HELLMUTH Thomas Arthur

Family

Theodor Johannes Gottleib Hellmuth married Mary Jane (“Jennie May”) Williams in Gympie, Queensland on 11 November 1896. Theodor was of German heritage but he had been born at Bethany, Logan Reserve, Queensland in 1871.

Thomas Arthur Hellmuth was born at Gympie on 9 March 1894. His brother Carl Eric Thomas Helmuth was born in Townsville on 21 January 1905. Janet May (“Jennie) Hellmuth married a second time - to John Joseph Oswin in Queensland in 1905.

Military Context

The 9th Battalion was the first recruited in Queensland and, with the 10th, 11th and 12th Battalions, it formed the Australian 3rd Brigade. The brigade was the first ashore at Gallipoli in 1915. After its withdrawal from Gallipoli in November, the 9th Battalion returned to Egypt. It was split to help form the 49th Battalion and brought up to strength with reinforcements. In March 1916 the battalion sailed to France and the Western Front. From then until 1918 the battalion took part in operations against the German Army.

The first major action was at Pozieres in the Somme valley where the 9th attacked on the extreme right of the line. Later the battalion fought at Ypres, in Flanders, before returning to the Somme for winter. In 1917 the battalion moved back to Belgium for the advance to the Hindenburg Line and, in March and April 1918, helped stop the German spring offensive. The battalion fought then in the great Allied offensive of 1918.

Enlistment

Thomas Arthur Hellmuth enlisted at Brisbane on 20 August 1914. It was barely a fortnight after England had declared war on Germany. A few officers in uniform and a number of men in civillian attire were pitching tents in Bell’s paddock, Enoggera. This was the beginning of the 9th Battalion, A.I.F.

Thomas declared his age as 22 years 6 months. His occupation was “grocer” but subsequent decades were to show he was a soldier at heart. He was 5 feet 7½ inches in height, weighed 130 pounds, of fair complexion, with brown eyes and brown hair. His religion was Methodist. He recorded his mother, Mrs Oswin, of Sword Street, Woolloongabba as his next of kin. His Service Number was 328. At the time, he was serving in the 8th Infantry (Oxley Battalion) that had been raised in 1912 from part of the 1/9th Australian Infantry Regiment.

On 12 September, at Enoggera, he was appointed to “C” Company of the 9th Infantry Battalion.

To Egypt and Lemnos

On 4 September 1914, he was promoted to Lance Corporal. He embarked at Brisbane on 24 September aboard HMAT A5 “Omrah” which was the first ship to leave Queensland with troops for the war. The men had marched in the dark from Enoggera and were all aboard by 8 am. Although there had been no word of the men’s departure, throughout the morning friends and relatives drifted to the wharf, such that a couple of hundred were in attendance to see the ship slip ropes and sail at about noon.

“Omrah” arrived at Melbourne on 28 September and spent three weeks there before proceeding. The battalion used the opportunity to route-march and practise attacking. The next port of call was King George’s Sound, Albany which was reached on 24 October. There, a convoy of vessels was assembled. The first ships departed on 1 November, coincidentally the day on which Russia declared war on Turkey, setting the scene for confrontation with an enemy, and in a place, not foreseen when the men enlisted. After being cheered by news of "Sydney" sinking the German cruiser “Emden”, the convoy reached Colombo, Ceylon.

From Colombo, the fleet sailed in divisions, according to speed, with the “Omrah” in the third and fastest. They sailed west and entered the Red Sea but, on 28 November, unwelcome rumours circulated. They would disembark at Port Said, rather than proceed to England. Nervously, they passed through the narrow Suez Canal which offered continual exposure to shell and sniping attack. Fears proved groundless, and on 4 December, “Omrah” reached Alexandria. Private Hellmuth and “C” Company disembarked at 4 pm on 6 December.

