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Thomas Day - Information

Labourer Thomas Day was born in Armidale c1896. Thomas then came to the Camden area, where he resided with a Mary Starr in Elderslie. He had completed a 4 year apprenticeship with a Mr C. A. Denis, and was still in the Camden area, when he decided to enlist in the AIF. He signed up in Goulburn on the 16th of April 1916. Thomas trained at Goulburn Depot, and was eventually allotted to the 2nd Reinforcements, 35th Battalion in Rutherford. Thomas boarded the HMAT Port Sydney in Sydney on the 4th of September 1916.

The Port Sydney sailed into Plymouth Harbour at the end of October. While conducting further exercises, Thomas was admitted to the Fargo Military Hospital with haemorrhoids. He was discharged in February 1917, however, soon returned with appendicitis. After he was feeling better, he left Folkestone for France in mid March, joining the 35th Battalion in the field. Shortly after arriving in the frontlines, Thomas was wounded in action. On the 11th of June during the Battle of Messines, an artillery blast tore his left arm. He was rushed to the 3rd Canadian General Hospital in Boulogne. He was then evacuated to England to the Royal Surrey Hospital. The explosion caused a compound fracture to his humerus. After Thomas initially recovered, he was moved to the 3rd Auxiliary Hospital in Dartford and later enjoyed some convalescence in Weymouth. While he was at Dartford, a medical examination was performed. It was uncovered that the artillery shell had also damaged the muscle tissue in his arm. Classed as unfit for active service, he was therefore, invalided back to Australia on the 5th of April 1918.

When Thomas reached Australia, he was still requiring treatment, and was taken to the 4th Australian General Hospital in Randwick. Returning to Camden, the War Service Association gave him a welcome home party in August 1918. Thomas eventually found work in the Stores Depot at the Royal Australian Air Force in Regeants Park, where he lived on base.