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Thomas Albert Dures - Information

Thomas Albert Dures was born in Hurstville c1895, and attended Hurtsville Superior Public School. He then came to the Ingleburn area, where he became good mates with Reuben Allen. When the war started, Thomas was living on Botany St in Carlton, Sydney with his father William Dobson Dures, and worked as a cabinet maker. Thomas and Reuben, known as Wack, decided to join the AIF together on the 29th of January 1916 at Casula.

During training, Thomas and Wack were posted to a variety of units within the 18th and 61st Battalions. They then embarked Sydney as Privates with the 18th Battalion aboard the HMAT Ceramic on the 13th of April 1916. Thomas and Wack then proceeded to the Western Front from England in September 1916, joining the 18th Battalion in the field. The cold winter conditions were quite something to become accustom to. In November, Thomas and Wack were taken to hospital in Rouen with trench foot, and were evacuated for treatment in England. After enjoying some convalescence at Perham Downs in January 1917, Thomas was discharged from hospital to return to the front. Unluckily, Thomas was marching out from Perham Downs to Wareham to return to duty, when he contracted the mumps. He was quickly rushed back to hospital.

In March 1917, Thomas was taken on strength to the 61st Battalion, however, in September was transferred back to the 18th Battalion and shipped back to France in October. Thomas and Wack joined their unit in Belgium during the Third Battle of Ypres as machine gunners. They then endured another harsh winter, before the Germans commenced their March 1918 Offensive. The German Army gained significant ground, however, momentum halted and the Allies began to push back. The Allies, including the 18th Battalion, attacked the Germans at Amiens on the 8th of August. On this day, Thomas was killed in action when his unit was advancing from Villers-Bretonneux. Thomas was in the open alongside the village of Warfusce, when an Allied artillery shell fell short. He was hit in the head by a shell fragments and died instantly. After the war, Thomas was re-buried at Villers-Bretonneux Military Cemetery, Villers-Bretonnuex, France. His name is recorded on a plaque at Dredge's Cottage in Campbelltown.