Thomas "Snowy" DWYER
Year of Birth: 1898
Place of Birth: Zeehan, Tasmania
Date of Enlistment: 1 May 1916
Date and Place of Embarkation: 9 September 1916, Sydney NSW
Ship: HMAT Euripides A14
Rank: Private
Unit(s): 19th Australian Infantry Battalion
Regimental Number: 5566
Died: 25 May 1918
Thomas “Snowy” Dwyer was born in Zeehan, Tasmania on 22 December 1898 to John Dwyer and his wife Julia (nee Cleary). His brother John Thomas “Jack” Dwyer was born in Strahan, Tasmania in 1896 and also enlisted. Ironically, he embarked on the same ship “Euripides” on 1 May 1918 as his younger brother had 18 months previously. Jack Dwyer returned to Australia on 25 September 1919.
Their mother died in 1904. Their father moved around in the following years, finally settling at Upper Barron, Atherton, via Cairns.
He enlisted in the 19th Australian Infantry Battalion in Dubbo, New South Wales on 1 May 1916. On enlistment he was 21 years 7 months of age, 5 feet 5 inches tall, weighed 144 lbs. He had a fresh complexion blue eyes and light brown hair. He was Roman Catholic and named his father as next of kin.
He embarked on the HMAT Euripides from Sydney on 9 September 1916. The Euripides arrived at Plymouth, England on 26 October 1916 and Private Dwyer arrived at Etaples, France on 29 December 1916.
He was wounded on 17 April 1917 and transferred 3 days later to Kitchener Military Hospital, Brighton, England. He returned to France on 21 October 1917.
He was a stretcher-bearer moving a wounded officer behind the lines when he was killed by a sniper. He was buried at Beacon Cemetery, Sailly-Laurette, Somme, France.
Online Resources
NAA: B2455 Dwyer, T., National Archives of Australia
Photograph of HMAT Euripides A67
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