Australian Army Museum of Western Australia > Records

World War 1, Middle East, Egypt, Cairo, TODD, 10 Light Horse, 1919

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1919

Overview

Floral wreaths on grave of Todd after funeral service

Historical information

Lieutenant Colonel Thomas John Todd (MID, CMG, DSO and Bar) was born in Christchurch, New Zealand in March 1873. He was educated in Christchurch and Auckland and worked as an accountant on leaving school. A tall man with a strong physique, he also represented New Zealand in rugby.
He served as an officer with the second New Zealand contingent in the Boer war and, in the last year of that war, was awarded the DSO (Distinguished Service Order). In 1905, he joined his brothers in Perth, Western Australia working as an accountant for Todd Brothers building company; later he ran the Bellevue hotel in Midland Junction.
Thomas enlisted in October 1914, with the rank of captain, spent time forming and re-organising 10 Light Horse regiment and was posted to ‘A’ squadron. The regiment embarked for Gallipoli, a month after the landing in April 1915, and Thomas was in charge of the unit at Walkers Ridge..
When the infantry units from Gallipoli moved to the western front, the tenth remained in Egypt to take over the defence of the Suez.In the second battle of Gaza, Thomas suffered a serious gunshot wound to the eye. When taken off the 'seriously ill list', he again took charge of the regiment in July 1917.
He was admitted to 14 Australian hospital with emphysema in May 1918 and resumed duty with the tenth in September 1918. In early 1919, he embarked from Tripoli to Port Said, Egypt for leave and it is there that he died of heart failure.
He was 45 years of age and is interred at Cairo War Memorial Cemetery, Egypt.

Details

Registration number

cwa-org-32-P1900.1151

Item type

Photographs

Themes

War and Conflict

World War 1

Year

1919

Geotag

30.013900879723, 31.231448168511

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