John Hickson Tomlinson

Personal Information
Date of Birth	? Oct 1888
Place of Birth	Oldham, Lancashire, England
Death	3 Apr 1976, aged 87
Place of Death	Kelmscott, Western Australia
Age at Enlistment	27 Years, 3 months
Description	5' 6" (1.68m) tall; weight 148 lbs (67.1 kg); medium complexion, brown eyes, and brown hair
Occupation	operating porter
Religion	Church of England
Address	Prospect road, Armadale, Western Australia
Next of Kin	Mother Mrs Ellen Tomlinson
Military Information
Reg Number	24442
Date of Enlistment	1 Feb 1916
Rank	Driver
Unit/Formation	3rd Divisional Ammunition Column, No 1 Section.
Date of Embarkation	27 Jun 1916 - 25 Aug 1916
Ship Embarked On	HMAT A37 Barambah
Date of Return	16 Jun 1919 - 24 Jul 1919
Ship Returned On	RMS Ormonde
Fate	Wounded in Action 24 Jun 1917 Ypres area Returned to Australia
Monument	Armadale War Memorial (West Armadale panel)
Medals	British War Medal Victory Medal

Pre War

It appears that Hickson was the name John, and an older sister Emma were born under, and that Tomlinson was the family name of their step father. The family, minus Emma, emigrated to Australia on the SS Pakeha, leaving Liverpool, and arriving in Fremantle on 18 May 1911. John, Dorothy, Wilfred and Walter (Jnr) with Walter (Snr) and Ellen Tomlinson.

Electoral Roll entries - 1916 and 1917 list JH Tomlinson at the 281 mile siding on the Trans Railway.

War Service

John began his training at Blackboy Hill, but completed his artillery preparation at Maribyrnong in Victoria.

On arrival in England he was taken on strength of the 3rd Division Ammunition Column (3DAC) where training continued until he was posted to France on 24 Nov 1916.

On 24 Jun 1917 he received a minor wound to his back requiring some attention from the 3rd New Zealand Field Ambulance, but he returned to duty the same day. However, for missing the 2:00 pm parade on 27 Sep 1917, John was confined to barracks for 7 days, but by Nov 1917 all was well, and he took a 2 week furlough in England.

Appointed acting Bombardier on 19 Jan 1918, but reverted at his own request on 8 Jun 1918.

Discharged 5th Military District 7 Sep 1919

Mentioned in the Feb-Mar 1917 edition of The Drill of the Foot-Hills

Post War

John married Millicent Alice Grace Trame in Perth during 1927 and it would appear that sometime before 1931 John drops the Tomlinson name and reverts to Hickson.

Electoral Roll entries - 1925 a labourer [railway employee in POD] living at "Prospect" in Armadale; In 1931 - 1943 he and Millicent are living at "Grenfell", Railway avenue, Armadale, orchardist; 1954 - 1972 John and Millicent are living at 64 First Avenue, Kelmscott (now known as Banyard avenue).

No children found in BDM or newspapers.

Millicent died 2 Apr 1977 in Subiaco, aged 89.

External Links

• AIF Project
• RSL Virtual War Memorial