PRIVATE THOMAS PATRICK BALMER
NO. 3002, 6TH BATTALION, FIRST AUSTRALIAN IMPERIAL FORCE
22/2/1890 – 21/8/1949
Medals Gone Missing
I have registered the WW 1 medals issued to Private Thomas Patrick Balmer as missing on this website in the hope of finding them. They may be with a distant relative although that seems remote as my mother, who first started the research on her uncle believed one of his sisters sold them after his death in 1949.
Regardless of this uncertainty as to where his medals went after his death, this story of the war experience of Tommy Balmer, a soldier of the 6th Battalion, First AIF is provided to accompany the request to find his medals. It aims to illustrate how meaningful and deserving he was of those tangible symbols of his personal sacrifice that took away his best years, ruined his health and ultimately caused his death. If anyone can assist, please contact me through the website.
IMAGE RIGHT: Private Thomas Patrick BALMER, 6th Battalion AIF.
Tommy Balmer – An introduction to the family and the man
This story started with my mother, Alice Manison (nee Jurey) and her research into her family history and one of the persons of interest was her favorite; Uncle Tommy – her mother’s brother. A few years back she gave me all of her papers and included in them was some military records of Private Thomas Patrick Balmer, a soldier of the First AIF. She started to research his war-time history but never got too far. I always knew about Uncle Tommy fighting in the First World War because we had a set of binoculars at home that he brought back as a souvenir of the war and they came to my mother after his death. As a lad I was fascinated by them and played with them for hours, especially playing soldier.
I have them now and they are probably one of the few tangible links remaining between Uncle Tommy and his family.
IMAGE LEFT: The binoculars brought home by Private Thomas Patrick BALMER from the Great War.
Having retired and been a detective for many years in the NT Police, I decided to use my investigation skills and experience to finish off my mother’s work and research Uncle Tommy’s war years and this is the result.
One thing I can state from my research is all Australians should be very proud of this man and all the other Diggers from the Great War whose stories will probably never be told.
The Boy from Footscray
Tommy Balmer’s father Edward Balmer emigrated from Liverpool, England in 1880 and married a first generation Australian girl from Geelong, Jane Kearney in 1882. Her parents had emigrated from Ireland and arrived at Geelong in the colony of Victoria in 1857. Edward and Jane (better known as Jenny) settled in Footscray a suburb of Melbourne and raised seven children, all being girls except the fourth child, Patrick (that was the name registered at birth) although he was always known as Thomas Patrick Balmer.
Tommy was a bachelor and lived his life except for the war service years at Footscray. His nieces and nephews remember him with fondness as he was well regarded by all of the family because of his kindness and generosity and the fact he has supported his widowed mother and family since he was a young lad. One niece remembers Uncle Tommy would give her (and when it was their turn, other sisters) seven pence to clean his boots on a Saturday. That amount got you into the pictures and bought some sweets at Footscray in the early 1930’s. Another niece remembers Uncle Tommy would always take his mother and after her death, his sister, together with one or two of his nieces to the Metro Cool Stores annual picnic. (He worked for Metro before and after the War.) The picnickers travelled aboard the SS Edina down Port Phillip Bay to Portsea from Port Melbourne in the morning and returned in the late afternoon. This was an annual highlight for the young girls from Footscray and is fondly remembered. On a darker side another niece remembered his terrible cough and labored breathing in winter as he sat in his chair beside the fire – everyone knew it was caused by the gas in the war!
Private Tommy Balmer
The account of Private Thomas Balmer’s service in the First AIF is based on a number of documents, books and recollections of his family. The main sources of information include his official service history (available on the Internet at the National Archives), the battalion history of the 6th Battalion 1st AIF written by Ron Austin titled As Rough As Bags, Les Carlyon’s book The Great War, recollections from three of his nieces, the recounted stories about Uncle Tommy from a late nephew, retold by his daughter.
Call to Arms
On 13 July 1915 Thomas Balmer joined up in Melbourne. He was allocated service number 3002 and was assigned to the 10th Reinforcements, 6th Battalion, First AIF. The 6th Battalion was an original battalion of the First AIF, formed in 1914 and made up of men from Melbourne’s inner suburbs. It trained at Broadmeadows and embarked for overseas about October 1914 from Melbourne. The battalion had fought at Gallipoli from the first day, 25 April 1915, until they were relieved in September. They lost 420 killed from the original strength of 900. Another 680 would be killed by war’s end.
The ANZAC landing at Gallipoli had a huge impact on Australia and the sacrifice and tales of heroism inspired many to join up and do the right thing and Tommy Balmer, a single 25 year old labourer from Footscray was not going to miss out.
