Name |
Thomas Valentine Copperwaite |
Born |
1897 |
Ballarat, Victoria, Australia |
Gender |
Male |
Military Service |
4 May 1915 |
Ballarat, Victoria, Australia |
- Serviceman No. 348, Thomas joined the 21st Battalion of the Australian Imperial Force at the age of 18 years and 5 months. he joined as an Engineer. His home address at the time of his enlistment was given as: 615 Windermere Street, Ballarat.
On 18 May 1915, 2 weeks after enlisting, Thomas embarked at Melbourne aboard HMAT "Ulysses". This took him initially to Gallipoli were he served with the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force and then on to Alexandria.
The only blemish on Thomas's service record was when he was confined to base for 2 days for "Breaking Camp and being Absent from Roll Call" on 16 February 1916. His service record notes that punishment was taken in the "Canal Zone". This probably refers to the Suez Canal.
A month later on 19 March 1916, Thomas embarked from Alexandria, destination France. He arrived in Marseilles on 26 March 1916. He would probably have almost immediately been sent to the Western Front in Northern France where he was killed in action on 26 August 1916.
On 13 September 1916, just over 2 weeks after his death, Thomas's name was published as appreciation by the Army Corps Commander of the "good services whilst the Division held a portion of the line at Pozieres ". Pozieres is in the Somme region and is about 4 miles south-east of Serre, near to which Thomas was killed.
Thomas's full military service record can be viewed at the National Archives of Australia by clicking here.
|
Buried |
1916 |
Serre, Pas de Calais, France |
Address: Serre Road Cemetery No.1: Section VII, Row H, Plot18 |
|
CWGC Commemoration: COPPERWAITE, Thomas Valentine (1916) Thomas served in the 21st Battalion, Australian Infantry. He was killed in action in the Somme on 26 August 1916. Plot: Section VII, Row H, Plot 18 |
Died |
26 Aug 1916 |
Serre, Pas de Calais, France |
Cause: Killed in Action |
Address: Moquet Farm |
Siblings |
3 siblings |
| 1. John (Jack) Arthur Copperwaite b. 1900, Ballarat, Victoria, Australia d. 1980, Geelong, Victoria, Australia (Age 80 years)
| + | 2. Alfred Copperwaite b. 14 May 1905, Ballarat, Victoria, Australia d. 1978, Ballarat, Victoria, Australia (Age 72 years)
| | 3. Roy Copperwaite b. 12 Apr 1911, Ballarat, Victoria, Australia d. 1995, Ballarat, Victoria, Australia (Age 83 years)
| |
Headstones |
Submit Headstone Photo |
Person ID |
I9048 |
Mitchell Families |
Last Modified |
28 Feb 2009 |
Father |
John Thomas Copperwaite (ID:I9043) b. 1876, Mt Doran, Victoria, Australia d. 1936, Ballarat, Victoria, Australia (Age 60 years) |
Mother |
Elizabeth Northnagel (ID:I9046) b. 1873, Waterloo, Victoria, Australia d. 1954, Ballarat, Victoria, Australia (Age 81 years) |
Married |
6 May 1897 |
Ballarat, Victoria, Australia |
Family ID |
F2393 |
Group Sheet | Family Chart |