On 1 January 1915, the Australian battalions, previously consisting of eight companies, were reorganised to consist of four companies. “A” and “C” companies became the new “A” Company. Their training in Brigade formation now assumed priority. The men endured scorching days and freezing nights. On 30 January 1915, Private Hellmuth reverted to the rank of Private at his own request.

On 2 March, 3rd Brigade, including 9th Battalion on "Ionian”, sailed from Alexandria for Mudros harbour on the Greek island of Lemnos. By the morning of 5 March, the harbour was crowded with transport ships. If the Turks had any doubts of their enemies’ intent, it was now removed. All that remained to be known was when and where the attack would come. In the following seven weeks, the 3rd Brigade attended to training and, in particular, landing from boats and climbing steep escarpments.

Gallipoli

Private Hellmuth was in the first wave of infantry ashore at Gallipoli in the early hours of 25 April 1915 and, on the first Anzac Day, he suffered a gunshot wound. On 4th May 1915, he was evacuated on the “Clan MacGillivray” and taken to Malta. He spent periods in Imtarfa, Valetta and St George’s Military Hospitals before being discharged on 7 July 1915 to Pembroke Convalescent Camp on St George’s Bay.

On Saturday, 3rd July 1915, the "Brisbane Courier" at page 6 carried the text of a letter which the soldier had sent to his mother, Mrs J. Oswin, of Deshon Estate from the Valetta Hospital, Malta -

"Just a few lines to let you know how I am getting on and to ease your mind, although I suppose by the time you get this I will be back in the firing line because my arm is nearly better. I might as well start and tell you all the news from the time we left Mena Camp. We left Mena, on Sunday 25 February, at 5 o'clock in the evening, and started to march to Cairo. We had a good reception leaving Cairo. The people all gave us a cheer and wished us "god-speed". As soon as we got to the station, we started to have tea, but we only had a mouthful, as my section had to go on guard at the buffet, and I can tell you there was more than prayers said. After being on for about half an hour we were relieved, and went and finished our meal. We then had to entrain for Alexandria. It was a cold and crowded journey. I got under the seats, and then got used as a doormat, so I came out. We had a busy time when we arrived on the wharf.

We left Egypt on the last day of February and sailed for Lemnos. The first couple of nights on shore we had no tents, but the weather was not cold, so we did not mind. The third night we had a nice heavy shower of rain and then there was soon language flying around. As we had been carrying up tents that day I made a dive up for one and got it. I brought it back, and sent one of the others for a tent pole, but he could not find one, so we used our rifles to hold it up. We had been sleeping on a ploughed field, and the water then started to run down the hollows, and soon we were sitting in water and mud. Anyhow, I managed to keep my blanked dry. Next day we put up tents, and then we had to level the ground, as we were on the side of a hill. The village where we were camped was named Mudros, and it was very clean. In fact, it was a striking contrast to the dirt and filth of Cairo. The people were very timid, as the Turks used to make periodical raids on these islands and take away all the young girls. You could never see a girl over 12 in the place. After a while the people lost some of their frightened appearance, and did not run inside as soon as they saw us. We did not do much work there, only a few route marches around the hills. The place was pretty to look at when you got on these hills.

We were on the Island for nearly two months, and during that time we had some rough weather, and a torpedo boat was wrecked. She had run short of coal and could not make the harbour, so was blown on the rocks. Some of us were called up at night to go and give them assistance, and the party had a rough time of it, as it was pitch dark and raining. In the end they managed to reach the shipwrecked crew and put them in an old chapel that was there, and gave them blankets. Some of the chaps even gave them their overcoats, and got back to camp wringing wet. Next day another party went out with provisions, and brought the sailors to the camp. We had the French troops on the Island with us but they were camped on the other side of the village to us. We had several days' rain during our stay, and in the end we were beginning to get tired of the place, as we could not go out, as the villages were all out of bounds, and the penalty of being found in one was six months' field punishment. It was not tried by many. A few, however, were sentenced, but the sentences were rescinded by Sir Ian Hamilton on the eve of our fight. We had great hopes of going straight to the Front when we saw all the transports arriving, but we had to take our tents down and go aboard again. This time we were aboard the ------- and were on her for over a week in the harbour. While on her we had to practise landing from boats, and it was good fun for someone was sure to fall over in the water when landing. We had also to practice going aboard a warship. When we did get the definite orders to move, only two companies of us were to go first; the rest were to follow. The two companies - A and B- were to go on the battleship. We were all glad when the final morning came, and I can say we needed no urging to get ready. Before we left the transport, the Brigade Major made a little speech to us. He was talking of what the Queenslanders did in South Africa, and said we could do the same if we tried. I am sure we lived up to that reputation the day we landed in the enemy's country.

