Fallen ANZACs,
Territory ANZACs,
First World War, 1914-1918,
Place of birth
Sydney (N.S.W.),
Place of enlistment
Darwin,
Date of enlistment
1916-02-07,
Age
21,
Occupation
Butcher,
Service
Australian Imperial Force,
Unit
9th Battalion, 19th Reinforcement
11th Battalion,
Rank
Private,
Service number
6107, 6107A,
Next of kin
William C. and Nellie M. Thornton - Parents ; Jarrahdale, W,A.,
Date of death
1917-02-25,
Place of death
Heilly (France),
Place of burial
Heilly Station Cemetery (France),
Memorial
Darwin Cenotaph,
Biographical notes
Thornton arrived at Port Darwin on SS 'Houtman' on 22 April 1915. He then left Darwin on 10 February 1916 for southern ports "en route for the place where, at this time, their country needs them most - the firing line." (Northern Territory Times and Gazette, 10 February 1916).
Thornton embarked from Brisbane in August 1916, then missed the boat in Fremantle, which is why he has two embarkation records. He joined the 11th Battalion on 9 February 1917, but was admitted to the 38th Casualty Clearing Station with Cerebro Spinal Meningitis on 23 February 1917.
Thornton's sister was Amy Lillian Thornton of W.A. and his brother was J.H.H. Thornton who lived in Goulburn in 1934.,
History
Thornton embarked from Brisbane on board HMAT A50 'Itonus' on 8 August 1916.
He failed to re-embark at Fremantle on 18 August 1916. Thornton then embarked at Fremantle on 18 September 1916. He joined the 11th Battalion on 9 February 1917.
Thornton died of Cerebro Spinal Meningitis on 25 February 1917. His father died on 5 May 1917.,
Subject
World War, 1914-1918,
Northern Territory,
Australia. Army. Australian and New Zealand Army Corps,
History,
ANZAC,
Related links
http://naa12.naa.gov.au/scripts/imagine.asp?B=8390422&I=1&SE=1,
http://www.awm.gov.au/people/rolls/nominal_rolls/first_world_war/page/R1552147/,
http://static.awm.gov.au/images/collection/items/ACCNUM_LARGE/RCDIG1067549/RCDIG1067549--445-.JPG,
http://www.awm.gov.au/collection/awm4/23/28/,
http://www.awm.gov.au/people/rolls/R1673074/,
http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/8475888,
http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/8470446,
http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/18921746,
http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/28024381,
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3271009,
http://www.ntlis.nt.gov.au/placenames/view.jsp?id=8040,
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3291002,
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3283578,
http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/272733/THORNTON,%20FREDERICK%20WILLIAM,
http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/8470446 [Campaigning with the fighting 9th (in and out of the line with the 9BN A.I.F.) 1914-1919 by C.M. Wrench. Brisbane : Boolarong Publications for 9th Battalions Association, 1985.],
http://www.ntlis.nt.gov.au/placenames/view.jsp?id=8040 [NT Place Names Register : Thornton Crescent],
http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/18921746 [Legs eleven: being the story of the 11th Battalion (A.I.F.) in the Great War of 1914-1918 by W.C. Belford. Perth : W.A. Imperial Printing Company, 1940.],
http://www.awm.gov.au/collection/awm4/23/28/
[Unit War Diary],
http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/28024381 [Fremantle to France : 11th Battalion A.I.F., 1914-1919 by Ian Gill. 2nd ed. Myaree, W.A. : I. McGill, 2004.],
http://www.awm.gov.au/people/rolls/R1673074/ [Roll of Honour],
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3271009 ["Shipping arrived", Northern Territory Times and Gazette, Thursday 29 April 1915: p.8.],
http://naa12.naa.gov.au/scripts/imagine.asp?B=8390422&I=1&SE=1 [Service Record],
http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/8475888 [From Anzac to the Hindenburg Line : the history of the 9th Battalion, A.I.F by Norman K. Harvey. Uckfield, Naval & Military Press, London, Imperial War Museum, 2009.],
http://www.awm.gov.au/people/rolls/nominal_rolls/first_world_war/page/R1552147/ [Nominal Roll],
http://static.awm.gov.au/images/collection/items/ACCNUM_LARGE/RCDIG1067549/RCDIG1067549--445-.JPG [Embarkation Roll - HMAT A46 'Clan McGillivray'],
https://www.awm.gov.au/units/unit_11198.asp [Australian War Memorial - 11 Battalion],
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3291002 ["Roll of Honour", Northern Territory Times and Gazette, 17 August 1918: p.16.],
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3283578 ["News and notes", Northern Territory Times and Gazette, 15 March 1917: p.13.],
http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/272733/THORNTON,%20FREDERICK%20WILLIAM [Commonwealth War Graves - Heilly Station Cemetery, Mericourt-L'Abbe - William Frederick Thornton],