Tommy Balmer was 25 year and 3 months old on enlistment and was described as five foot seven inches (172cm), weighed 10 stone (64kg), chest measurement 32.5 inches that expanded to 35.5 inches, sallow complexion, grey eyes, dark brown hair and Roman Catholic. He was born on 22nd February 1890 at Footscray and his birth was registered by his mother Jane Balmer as Patrick Balmer – there was no Thomas? Where the Thomas came from will remain a mystery but it can be observed that Jane’s father was named Patrick Kearney and he passed away in 1877.
The Journey
After ten weeks training, Private Balmer embarked from Melbourne for Egypt on 29th September 1915 on RMS Osterley. He arrived in Egypt and was taken on the battalion strength at Tel.el.kebir, on 7th January 1916. It is assumed that he became a member of D Company as in the battalion history the only reference to Private Balmer is his winning the sack race on 26 May 1918 at the Battalion sports for D Company.
Because of the high casualty rate at Gallipoli most of the battalion was now made up of replacements from Australia, like Tommy Balmer. Fortunately for the new arrivals they would be mentored by the battle-hardened veterans who survived Gallipoli who would train the raw recruits and ready them as best they could for three continuous years of combat on the Western Front.
The battalion left Egypt from Alexandria on 26st March 1916 on the Ballarat and arrived at Marseilles, France on 2nd April 1916. From there it travelled by train across France, 60 hours in uncomfortable cattle trucks to Flanders. Flanders is an area of Northern France and Belgium, bordering Holland, Luxemburg and Germany – the map shows the area.
IMAGE RIGHT: The map of Flanders and Northern France as mentioned above. This area encompasses the geographic extent of what is known as the Western Front.
Nearing the end of the trip to Flanders the men of the 6th could hear for the first time the sound of the guns at the front, heavy artillery fire was close. The battalion arrived in Northern France near Messines on the Belgium border and bivouacked at Steenvoorde then Nieppe for a few days, then Steenwerck for two weeks before marching to Erquingham where it was starting to snow – Tommy like most of his mates in the battalion saw snow for the first time. On the 25th April the battalion commemorated the first anniversary of ANZAC landings by holding a Parade.
In Flanders Fields
The battalion was part of the 1st Division, 2nd Brigade (5th, 6th, 7th & 8th Battalions) and once on the Western Front the troops of the battalion were given training in trench warfare and issued with steel helmets, hand grenades and light machine guns and additional heavy machine guns. They were also given gas masks and trained to survive a gas attack. The Gallipoli veterans fought the Turks without steel helmets, made their own grenades and have few machine guns. This was to be a whole new experience, even for the old hands who survived Gallipoli.
On 30 April the Sixth Battalion moved up to the front. They left Erquingham at 1950hrs 30th April and arrived at Fleubaix at 2115hrs. They would stay there for six weeks in the firing line. On the 1 May the Germans began snipping and killed two privates from A Company.
First Blood
On 3 May 1916 Private Balmer was shot and his wound to the right thigh was so severe that he was transferred to England. It can only be speculated that he was hit by a sniper as no attacks had taken place on the day of his wound. He returned to duty on 18 July to be in the thick of the bloody battles the Australians fought at Poziers – A Seething Hell.
This was part of the infamous Battle of the Somme where the slaughter of hundreds of thousands of Allied troops occurred in the space of several weeks. D Company was in the firing line for weeks as part of the Battalions role in trying to capture the village of Poziers from the Germans. They were 300 – 400 yards from the German trenches and were constantly bombarded by German artillery and mortars. One survivor of Poziers, Frank Doyle mentioned the role of D company in the battle, the company Tommy Balmer had just returned to from hospital on the 18 July.
25thJuly: Today we set off to join the battalion, part of whom we found on the way taking water and stew up to the trenches. At the cook house we had tea. We were all loaded up with rations and took them to the reserve trench. We left it there and took water to the front line. Lt Sutcliffe was in charge and we got lost in the wood, for three hours we rushed about under shrapnel and high explosive, dead all over the place. It was like a nightmare, eventually we were guided to the front line. Every ounce of my strength had been taxed. D Company worked under machine gun and rifle fire all day digging a trench – suffered big losses. We got to the line at midnight.
The battalion was relieved on 27 July and examples of the losses were given by one 6th Battalion veteran Ralph Ball – only 5 of the 32 in his platoon survived the battle. Corporal Thomas of B Company remembered Poziers as – Poziers will never be forgotten – a veritable Valley of Death.
In the following weeks because of the high casualty rate and exhaustion of the men the battalion was moved behind the front line and replacements for the dead and wounded were brought in to bring it up to strength. The battalion was located at Bonneville and undertook a great deal of tactical training – needed by the new troops. On 8 August 1916 the battalion marched to Vadnicourt and on the next day they lined the road at Albert for a visit by King George V. Bravery awards were presented by General Birdwood for outstanding work at Poziers. At Albert they received the first mail for a long time. However, it came to an end on 14 August when they marched through rain and constant enemy shell fire back to Poziers.
