SAPPER THOMAS PHILIP LE HURAY
3933 – 2nd Tunnelling Company
Born at Sandhurst, Victoria in 1876, Thomas Philip was the son of William Henry and Elizabeth Helena (nee McGrath) Le Huray.
His father William was born in 1829 at Fort Parish, Guernsey, Channel Islands and died on 31 May 1899 at Bendigo. Elizabeth was born in 1842 at Bombay, Maharashtra, India and died on 1 November 1886 at Bendigo.
Thomas had two sisters. Mary Angelina was born at Sandhurst in 1874 and died in 1875. Selina Maud was born at Bendigo in 1879 and died at Ballarat on 28 July 1912.
Thomas Phillip Le Huray married Rose Ann Weiland in Bendigo in 1897.
Children born at Bendigo were Thomas William in 1898; Olive May, born 1900; Leslie Phillip, born 1901; Alma Winifred, born 1906; and an unnamed child who died 1908. Jean Rose was born in 1910; Leontine Gwendoline in 1913 and Sydney Winston Albert in 1915, all at Golden Square.
The 1909 Electoral Rolls records Thomas, Miner, at Golden Square and living at 399 High Street, Bendigo with his wife Rose.
Stating that he was a Miner by trade, Thomas signed the ‘Attestation Paper of Persons Enlisted for Service Abroad’, and the Oath to ‘well and truly serve’ at Bendigo on 2 March 1916.
He named as his next-of-Kin his wife Mrs. Rose Ann Le Huray of 399 High Street, Bendigo and allotted three-fifths of his pay for the support of his wife and children.
A medical examination the same day recorded that he was 39 years and 11 months of age; that he was 5ft 9ins tall and weighed 200 lbs. He had a dark complexion, grey eyes and blackish-grey hair. He was of the Church of England faith. Numerous scars were recorded as distinguishing marks.
Thomas was immediately appointed to No.5 Tunnelling Company at Broadmeadows, Victoria.
Thomas embarked at Melbourne on Warilda with No.5 Tunnelling Company in May 1916.
Two Sections of the Northern recruits to form the No.4 Company had embarked from Brisbane, Queensland early in May, 1916 aboard HMAT A69 Warilda for Sydney, New South Wales (NSW). Six officers and 152 other ranks together with the 1st Reinforcements of fifteen other ranks made up the two sections.
At Rosebery Park, Sydney, NSW they joined their Headquarters and two sections (8 officers & 153 O.Rs.) plus 1st Reinforcements consisting of one officer and seventeen other ranks for final training.
The 7713 ton transport departed Sydney, NSW on May 22, 1916 and collected in Melbourne, Victoria the No.5 Company recruited from Victoria, South Australia & Tasmania consisting of a Headquarters and 2 Sections (8 officers & 173 men) (3 M.D.). 1 Section from Tasmania (3 officers & 76 O.Rs); also 1st Reinforcements for No 5 Company (17 men from Vic. & 8 men Tas.)
The ship departed on May 25, 1916 for Adelaide, S.A. to collect one Section of 3 officers & 76 O.Rs with 1st Reinforcements of 8 O.Rs.
Docking at Fremantle, W.A. on June 1, 1916 No.6 Company, recruited from W.A. and comprised of 14 officers and 325 O.Rs along with 1st Reinforcements of 1 Officer & 32 O.Rs, embarked and Warilda departed the same day for the European theatre.
Durban, South Africa was reached on June 16, 1916 and Cape Town on June 21, 1916 while St Vincent completed the African ports of call on July 7, 1916.
Discipline was fairly good except at intermediate ports where soldiers going Absent Without Leave caused concern. The fifty-eight day voyage experienced remarkably pleasant weather and terminated at Plymouth, England on July 18, 1916. Four, Five and Six Companies comprising of 1064 officers and other ranks were detrained to Amesbury and Tidworth to begin training for the front.
Thomas, and most of No.5 Company, proceeded overseas to France on 28 August 1916 and marched in to the 2nd Australian Divisional Base Depot (ADBD) on 30 August. He marched out to the 2nd Australian Tunnelling Company on 29 September and was taken on strength the same day.
Thomas reported sick on 23 December 1916 and was admitted to an Australian Casualty Clearing Station. He was transferred to the 10th Australian Field Ambulance on 26 December with bronchitis and rejoined his unit on 4 January 1917.
On 12 January he was attached to the 1st Canadian Tunnelling Company.
He was admitted to the 10th Casualty Clearing Station on 5 March 1917 with pyrexia and transferred to the 47th D.R.S. the same day. He was transferred back to the 10th C.C.S. on 9 March and transferred by 10 Ambulance Train to Wimereux where he was admitted to the 8th Stationary Hospital on 12 March with influenza.
Thomas was evacuated to England on 15 March 1917 with influenza and admitted to Norfolk War Hospital, Norwich, the same day.
On 10 April he was transferred to No.2 Australian Auxiliary Hospital, St Marylebone Schools, Southall.
He was discharged from hospital on 14 April 1917 and marched in to No.2 Command Depot, Weymouth, the same day. On 10 May a Medical Board found that he was permanently unfit for general service, but fit for home service.
Thomas left England on 22 July 1917 on board Nestor for return to Australia and home service due to debility and rheumatism.
