WOODS Thomas John

"J.T. Woods, a selector at the Obi Obi for a number of years, received orders. A native of NSW he was private who served with the cadets." (Nambour Chronicle 5 Feb 1915)
Thomas was born in Newcastle, N.S.W. and was aged 37 years and a Farmer when he enlisted at Nambour Qld. on 1st February 1915.
He named his wife, Alice Woods of Mt Ubi, Kenilworth, Qld. as his next of kin.
He embarked from Sydney Ex “Shropshire” on 20th August, 1915.
On 2nd October, 1915 he was attached to the 5th Light Horse Regiment.
He was hospitalised “sick” at Gallipoli on 1st December, 1915 and was transferred and admitted to the 3rd Auxiliary Hospital at Heliopolis, with Rheumatism on 5th December.
On 10th December, 1915 he was again transferred to the convalescent hospital at Helouan?Halloran? (indistinct)
On 12th January 1916 he discharged to his unit, Class “A” at Mahdi. ??
On 22nd February he joined the 11th Light Horse at Serapeum.
He was then posted to “B” Squadron on 26th February 1916.
He was hospitalised with dysentery at Heliopolis from 14th to the 20th March 1916 when he then again returned to his unit.
From the 29th March to the 12th April, 1916 he was hospitalised at Abbassia with Mumps and Measles. He was transferred, on orders A I F, to 1st Australian Camel Regiment on 13th December, 1916 but was taken “sick” to hospital that same day and returned to duty on 23rd, December, 1916.
His 1917 records do not hold much information until 3rd June, 1917 when he was again hospitalised at “Tel el Fara” (?Farah). He was transferred from there on 11th June to 14th Australian General Hospital at Abbassia with hemhoroids. On 27th June, 1917 he was discharged to Mouscar.
He was returned to Australia Ex”Boorara” from Suez 23rd August, 1917, then from Cairo 29th August, 1917 and arrived in Melbourne 22nd September, 1917.
He was discharged for family reasons 1st November, 1917.
There is a letter on file dated July, 1917 from the Department of Defence regarding an application received from Mrs Woods for the return to Australia of her husband No.852 Trooper T.J. Woods to Australia on the following grounds :- 1. She has five children the eldest of whom is 12 years of age. 2. She cannot carry on the dairying herself and since her husband left she has had three dairy hands all of whom have enlisted.
Following is a report from the Commandant, 1st Military District:-
“There certainly are distressful circumstances connected with this application. Trooper Woods selected 237 acres in April, 1908 of which 40 acres have been cleared. There is no water on the property nor is any income derived from it. The annual Government rental on the property is twelve pounds twelve shillings. In July 1914 the property was mortgaged to the Bank of New South Wales for two hundred and thirty four pounds @ 6% interest. Subsequently Trooper Woods selected 191 acres in April, 1910 the improvements on the property being valued at three hundred pounds, which includes the house, fencing, yards etc. and on which the family resides. The property was also mortgaged to the Bank of N.S.W. in January, 1914 for three hundred pounds @ 6% interest with the Government rental being eleven pounds seven shillings per annum. Mrs Woods has 41 head of mixed cattle valued at two hundred and eighty five pounds and 2 horses valued at fifteen pounds. With the assistance of her children she carries on dairying and her monthly gross income for the past two years has been seven pounds. Cost of carrying cream and provisions is one pound seven shillings and six pence per week and she has paid one hundred pounds to working men. The Patriotic Fund allows Mrs Woods one pound fifteen shillings per month and this is supplemented to the extent on eight pounds sixteen shillings monthly in respect of allotment and separation allowance.
There are five children in the family aged 12, 10, 8, 6 and 3 years respectively. The eldest and the youngest are girls but none of the children render any financial assistance.
A Medical Certificate from Dr A. E. Malaher is attached.
The family circumstances have altered considerably since Trooper Woods enlisted in February, 1915 as from information gained from reliable neighbours, elicit the fact that the family were fairly prosperous at that time, but the drought that followed closely afterwards depleted their cattle. The high rate of wages prohibit the employment of labour to work the properties and the Bank is pressing for repayment of the mortgage. The children are kept from school in order to assist the Mother and consequently their education is being neglected. Prior to the war the family grocery bill was five pounds a month and now owing to the increase in the cost of living it now averages seven pounds a month.”
The recommendation was then "to give favourable consideration for the release of Trooper T.J. Woods."

Maroochy Shire Honor Roll, Shire Chambers, Bury Street, Nambour

Nambour (Maroochy Shire) Roll of Honor Scroll, Private Collection, Nambour (this scroll was available for sale to the public after the war)(on scroll twice as TJ Wood and T Wood)

Obi Obi Honour Board, originally located in the Obi Obi Hall

Kenilworth and District Honour Board, Kenilworth Community Hall

Kenilworth District Anzac Honor Roll, Gheerulla Hall

Eumundi & District Roll of Honour Board, Eumundi Memorial School of Arts Hall, Memorial Drive, Eumundi