We left the transport on Saturday morning, April 24, and went on board H.M.S. -----. We had a good hot dinner when we arrived, and afterwards had the run of the ship. The crew and the marines on board could not do enough for us, and gave us enough tobacco and cigarettes to do us for weeks, and would take nothing in return from us. We had tea at 5 o'clock and another meal at 11. I had a good look at the big guns on board. We got to the place where we were to land at 2 a.m. on the 25th, and then had to disembark into boats, which were towed by pinnaces. We were then 5 1/4 miles from the land, and the moon was just going down. We got a start on, and everything went lovely till near the shore, and then one of the ropes from the pinnace broke and delayed us for a while. When we got about 50 yards from the shore, the enemy opened fire on us, and the fun started. As soon as the boats touched land we were out and threw our packs off and up the slope after the Turks. It was wonderful that a lot did not get hit then, for the fire was pretty hot. We did not wait on the beach, but went straight up the hill after them, only they did not wait for us to get near enough to use the bayonet, but went like rabbits. We chased them over the hills for about three miles, where we had to stop, as they had been reinforced, and the fire was too hot to go on. Then their fire started to tell on us, as they had the range. It was then about 6 o'clock or a little after, and I was feeling very cold lying there, as I had had a ducking when landing, as when I hopped from the boat my foot slipped, and over I went in the water. The enemy then turned his big guns on us, and we could hear the shrapnel shells coming on their way to welcome us. We soon got used to them, and took cover when we heard them near us. The warships then took a hand in the game, and I can honestly say that the boom of those big guns was a sound that we were all glad to hear. We lay in one place for nearly an hour, and then we went forward, but had to retire. By now the troopships had arrived, and we were getting our reinforcements, and with them could push on a bit further. We were advancing and retiring all the morning, as when we got a hill we could not hold it without proper artillery support, and none of our artillery had been landed.

It was about dinner time when I got hit in the arm and had to go back. As I was going I helped down another chap who was also hit. He had got hit through the lung, and could barely walk, so I took him. All the morning the work of disembarking the troops had been carried on under great difficulties, as there was a fort about a mile away which the warships had not properly silenced, and which was firing shrapnel at the troops landing. A great many casualties occurred here, especially among the Red Cross men, who were doing their work on the beach. In the afternoon we got some of our artillery ashore and gave the enemy some of his own medicine. I got on board the hospital ship at 6 p.m. and then had a good view of the effects of the shells of the warships bursting on the hills, where the enemy had his batteries which had been annoying us all day. The noise of the discharges was enough to deafen a person, and I got a nice headache from it. I had had the wound dressed on shore, so I did not need it to be dressed again, and I stopped on deck and watched the fun as we have long evenings here in this part. During the night the enemy nearly drove us back to the beach, but getting reinforced during the night the boys pushed him back again.

We left that part of the globe on the Tuesday, and sailed for Alexandria. I thought we would all be getting off there, but they only put the worst cases off there. We were there for another two days, and then we went to Malta. A lot of the wounded have gone back again, as they were suffering from shock and slight wounds, but there are still a lot of us here, and more expected. We must expect to get hurt, though, if we go playing around where the bullets are flying. I did not hear anything of Willie, although I saw a lot of chaps who were in his battalion. I hope soon to be able to go back and have another go at them, for I want to get even with the Turks. We have a lot of English doctors and nurses attending us at Malta. They are on their way to Serbia to do their good work there and we wish them every success and the best of luck. Remember me to everybody who asks for me, and tell them I will be back again as I think that if a man lived through that Sunday he is quite safe to go back again and try his luck."

