Thomas ‘Tom’ Sydenham Smyth

SMYTH, Thomas ‘Tom’- Sydenham- – – – SPC 1914

DoB:- – 1898, St Peters, NSW

Father:- – Thomas Smyth

Mother:- – Bridget

Tom Sydenham Smyth was a boarder at St Patrick’s from NSW.

Service No: – 3632

Rank:- – Private

Unit:- – 30th Battalion

Tom Smyth enlisted on 7 February 1916. He was 18 years and two months old, five feet, eight inches tall, with a fresh complexion, blue eyes and brown hair. He was a single man, whose occupation was barman.

Private Smyth embarked from Australia aboard the Ballarat on 5 August 1916, disembarking at Plymouth, England on 30 September. He marched in to the 8th Training Battalion before proceeding to France on 5 December 1916.

On 9 January 1917 he was admitted to the 14th Field Ambulance in France, suffering from vomiting. Two weeks later he was struck down with influenza near Amiens, causing him to be transferred to the Convalescent Hospital at Boulogne. On 23 March, he was wounded in action, suffering gunshot wounds in both thighs. He was evacuated out from Havre to hospital in England.

By August 1917, Private Smyth was well enough to abscond. His crime was being Absent Without Leave in London, from 12 noon on 26 August till 3pm 31 August 1917. He had to forfeit 14 days’ pay for this crime.

He proceeded overseas again to France on 24 October 1917 where he rejoined his battalion. In January 1918 Private Smyth was hospitalised for three months suffering from Pleurisy. He rejoined his unit on 14 April, but by 22 April was again requiring treatment, this time for scabies.

On 10 June 1919, Smyth was returned to Australia aboard the Port Lyttleton, disembarking at Melbourne on 5 August 1919. He was discharged from the AIF on 7 November at Sydney.

Thomas Smyth settled back in his home town of Sydney, and married Dorothy Catherine Sherack in 1923 at St Peter’s, NSW. He died on 23 October 1962, aged 64 years. He was buried at Woronora Cemetery, Sutherland, NSW.