Thomas Bernard McManamny

McMANAMNY, Thomas Bernard- – – – SPC ?

DoB:- – 26 June 1892, Ballarat, VIC

Father:- – Thomas McManamny, wood merchant/cartage

Mother:- – Margaret, nee Carmody

The McManamny family had a cartage contracting business in Ballarat, which used many horses. The ability to manage and work with horses stood Tom in good stead when he was a Bombadier in France where horses were used to move the large guns.

Service No:- 6801

Rank:- – Driver, later Bombadier

Unit:- – 12th Battery, Unit 4 Field Artillery Brigade

Tom McManamny enlisted on 23 July 1915 at the age of 23 years and one month. He was five feet, nine and a half inches tall, with a sallow complexion, blue eyes and dark brown hair. He was unmarried and worked as a warehouseman.

He embarked from Melbourne on 18 November 1915 aboard the Wiltshire. Not long after he proceeded to France from England, he was hospitalised for 53 days for gonorrhoea in the venereal diseases hospital. He rejoined his unit after being discharged from treatment.

In May 1917 Tom was once again hospitalised briefly for tonsillitis, and was returned to his unit on 12 May. Five days later he was wounded in action, suffering shell gas poisoning. He was transferred through various Casualty Clearing Stations, finally moving from the 18th General Hospital at Camiers to the 6th Convalescent Depot at Etaples where he recuperated until 12 June 1917.

Bombadier McManamny remained in France until early 1919. In April he proceeded to England where he prepared to be returned to Australia. He embarked aboard the Runic on 27 April, disembarking at Melbourne on 10 June. He was discharged from the AIF on 23 August 1919.

Back in Australia, Tom married Eileen Miriam Gallagher in 1920, and they lived at 20 Strathalbyn Street, Kew. Tom died on 21 July 1960 at the age of 68. According to his family, Tom’s death at a relatively young age was due in no small part to the injuries he sustained during the war. His death certificate reveals that the cause of his death was cerebral thrombosis (ie, a stroke), but that he had suffered from hypertension for many years.

Thomas Bernard McManamny was survived by Eileen, and their two sons, Thomas and John. He was buried at the Melbourne General Cemetery, Carlton.