View source for Thomas Kinsman Bickell

{{infobox soldier
| image           =[[File:Unknown.png|400px|]]
| caption         =
| image2          =
| caption2        =
| dateofbirth	  = 3 Jun 1894
| placeofbirth	  = Lamerton, Devonshire, England
| death	          = 21 Mar 1967
| placeofdeath	  = Mount Barker, Western Australia
| enlistmentage	  = 21 years, 9 months
| description	  = 5'7" (1.70m) tall; weight 140 lbs (63.5 kg); fresh complexion, blue eyes, light brown hair.
| height          = 5'7" (1.70m)
| weight          = 140 lbs
| complexion      = fresh
| eyes            = blue
| hair            = light brown
| descriptionnote = 
| occupation	  = Butcher
| religion	  = Church of England
| address	  = Post Office, Mundijong, Western Australia
| relation	  = Father
| nextofkin       = Mr Thomas Kinsman Bickell
| regnumber	  = [https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=3080255 6232]
| enlistmentdate  = 11 Apr 1916
| rank	          = Private
| unit     	  = 11th Battalion, 20th Reinforcements to B Company / 3rd Brigade, 1st Division
| embarkationdatefrom = 18 Sep 1916
| embarkationdateto = 2 Nov 1916
| shipembarked	  = [[HMAT A46 Clan McGillivray]]
| dateofreturnfrom = 25 Aug 1917
| dateofreturnto  = 17 Oct 1917
| shipreturned    = [[HMAT A24 Benalla]]
| shipreturnednote =
| dateofreturnfrom2 = 
| dateofreturnto2  = 
| shipreturned2    = 
| shipreturnednote2 =
| fate1	          = Wounded in Action 6 May 1917 2nd Bullecourt
| fate2           = Returned to Australia
| fate3           = 
| fate4           =
| monument1	  = [[Mundijong Honour Roll]]
| monumentnote1   =
| monument2	  = [[ANZAC Memorial Park (Byford)]]
| monumentnote2   =
| monument3	  = 
| monumentnote3   =
| monument4	  = 
| monumentnote4   =
| monumentawm     =
| medal1	  =[[British War Medal]]
| medal2          = [[Victory Medal]]
| medal3          =
| medal4          =
}}



==Pre War==
Electoral Roll entries - 1916 Malaga Park, Highgate Hill north, butcher.

==War Service==
After entering the Blackboy Hill camp on 11 Apr 1916, Tom was allocated to the 21st reinforcement draft for the 11th Battalion on 1 May.  However, his training must have gone well, as on 22 Jul 1916 he was placed with the 20th reinforcement draft, and travelled to England aboard [[HMAT A46 Clan McGillivray]], disembarking in Plymouth on 2 Nov 1916. He was sent to the [[11th Training Battalion]] only briefly before on 17 Dec 1916 he proceeded overseas to Étaples on [[HMT Golden Eagle]] from Folkestone. A month later on 17 Jan 1917 he was taken on strength by the [[11th Battalion]] at Bresle in the Somme region. Tom was briefly hospitalised with the [[3rd Field Ambulance]] from 20 - 23 Jan 1917.


On 5 May 1917 the 11th Battalion relieved the 4th Battalion in the front lines trenches at Noreuil, east of Bullecourt, and came under heavy shelling several times during the day.  However, when the enemy sought to launch an attack on them, their coloured signals led to an unintended outcome as the Australian Artillery "smashed" the attack. However at 1:00am the next morning when the enemy again attacked, Australian artillery did not respond, nor did they respond to an SOS signal, so the attack had to be beaten off by rifle and machine gun fire.  A third attack four hours later was in part beaten off by the artillery, but on the right flank the enemy used flamenwerfen (flamethrowers) to capture a section of Australian trench.  Those driven from it, however, regrouped and evicted the Germans with a counter attack.  At some point during the battle Thomas sustained shell wounds to his shoulder and right leg. Seen by the [[5th Field Ambulance]] and passed to the [[3rd Australian Casualty Clearing Station]] he was admitted to the 26th General Hospital in Étaples on 7 May.  

On 10 Aug 1917 he was released to the 6th Convalescent Depot.  Following assessment, it was decided to send Tom home, and on the 14th he was transferred to No. 2 Command Depot [[Weymouth]] to await a ship for Australia where he was discharged by the 5th Military District on 10 Nov 1917, medically unfit for further service. 

==Post War==
1919 married Ivy Ada Mottram. Ivy died 27 May 1978, aged 80.

Electoral Roll entries - 1925- 1931 with Ivy Ada a farmer in Three Springs; 1936 - 1943  farming at Yandanooka; 1954 an agricultural machinery serviceman in Mt Barker; 1963 farmer at Mt Barker.

==Notes==
In 1967 the Mundijong RSL Sub Branch enquires of a K Bickel, and told no such person appears in the records for WW1 or WW2.  
They also enquire on behalf of TK Bickell's widow, who advises them that her husband had enlisted in WW1 from Mundijong.  At time of his death was a War pensioner.
<references />

==External Links==
*[https://aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=22179 AIF Project]
*[https://rslvirtualwarmemorial.org.au/explore/people/292058 RSL Memorial]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bickell , Thomas Kinsman}}

[[Category:Soldier]]
[[Category:1917 WIA]]
[[Category:Returned to Australia]]
[[Category:Born England]]
[[Category:Butcher]]
[[Category:Church of England]]
[[Category:Serpentine-Jarrahdale]]