PAIR: British War and Victory Medal, both correctly impressed to 1576 L/CPL T. KELLEHER 9 BN AIF.
EMB: 13th February 1915 with the 9th Battalion
RTA: 4th May 1915 for reasons unknown (due to this part of the file missing). The 9th Battalion was in the initial waves at the landing at Gallipoli and by the 4th May it is possible that slightly wounded or stable wounded could have been sent home to recover (depending on the wound). There is no reference to a charge appearing later on in his service and a wound or injury seems the only likely event that once recovered would carry no prejudice on re-enlistment.
EMB: Now as number 2487 with the 8th BN on the 16th July 1915
Absent without Leave on the 16th August until apprehended by the Military Police. Also for using threatening language to a superior and attempting to escape. Sentenced 28 days detention as of the 13 September 1915
Taken on strength at Lemnos on the 31st October 1915 heading for Gallipoli. We can only assume he reached Gallipoli with nearly two months left of fighting before the evacuation and the next entry in his records show him disembarking at Alexandria on the 7th of January 1916 with the rest of Gallipoli’s evacuated force.
Transferred to the 57th BN on the 22nd March 1916
KIA: 25th October 1917 Belgium. Unfortunately no body was recovered for Thomas Keleher and he is remembered on the Menin Gate Memorial.
Note: A letter on file from his mother alerts us to the sad fact that his brother number 2696 Private James Martin Keleher 3rd BN AIF was also killed in action the year before on the 25th of July 1916 at Villers-Bretonneux
When searching records for Thomas Kelleher he may appear under his second number 2487 and the family surname is spelt with one “L”. Missing 1914/15 star based on previous enlistment. On the surface he was a very interesting man and hopefully with good research his full story will be discovered.
VF $625