The battalion relieved the 48th battalion on 15 August at 0300hrs. They were taking casualties and were in badly damaged trenches behind the front line. The trenches were smelling very badly of the dead. The battalion engaged in digging trenches both night and day under constant enemy fire as a series of new trenches was to be used to undertake an attack by the battalion on the German line. The attack was to take place on the night of the 19th August but because of the lack of bombs – only 23 left in the whole battalion – it never happened.
The German bombardment and attacks kept on until the battalion was relieved on 21 August. Another 37 had been killed and 165 wounded. All together 102 men were killed in the two stints at Poziers – many more hundreds were wounded – close on 50% casualty rate for the battalion in only a few days at the front.
The battle weary and exhausted battalion was to have a rest and I think Tommy Balmer’s return to active service from hospital a month earlier was not what he or any rational person would have wanted to experience.
Winter 1916/17
Private Balmer and his battalion returned to Albert for a short time before moving north to Belgium via the usual railway cattle trucks. They took over a sector of the Ypres line south of Zillebeke from the Essex Regiment. They rebuilt the trenches and had a generally quiet time with only trench mortar fire from the Germans on an irregular basis – nothing like the hell of Poziers. The only action was raids at night on the enemy trenches.
The sixth was relieved on 26 September by the First Battalion. It bivouacked at Devonshire Camp near Brandhoek. The Battalion was again moved back to the Somme area which was described as wet and muddy. They marched there in 8 days and had been drenched to the bone every day. They arrived at Albert and bivouacked there and went to the front line on 29th October. The front line was described as a sea of mud. Most of trenches were wrecked and water was waist deep in some and ankle deep in all. Trench Feet were a major problem. The battalion kept busy by rebuilding the trenches and harassing the enemy with skirmishes and raids. The battalion came out of the front line twice more through glutinous mud and shell fire and on 14th December came out of the line and stayed at Hametz. They had snow for Christmas and no fighting.
Trench Feet
Trench feet affected both sides and Private Balmer had a severe case and on the first day on the New Year he was in hospital with a severe case. He was so bad that he was evacuated to England and did not return to France until 26 June 1917. He was fortunate to miss the bloody battles at Bullecourt while in England. On 21 July 1917 he rejoined his unit at Albert. On that day a memorial service was held to commemorate the battle fought by the battalion at Poziers a year earlier.
Belgium and the Somme, Again
The Battalion moved to Belgium on 14th September 1917 and took up a position in the front line at Zillekete. On 17th September Private Balmer was very sick and admitted to hospital with high fever and debility – he was probably worn out and tired.
It is worth noting that when a battalion was out of the front line the troops labored away carrying supplies to the lines, built trenches, dugouts, roads and paths. They also carried supplies for men (food, water, fuel and ammunition) and animals (fodder for the mules and horses), ammunition for a hundred thousand artillery pieces and mortars and building supplies to house over a million men. And of course they had to transport medical supplies for hundreds of thousands of casualties and bury the dead. When not fighting or guarding the front line Tommy Balmer and his mates worked very hard and had little respite and no holidays or leave for years.
While he was in hospital the battalion was engaged in heavy fighting at Glencorse Wood near the infamous Menin Road and the first and only Victoria Cross was won by a member of the battalion. Private Balmer returned to the front line trenches at Torrken Farm near Kemmel on being released from hospital. It was a quiet time for the battalion but very cold as a third winter approached.
The Battalion found itself at Messines in the first week of 1918 and alternated back and forward between the front line and Kemmel. The winter was the quiet time of the war and up to March the men of the battalion were engaged in work parties that ranged from carrying stores and ammunition, building trenches and camps, building roads and assisting with training.
Bloody 1918
The fall of the Russian Empire and Armistice with Russia had freed up the Eastern Front for the Germans and they transferred those troops to the Western Front and in March launched Operation Michael to defeat the allies on the Western Front.
On 25 March 1918 after some 12 weeks of no front line duties the Battalion moved to Wytschaete and held the front line there until 2 April when they were relieved. On 3 April they had a Bath Parade and were issued with new clothes. However, the German offensive was having success and the battalion was rushed south to the Somme. They arrived there and on 10th April they were rushed back to Belgium to halt the enemy offensive. Once there on 13th April they dug in at various places and on 29th April they moved to Pradelle and spent May in and out of the line – 4 days at the front – 4 days in reserve – 4 days behind the line.
From the time they again took up their position in Belgium they were constantly bombarded by shells including gas, were attacked by German aircraft and subject to snipping. They lost men constantly. On 26th May they were relieved and marched to Sercus. At Sercus there was time to relax and the Battalion Sports were held and the sack race was won by Private Balmer of D Company.
