The Soldier's Details
- Surname:
- Gittos
- First Name:
- Thomas Edwin
- Nick Name:
- Tommy or Tom
- Rank:
- Private
- Regimental #:
- WX8870
- Company:
- ‘A’ Company, No. 6 Platoon
- Enlisted:
- 23.10.1940
- DOB:
- 15.03.1920
- Place of Birth:
- Guildford, Western Australia
- Father's Name:
- Thomas Gittos
- Mothers's Name:
- Doris Gittos
- Religion:
- Church of England
- Pre-war Occupation:
- Labourer
- Memorial:
- Kanchanaburi War Cemetery, Plot 1, Row E, Grave 55, Age 23.
- Singapore:
- Selarang Camp and Barracks Changi
- Force:
- ‘D’ Force Thailand S Battalion
- POW#:
- 3/7897 & 8782
- Cause of Death:
- Post Leg Amputation and Dysentery
- Place of Death:
- Tamarkan
- Date of Death:
- 26.09.1943
- Buried:
- Grave E24,Tamarkan.
General Description
Tom taken at the rear garden of family’s home in Beechboro.
Thomas Edwin was the only much loved son of Thomas Gittos and Doris Williams. Tom also had a sister Winnifred. Winnie was profoundly deaf. She enjoyed life, maintaining an interest in the world around her and her extended family. Winnie however continued to mourn the death of her only brother Tommy until her death in 2011.
The above photo and information provided by Tommy’s great neice, Beth Perry whose Grandfather and Thomas Gittos (Snr) were half brothers.
Gittos centre Front
Above: Tom Gittos on right
Pte Nazzari and Pte Tommie Gittos on the way to Darwin. Neither were to survive the war and return home to Western Australia.
Tommy Gittos was selected in Singapore to work on the Burma-Thai Railway with ‘D’ Force S Battalion. This group departed on 14 March 1943 by train on a 4 day hellish journey to Thailand.
Tommy slaved and starved for about 6 or 7 months working on the railway and in September 1943 seriously ill with dysentery and advanced tropical ulcers, the Doctors amputated his leg. Sadly Tommy was not able to survive and he died on 26th September1943 at Tamarkan Camp aged 23 years.
Below: Tom’s name hand-written by Arthur Moon, Tamarkan Hospital records. Also recorded is Robert Rennie WX7493 who died following an amputation of his leg.
Rennie & Gittos
Below: Today Tommy rests at the Kanchanaburi War Cemetery,Thailand with 91 mates from the 2/4th.
Camp Locations:
- Selarang Barracks Changi - Singapore
- Selarang Camp Changi - Singapore
- Tamarkan, Tha Makham 56k - Thailand