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Thomas Francis Carroll - Information

Thomas Francis Carroll was born in Camden on the 26th of May 1896. When he was older, he began supporting himself as a labourer. Just after he turned 18 years old, Thomas decided to see the world and volunteer for war service. He enlisted on the 22nd of December 1914 in Liverpool. After training, Thomas was sent overseas on the 11th of February 1915.

Landing in Egypt, Thomas was quickly transported to Gallipoli to join the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force on the 30th of April. Thomas fought in the trenches for much of the Gallipoli Campaign. Conditions were terrible, poor rations, water and heat caused much sickness. Consequently, on the 27th of August, he was evacuated on the Hospital Ship Nile with gastritis. He reached Egypt and was admitted to the 1st Australian General Hospital at Heliopolis. The following month, he was placed on lighter duties. However, ten days later, he was rushed back to the 3rd Auxiliary Hospital with dysentery. Within a month, Thomas was feeling better, and was stationed to Base Details in Zeitoun. On the 13th of November, he rejoined his unit again on the Gallipoli Peninsula. Luckily, the campaign was proving too costly and it was called off. Returning to Egypt for yet more training; the men were bored. In February 1916, Thomas was taken to hospital with gonorrhoea, twice. In mid May, he was transferred to a Pioneer Training Battalion. He was then shipped to the Western Front in France, departing Alexandria in early June.

Once in France, he was marched out to Etaples where he joined the 4th Pioneer Battalion. However, after this, Thomas began having disciplinary problems.

In July, he went absent without leave, and was apprehended in the field. He went AWL again in August and October. Then in February 1917, while he was in a working party, he left without permission, and was later apprehended by a policeman from Amiens. He was then brought before a General Court Martial on the 3rd of April, charged with going AWL. He was found guilty and fined 60 days pay. On the 2nd of May, he was brought before another Court Martial. Whilst he was previously in lawful custody for a Court Martial he had escaped on the 28th of April. This time, he was found guilty and sentence to 6 months imprisonment at hard labour, losing a total of 184 days pay. He was committed to No. 2 Military Prison in mid July. However, on the 16th of October, his sentence was remitted, and he left prison to rejoin his unit having only served three months. No doubt the difficulty in replenishing the ranks with new volunteers led to this desperation. At the beginning of 1918, Thomas was granted a furlough in the UK. While in England, he reported to the hospital in Bulford with venereal disease. After treatment, he was sent back to the Western Front in mid April. The following month, he was transferred to the 4th Machine Gun Battalion. He was then wounded in action on the 6th of June, receiving a gun shot wound to his left hand. The damage was severe, and he was subsequently evacuated to the 1st Southern General Hospital in England. Thomas remained in England until the war ended. He was sent back to Australia as a result of his wound to his hand on the 20th of November 1918.

After he returned home from the war, he was living at a hostel at 202 Morison Rd in Ryde. However, by 1933 he was admitted to a State Hospital in Liverpool.