On 2 August 1917, Private Hellmuth embarked on “Oxoman” for the Dardanelles and his return to Gallipoli. He re-joined his unit on 7 August.

On 17 October 1915, he was suffering from pyrexia and was admitted to hospital at Anzac Cove. He was discharged back to his unit four days later. The battalion was finally withdrawn from Gallipoli on 16 November aboard the “Abbassia” and it arrived at Lemnos next day.

On 4 January 1916, the 9th Battalion disembarked from the “Grampian” at Alexandria. Its strength was 22 officers and 689 other ranks, including Private Hellmuth.

The Western Front

After a frustrating period of relative inactivity after the trials of Gallipoli, the 9th Battalion departed Alexandria on "Saxonia" on 26 March 1916 and arrived at Marseilles on 3 April. After a march to the railway station, it commenced a rail journey the length of France from south to north. They arrived at the little village of Godewaersvelde near Ypres on 5 April.

On 23 July 1916, Private Hellmuth was wounded in action at Pozieres when he suffered a gunshot wound to his foot which severely fractured the metatarsal bones. On 24 July, he was admitted to the 9th General Hospital at Rouen. On 26 July, he was evacuated from Le Havre aboard the Hospital Ship “Gloucester Castle” to the Beaufort Hospital, Bristol, England where he was admitted on 27 July.

On 25 October 1916, he was transferred to the No.3 Australian Auxiliary Hospital in Dartford, Kent. He was granted periods of furlough but preparations were being made for his repatriation to Australia. Infantry march on their feet and Private Hellmuth's permanent incapacity in his wounded foot would prevent his return to active service in the line.

Repatriation to Australia

On 22 February 1917, Private Hellmuth embarked at Avonmouth aboard the Hospital Ship “Karoola”. The vessel departed London docks on 2 March bound for Australia. He disembarked at Sydney on 14 April 1917.

He was discharged from the A.I.F at Brisbane on 7 June 1917. He moved temporarily to Sword St., Woolloongabba to live with his mother. From the 8 June, he was awarded a war service pension of three pounds sterling per fortnight.

Between the Wars

Thomas Hellmuth was issued the 1914-15 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.

In the Queensland Electoral Roll of 1919, Thomas Hellmuth was recorded c/o Oswin, Logan Road, Woolloongabba. His occupation was “grocer”.

Thomas Hellmuth married Ruby Pearce on 4 November 1922 in Christ Church, Church of England, Brisbane. Ruby was a native of Redruth, Cornwall, Wales. They were to have two daughters- Valma Doris Hellmuth born on 11 December 1926 and Claire Pearce Hellmuth born on 20 August 1930.

Thomas’ father died on 5 April 1925. In the Electoral Roll of that year, Thomas and Ruby were recorded at McLay Street, Coorparoo which was to remain their principal home through their lives together. Thomas was a “grocer”.

On 24 July 1929, the “Brisbane Courier” reported: “According to the latest gazette notice with the Australian Army Orders, Captain T.A. Hellmuth of the 15th Battalion, South Brisbane, has been awarded the Colonial Force’s Long Service Medal. Captain Hellmuth first began his military career as a Private in the 1st Queensland Rifles which he joined on 14 February 1911. He has been actively associated with the volunteer and compulsory regiments, and also enlisted and saw fighting during the Great War. For 137 days, he was a Private in the 1st Queensland Rifles, and held a similar rank for one year and 83 days in the Oxley Battalion. He served with the 8th Infantry for 314 days as Corporal. He became Colour-Sergeant on 4 August 1913, and Company Sergeant-Major on 10 April 1918. He held the same rank with the 2nd Battalion of the 15th Regiment and with the 15th Battalion until 1 March 1924 when he gained his commission with the 15th Battalion. He was appointed Captain, a position he still holds with the 15th Battalion, on 27 June 1923. Captain Hellmuth served with the A.I.F. in the 9th Battalion for almost three years.”

