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Cyril Augustest Tonkin

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Cyril Augustest Tonkin
Tonkin Cyril Augustus.jpg
Personal Information
Date of Birth Sep 1887
Place of Birth Serpentine, Western Australia
Death 21 Feb 1919, aged 31
Place of Death 5th Light Horse Field Ambulance, Homs, Syria
Age at Enlistment 28 years old
Description 5'2½" (1.59m) tall ; 125 lbs
56.699 kg
; ruddy complexion ; brown eyes ; dark brown hair
Occupation Timber worker
Religion Church of England
Address 'Hope Farm', Serpentine, Western Australia
Next of Kin Father , Richard (George) Tonkin
Military Information
Reg Number 2254
Date of Enlistment 7 Dec 1915
Rank Sapper
Unit/Formation 10th Light Horse Regiment, 15th Reinforcement, transferred to 4th Camel Battalion
Date of Embarkation 1 Apr 1916 ‒ 25 Apr 1916
Ship Embarked On HMAT A38 Ulysses
Monument Serpentine Roll of Honour
Jarrahdale War Memorial
Jarrahdale Honour Roll
ANZAC Memorial Park (Byford)
Jerusalem Memorial
Medals British War Medal
Victory Medal




Pre War

A student of the Jarrahdale No.39, Primary School 14 Aug 1899 - 28 May 1902. Left school in 1903.

War Service

Soon after entering camp Cyril was located to the 15th reinforcement draft for the 10th Light Horse Regiment, training with them and travelling to Egypt.

On 1 May 1916 Cyril reported to the 2nd Australian Stationary Hospital in Tel-el-Kebir who placed him on the 4th Hospital Train two days later for Abbassia where he was admitted to the 1st Australian Dermatological Hospital to be treated for VD (48 days ineffective service). After discharge on 17 Jun 1916 he was posted to the 3rd Light Horse Double Squadron on 6 Jul 1916.

On 1 Nov 1916 he was impacted by a reorganisation of mounted forces, being transferred to the Imperial Camel Corps. However, on 22 Dec 1916 he was sent to the [14th Australian General Hospital]] in Cairo for treatment of conjunctivitis. Later treatment was for trachoma. After which he was transferred on 29 May 1917 to the Reserve Company of the Imperial Camel Corps.

Eventually discharged from hospital on 29 May 1917. On 20 Jun 1917 he was charged with 'while on Active Service, reporting ill without a cause', the outcome being a fine of a day's pay and two days later a transfer to the 4th Battalion Camel Corps.

Still suffering with conjunctivitis, he was admitted to the 14th Australian General Hospital in Cairo again on 5 Aug 1917, with eyesight classified as defective. On the 16th he was transferred to a headquarters training unit at Moascar, but on 13 Nov 1917 he was moved again, this time to the Details Camp where on 3 Dec 1917 he went before a Medical Board. Reclassified, he was posted on 9 Mar 1918 to the Desert Mounted Corps as a Batman.

His officer appeared to move around between HQ elements until on 18 Feb 1919 when Cyril was admitted to hospital in Aleppo, Syria before being moved to the 5th Light Horse Field Ambulance in Homs on 18 Feb 1919 where he died from pneumonia on 21 Feb 1919. Cyril was buried next day at Homs by Chaplain J S McDonald.


  • Jerusalem Memorial & Cemetery CWGC
  • Commonwealth War Graves Commission


Notes

Commemorated on the Jerusalem Memorial panel 59. Buried in Military Cemetery Homs, Syria on 22 Feb 1919. Grave unable to be found in 1924.


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