning for some reason.

[Desmond7]

Great round-up!

Des

[Bob Doneley]

Can't take credit for the Battalion's potted history - took it straight off the Australian War Memorial's website.

Anyway, National Archives are up & running again,so here is some info on Tom Davidson:

He was born in Belfast, and was aged 24 years and 9 months when he enlisted at Liverpool (NSW) on the 1st Feb, 1915. He had no previous military service, and gave his occupation as seaman. He was 5' 8" tall, weighed 131 lbs, dark complexion, green eyes and brown hair. His religion was Presbyterian.

In March he was posted to the 5th Reinforcements for the 2nd Bn, and embarked on the 10th April. On the 22nd June he was taken on strength of the 2 Bn on Gallipoli.

He was wounded on the scalp at Lone Pine on the 8th August and evacuated to Mudros; he returned to the Bn on the 14th September.

On the 8th April 1916 he sailed for Marseilles, detached for duty as baggage escort. He rejoined the Battalion on the 22/4/16. From the 12th -20th June he attended a Trench Mortar School

Sometime between the 22nd & 24th July 1916 he was wounded in the right hand by shrapnel, and evacuated to England. His 5th finger was amputated. He returned to France in November, 1916, rejoined the Bn in December, and was promoted to Cpl in April 1917.

He attended a Musketry School and was posted to a Training Bn in England from July to Sep 1917, returning to the Bn in October. In December he went on leave to the UK; this leave was extended to January on medical grounds. He rejoined the Bn on 19/1/18.

He obviously had a good leave, because a few days later he was diaggnosed with gonorrhoea! And then spent 2 months in hospital in the UK being treated. He was back in France in June, but the VD flared up again, and he spent another month in hospital.

On release he served with the Australian Infantry Base Depot at Havre till November 1918, returning to the Bn on the 5/11/18. In December he was promoted to T/Sgt, and served in a variety of posts in France & the UK.

He was given paid leave from the 5/6/19 to 31/10/19 to do paid non-military employement, learning to be an ironmonger in his home town of Belfast. He may have reverted to Cpl at this time.

He returned to Australia in Nov 1919, disembarked in January 1920 and was discharged in March 1920. It appears he returned to the UK in 1921.

In the 1950's he was living in Canada, and receiving a war service pension. He was receiving 19 /- per fortnight, based on an assessed 10% disability.

[Desmond7]

And that's why the Aussie records are the envy of all!!

Loved his adventures on leave!