On the 4th June the battalion moved into the front line at Merris and was again subjected to heavy bombardments including gas attacks. The battalion responded with raids on enemy trenches and the Australian gunners gave them plenty back. They went in and out of this front line several times and had many casualties. On 14th July 1918 after the final stint at Merris they moved to Racquingham for two weeks rest.
The Final Attack
The Australian troops on the Western Front by this time were formed up into a single Corps under the command of an Australian, General John Monash. The allies after repelling the recent German offensive were to go on the offensive and this was to be led by the Australians. The allied offensive began and the 6th battalion went into action after a hot and dusty march on 8th August to Villers Brettoneaux. D company was in the advance group and endured vicious and bloody fighting. The battalion fought two battles as part of the major battle. The first was at Lihons between 8th and 14th August where the battalion had to be relieved because of it was exhausted and running low of supplies and men. It went back into the battle on 23 August at Herleville Wood with 433 men and finished triumphantly with 147 men. They won the battle and captured 900 prisoners, 4 field guns, 60 machine guns and 20 mortars – at a heavy cost.
A Final Casualty
The Germans had mounted heavy bombardments including gas attacks on the advancing Australians and on 24th and 25th August 1918 – about 120 6th battalion troops fell to gas. Included in the casualties was Private Tommy Balmer. He survived and never saw action again. What remained of the battalion was relieved on the 26 August 1918 and the Battalion never saw action again – it was broken but not defeated. The battalion strength was 900 men and at the end of the battle only 147 were left.
Overall about 5300 served in the battalion. 1100 were killed, 420 at Gallipoli. Wounded numbered in the thousands. The 6th Battalion first went into action on ANZAC Day, 25 April 1915 and its last action was Herleville Wood on 26 August 1918.
Home
Tommy Balmer was evacuated to England as a result of his severe gassing and was discharged from hospital on 5th October 1918. He was given furlough and returned to duty at the Australian Depot, Weymouth on 24th October 1918. He departed for Australia on 25th January 1919 on the Hospital Transport Ceramic and reached Melbourne on 25th March 1919 and was Demobilized. He was officially discharged on 15thMay 1919.
I wonder what repatriation facilities were made available to him in those days. I think I know what his state of mind would have been then and for many years after. For three years he lived in an environment where day-in and day-out artillery shells rained down and killed indiscriminately. He saw horrific sights and probably thousands of dead and dying men – many of them were his mates. He probably killed many of the enemy himself. He cheated death and survived. We now know all of these experiences would have taken a toll on boy from Footscray for the rest of his life.
Private Thomas Patrick Balmer, Service Number 3002, 6th Battalion, 1st AIF was awarded the 1914/15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal. I have never sighted the medals and I like many other family members would like to see them one day. He deserved them like all of his fellow diggers. I was told one of his sisters probably sold them after he died. They like all medals will have his name, number and battalion stamped along the medal edge or reverse
The War at Home
In reading the 23 pages of official war records for Private TP Balmer, one page reflects the pain and anguish that his Mother and family faced. While away at the War four letters were sent to his next of kin, his mother Jane Balmer, informing her that Private Balmer was in hospital – two that he was wounded and two that he was hospitalized because of sickness. Details were scant and all were sent several weeks after the wound or illness occurred. Communication was not a priority for the Army like it is today.
This would have been a stressful time for a mother who was exposed daily to casualty notices published in the newspapers – 61,700 were killed and 155,000 wounded out of the 324,000 that served overseas (60,000 later died after the War from wounds and illness). Concern for the life of their loved ones was on the mind of mothers, wives and families every day – they had a lot to worry about!
In February 1919 Tommy Balmer’s mother received another letter telling her that Tommy was on his way home on a hospital ship – she probably worried about what state he would he be in when he arrived home?
After the War
Tommy Balmer returned to Footscray and lived with his mother who was a widow. Her husband had died in 1909 and since then Tommy had always been the breadwinner. Tommy took care of his mother until she died on ANZAC Day 1932. After she died he moved in with his sister Alice. He never married and he passed away on 21 August 1949 as a result of heart failure, aged 59.
On returning from the War he worked at the Metro Cool Stores in North Melbourne until he retired early because of ill health on a War Service pension. The wounds, illness and gassing had taken their toll. Working at the cool store was not good for his damaged lungs but a job was a job and they were hard to find. His only outing each week was to go to the pub every Saturday afternoon for a few beers with his mates. He lived through World War Two and saw his nephews and nieces husbands go to war – some never came back.
The common recollections of Tommy Balmer or Uncle Tommy were of a kind and gentle man. Alice Manison always remembers him sitting near the fire reading – he never spoke much and was an avid reader. He was also a very private and reclusive person, like his generation, never talked about the War.
I suspect he had been to Hell and never wanted to recall his visit – it may have been the best therapy – it was the only one available at the time.
Rest in Peace Uncle Tommy – you did your country and family proud.
