Thomas Harold Blomley

Thomas Harold Blomley was born in 1896 in Tooma, New South Wales. Thomas was the middle child of George and Charlotte (née Gill) Blomley. He had an elder brother, George Ivo Leslie, and a younger sister, Doris Daphne.

When enlisting on the 2nd of October, 1915, Thomas was a single, “22-year-old” postal assistant working in Yass, New South Wales. He was given the Regimental Number 2314 and was put on strength with the 16th Reinforcements of the 7th Light Horse Regiment. His medical examination shows a man 5 feet 8 inches (173 cm) tall and weighing nine stone 11 lbs (62kg). His complexion was fair, his eyes grey, and his hair fair. Thomas’ religious denomination was given as the Church of England. He stated in his attestation details that he had previous military experience, having served with C Company of the 43rd Militia at Yass for two years. Family records indicate that he added two years to his age so he wouldn’t require his parents' permission to enlist.

Thomas embarked on HMAT A56 Palermo sailing from Sydney, New South Wales, on the 18th of April, 1916. The trip would take him across the Great Australian Bight to Fremantle, on to Colombo, in Ceylon, before finally disembarking at Suez. Upon disembarking, he was taken on strength with the 2nd Light Horse Regiment at Tel-el-Kebir on the 10th of May. 

Two months later, on the 15th of July, Thomas was transferred to the 12th Company of the ICC (Imperial Camel Corps) at Abbassia. Three months later, he was promoted to temporary Lance Corporal. On the 11th of November, 1916, he was once again transferred, this time to the 3rd Battalion of the Imperial Camel Corps.

In June of 1917, he was admitted to hospital with a septic hand and ulcers. In the space of one week, from the 3rd of June to the 11th of June, he would pass through the ICC Field Ambulance, to the 54th Casualty Clearing Station, the 25th Casualty Clearing Station, the 24th Casualty Clearing Station, and finally the 14th Australian General Hospital at Abbassia. He would return to his unit on the 21st of June, 1917.

Australian troops were renowned for their casual attitude towards spit and polish and towards army regulations. On the 9th of July, Thomas was charged with 1)failing to salute an officer when on active service and 2)slovenly behaviour in the Orderly Room. He was admonished of both charges. Eleven days later, he was posted to No. 3 Battalion, 12th Company of the ICC, as a signaller, which, at that time, had moved into Palestine to be part of the northern push of Allied forces against the Turks.

The war in Palestine was very much about water. After Turkish Forces retreated from Beersheba, they developed holding lines to prevent Allied forces from accessing water supplies. One such place was Tel Khuweilfeh, a prominent hill 18 km north of Beersheba.

Allied troops under the command of Lieutenant-General Harry Chauvel were instructed to take the Turkish positions at Tel Khuweilfeh. The force consisted of the 53rd (Welsh) Division, the Anzac Mounted Division, the 5th Mounted Brigade and the Yeomanry Mounted Division. The first stages of the battle would commence on the 1st of November, 1917.

An axiom of war is that no plan survives first contact with the enemy. Several movement errors resulted in the 3rd Battalion of the ICC finding itself, as the Battalion War Diarist recorded, “lying down in the open, in front of what proved a very strongly held hill, impregnable from a frontal attack” (see image). What followed was a long, protracted encounter that would not be over until the 8th of November, when Turkish forces withdrew from the position. The Imperial Camel Corps suffered 76 casualties, one of whom was Thomas.

On the 12th of November, 1917, a friend of Thomas’, Signaller Les Thomas, wrote a letter to Thomas’ mother, Mrs Charlotte Blomley.

“Being Tom’s mate practically since his arrival from Australia, I think it my duty and respect to forward you a few lines with details of his death in action on the 6 November 1917. You have been notified, no doubt, by the Military Authorities before this but still one likes to have a little better information than what they give.

We were attacking on the extreme right flank (a very important position) and were into action before daybreak. Things got at their worst just as day was breaking, and it was at this time that poor old Tom got hit. He was lying down taking cover behind his helio, and the bullet passed through his throat. Death must have been instantaneous. He has been properly buried, close to a few more of the poor boys and also our Section Officer, who was killed the following day.”

Thomas’ CO (Commanding Officer) also wrote to Mrs Blomley.

"Palestine - 23rd November 1917

I wish to offer the sympathy of the Company and myself in the great loss you have sustained in the death of your son. He had endeared himself to everyone in the whole Company. It may help you to know that he suffered no pain. We buried him at the foot of the hill near where he fell with several others of my Company who fell the same day. I will try and send you a photo of his last resting place. He was a brave boy and died fighting for the Empire and I feel I have lost a very dear friend.

Yours sincerely,

Leslie C. Bell (Captain)."

Chaplain C. Scott-Little buried Thomas in a small Camel Corps cemetery in Tel el Khuweilfe. Later, in October of 1918, Mr and Mrs Blomley would receive a small brown paper package that contained their son’s effects. It consisted of one hairbrush, one balaclava cap, several letters, and a testament.

After the war, his remains were reinterred in the Beersheba War Cemetery, 75 kilometres southwest of Jerusalem. Thomas is remembered on the Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour and the Tumbarumba District Roll of Honour WW1. For his service during the First World War, he was awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.