Thomas’ brother, Carl, married Amy Caroline Wright in Cairns in 1933. The couple had four children. Carl died in Cairns in 1950. Amy remarried to Ernest Ricks and had two more children. She died in Rockhampton in 2007.

Service in World War 2

On 20 September 1939, only weeks after war was declared, Captain Thomas Hellmuth, Q185060, was transferred from the reserve of Officers to the Infantry Militia, Brisbane. His address was 155 Logan Road, South Brisbane. On 23 September, he reported for duty as Camp Commandant, 15th Battalion, Northern Command.

On 15th April 1942, he transferred from Camp Commandant – Northern Command to Camp Commandant – Headquarters Lines of Communication.

On 20 July 1945, he presented to the 4th Australian Camp hospital suffering from cellulitis in his right foot. The bacterial infection of skin and tissue is not uncommon in areas that have suffered severe trauma. He was transferred to the 112th General Hospital at Greenslopes. Only opened in 1942, the 112th would become “Greenslopes Repatriation Hospital, Brisbane”. The trauma of his wound from 1916 would inconvenience him for his entire life. He was discharged from hospital on 10 August.

On 30 June 1947 while he was still Commandant of the Northern Command Workshops, he ceased his secondment to the A.I.F. but he immediately commenced secondment with the Interim Army.

On 16 October 1947, he embarked at Sydney on HMAS “Kanimbla” as Draft Conducting Officer for Japan. In this role, his duty was to accompany a cadre of reinforcements from Australia to their new posting in occupation of Japan. He eventually returned to Brisbane and disembarked on 15 December.

On 20 November 1947, he had been awarded the Australian Efficiency Decoration.

On 16 May 1948, he was marched out from Northern Command Headquarters to Northern Command Workshops. His service in the Interim Army was terminated on 7 January 1949.

Thomas’ brother, Carl, Q116184, served with the Volunteer Defence Corps from 1942 to 1945. At discharge, he held the rank of Corporal.

After the Second World War

In the Electoral Roll of 1949, Thomas, Ruby and Valma were recorded at McLay St., Coorparoo. Their occupations were “soldier”, “home duties” and “clerk-typist” respectively. Through to the Roll of 1968, Thomas and Ruby continued to live in McLay Street and Thomas to declare his occupation as “soldier”.

Valma married in December 1951. Claire’s engagement was announced to Henry William Thomas, a fitter, in August 1952. The couple married and they lived in Bundamba and Ipswich. Thomas’ step-father, John Oswin, died in 1956 and his mother Jane died on 21 July 1963 in South Brisbane.

In the Queensland Electoral Roll of 1972, Thomas and Ruby were recorded at 1972 Gold Coast Highway, Miami. Ruby died on 24 November 1974.

Thomas Arthur Hellmuth, ex-A.I.F., died on 14 August 1979 in Sandgate.

Valma died in Wynyard, Tasmania on 17 May 2001 and her sister Claire in Brisbane on 9 September 2014.

• Egypt
• Gallipoli
• Pozieres
• Western Front

Shire of Landsborough Roll of Honour, Caloundra RSL, West Terrace, Caloundra as Tom HELMUTH

“From Anzac to the Hindenburg Line” The History of the 9th Battalion A.I.F. by Norman K. Harvey

Australian War Memorial

National Australia Archives

Ancestry.com

Trove digitalised newspapers

The researcher the acknowledges the assistance of Mr Peter Burgess in alerting him to the "Brisbane Courier" article of 3 July 1915 and to Thomas' granddaughter, Louise O'Neill, who advised him of her mother's death in recent years.