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Married: 3rd March 1919. St Edmund's Catholic Church, Southampton, England.
Died: 1936. Bingara, New South Wales, Australia. Death Cert:14118/1936.
Mother: Annie Rourke. nee: Unknown
Thomas William Rourke enlisted with B Company, 33rd Battalion on the 28th of January
1916 and was an original member of the Battalion and left Sydney ob board HMAT A74 "Marathon" on the 4th
of May 1916 and was promoted the the rank of Sergeant. He disembarked at Devonport, England on
the 9th of July and was marched to the Durrington Army Camp at Larks Hill before proceeding overseas
on the 21st of November and was Taken on in Strength in the field with the 33rd Battalion.
Thomas was Wounded in Action on the 24th of February after leading
a wirecutting party, receiving a Shrapnel Wound to the Left Thigh
and was treated at the 10th Australian Field Ambulance before being transfered to the 2nd Australian
Clearing Station and on the 28th of February he was sent to the 3rd Canadian General Hospital before
being evacuated to England on board the Hospital Ship "Cambria".
After recovering in hospital in England, thomas was granted a furlo from the 3rd till the 18th of
May. It was whilst he was in England Thomas was awarded the Distinguised
Conduct Medal on the 5th of June.
5th June 1917
Sergeant: 536 Thomas William ROURKE Battalion AIF. This Non Commissioned
Officer has done conspicuously good service. He is cool, devoted to duty and has proved himself
to be a most capable leader. In the raid of February 24/25th he led the advanced party of wirecutters,
and prudently avoided an open space which he thought, and which proved to be covered by an enemy
bombing post. Under heavy fire and bombing he kept his men well in hand, and directed with remarkable
coolness the cutting of the wire and the laying of nets over the wire, and of bridges over a
disused trench close to the enemy's parapet.
His example of energy and steady devotion to duty has had a splendid effect on the men of his
Company. Though wounded himself, an under heavy fire, he brought back to our trenches one of
our wounded men from the enemy's parapet. This Sergeant has, since his Battalion reached France,
consistantly showed himself able to maintain his platoon at a high standard of efficiency.
London Gazette: 4th June 1917, page 5491, position 20.
Commonwealth Gazette: 4th October 1917, page 2627, position 70.
After receiving this award Thomas was sent to the School of Signalling where he remained as an
Instructor with the Brigade Signal School, and it wasn't until the 20th of March 1918 that Thomas
again proceeded overseas for France via Southampton. He was Taken on Strength with the 33rd in the
field on the 18th of April and promoted the Temporary Company Sergeant Major
Warrant Officer class 2. He held this rank for the next month but reverted back to
Sergeant when Company Sergeant Major: 484 Ernest Shadrack KEY rejoined
the Battalion on the 16th of May 1918.
Thomas remained with the Battalion for the next 3 months and found himself suffering from a
Disability and was admitted to Hospital on the 20th of August
and he was evacuated to England 5 day later. Thomas was granted a furlo from the 11th till the
25th of October and was ordered to report to London Headquarters on the 25th. Thomas remained in
London and was admitted to Hospital on the 5th of February 1919, suffering from
Severe Pneumonia.
Whilst my have been whilst Thomas was in hospital or on furlo that he met and married Jessie Fish
who was a Draper's Assistant from 140 Portswood Road, Southampton. They were married at the St Edmund's
Catholic Church, Southampton, on the 3rd March 1919. Jessie's father William Fish was an Insurance
Agent from Southampton.
They remained in England until returning to Australia on the 23rd of July 1919 on board the "Main"
but Thomas wasn't discharged from the AIF until the 19th of January 1920. Thomas and Jessie moved
back to Bingara, N.S.W. Thomas died in 1936 at Bingara and Jessie had Solicitors "Ryan & Ryan" of
Bingara and Barraba write to the Army Base Records on the 18th of August 1936 requesting Birth
Details for Thomas as Jessie was in Poor Circumstances and wished
to secure payment from her husbands small life insurance policy.
Thomas was a single 34 year old Farmer from "Glenroy" Myall Creek, Bingara, N.S.W. upon enlistment.
No family records were found, only a Death Certificate for Thomas who died in 1936 at Bingara, N.S.W.
Death Cert:14118/1936
Gold Tribute Fob was presented by Residents of Bingara to A Bingara Soldier of
the Great War "HIS COUNRTY CALLED HE ANSWERED"
(Australian National Archives)
Under Construction 09/11/2007.
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