His Next-of Kin was advised on 23 August that he was returning to Australia.
Thomas disembarked at Melbourne on 24 September 1917.
Discharged in Melbourne on 16 November 1917, he was entitled to wear the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.
From 17 November 1917 his wife Rose was granted a War pension on £1 per fortnight. She also received 13 shillings and threepence per fortnight in respect of their daughter Dorothy Isabel; 10 shillings for daughter Jean Rose and 6 shillings and sixpence for their son Sydney Winston.
In 1919 Thomas a Miner at Golden Square living at 399 High Street, Bendigo with Rose Le Huray.
In September 1923 his service and medical records were provided to the Repatriation Commission, Melbourne.
In the 1925 Electoral Roll, Thomas is a Hospital employee living at 9 Royal Parade, Caulfield with his wife Rose. The 1928 Roll records Thomas and Rose still at 9 Royal Parade. Daughter Dorothy Isabella, factory employee, and son Thomas William, bricklayer are living with them.
Thomas Philip Le Huray died on 12 June 1928 and was buried at Cheltenham Pioneer Cemetery, Grave: 84*45CE*O. A War Grave Headstone was provided.
By 1931 the children had left and Rose Ann continued to live at 9 Royal Parade until at least 1949.
Rose Ann Le Huray died in 1963 and was cremated on 8 July 1963 at Springvale Botanical Cemetery.
Their son also served in WW1.
CORPORAL THOMAS WILLIAM LE HURAY
331 – 2nd Aust General Hospital / 12th Field Ambulance / Aust. Graves Section
Thomas William enlisted at Bendigo on 8 March 1916. At just 18 years and 5 months of age, he had already been rejected for service for being underweight.
He embarked with the 38th Infantry Battalion at Melbourne on 20 June 1916 on board HMAT A54 Runic, disembarking at Plymouth, England on 10 August.
On 16 September he marched in to the 2nd Training Battalion, Larkhill and proceeded overseas to France the same day to join the reinforcements, 6th Infantry Battalion.
On 26 December he was attached for duty with the 2nd Australian General Hospital (2AGH) at Wimereux, and was taken on strength of that unit the same day.
He was admitted to 2AGH on 3 July 1917 with a septic heel, and was discharged back to duty one week later. On 22 August he was charged with being absent from duty between 1 p.m. and 2.30 p.m. on that day and was awarded 168 hours Confined to Barracks.
Thomas proceeded on leave on 19 November 1917, rejoining his unit on 3 December.
On 9 January 1918 he proceeded to the Australian General Base Depot, Havre on attainment of the age of 19. He was struck off the strength of the 2AGH. On 23 January he was taken on strength of the 12th Field Ambulance in the field.
He was admitted at his own unit on 25 May with pyrexia, NYD (not yet diagnosed). On 26 May he was transferred to the 5th Casualty Clearing Station and on 27 May he was transferred to the 47th General Hospital with Trench Fever. Evacuated to England on 31 May, he was admitted to Horton County of London War Hospital at Epsom the next day.
On 3 July he was discharged from hospital to the No.3 Command Depot, Hurdcott. He was admitted to the Group Hospital on 5 September with a sprained right ankle. He marched in to No.4 Command Depot on 20 September.
On 24 October 1918 he was awarded 4 days Field Punishment No.2 and forfeiture of 8 days pay for being absent without leave from 18 to 22 October 1918.
He was again attached for duty to 2AGH on 8 February 1919. On 9 April he was admitted to 2AGH with tonsillitis and was discharged back to staff duty on 17 April.
On 12 May 1919 he reported to A.I.F. Headquarters for duty with War Memorials Section, Australia House, and was taken on strength of the 46th Battalion for demobilisation purposes only, but remained on attachment to A.I.F. Headquarters.
He was taken on strength of the Australian Graves Services (AGS), England on 1 September 1919. On 30 November he became eligible for 15 days additional disembarkation leave.
On 1 May 1920 he was charged with drunkenness, for which he was admonished and forfeited 3 days pay. On 8 May he was taken on strength of A.G.S. France, ex A.G.S. England.
On1 November 1920 he was granted 14 days leave to Cologne, rejoining the AGS on 14 November.
He was admitted to the 35th General Hospital, Calais, on 29 January 1921 with jaundice.
He was discharged from hospital on 29 January 1921 and on 11 February 1922 he embarked for England and was struck off strength of the AGS.
Thomas left London on 23 February 1922 for return to Australia on board Benalla, disembarking in Melbourne on 10 April 1922. Discharged from the A.I.F. on 27 June 1922, he was entitled to wear the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.
In June 1930 his service and medical records were provided to the Repatriation Commission, Melbourne.
In 1931 Thomas William Le Huray, bricklayer, was living at 20 Bayles Street, Parkville. Thomas William was very active in the Minority Movement and possibly a member of the Communist Party and several articles appeared in the press concerning his activities and his run-ins with Police and civil authorities.
Thomas William Le Huray died on 21 February 1931.
Members of the Le Huray are memorialised at the Cheltenham Cemetery at the grave of Thomas Phillip Le Huray whose War Grave Headstone has been decommissioned.
© Donna Baldey 2015 / 2016