Thomas was born in 1890. He was the son of George Oates and Judith Cooper. [1]
He was 25 years old when he enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force on 10 Aug 1915.
He embarked with the 11th reinforcement, 12th Australian Infantry Battalion on HMAT Benalla A24 from Adelaide on 27 Oct 1915.
On arrival in Egypt he joined the 52nd Battalion. They departed Alexandria on the Ivernia, arriving at Marseilles on 11 Jun 1916.
The 52nd fought in its first major battle at Mouquet Farm on 3 September 1916. Thomas was reported missing in action. In Feb 1917 whereas he was previously reported missing in action, he was now reported as killed in action on 4 Sep 1916.
He was buried in Serre Road Cemetery No. 1, France.
THE LATE PRIVATE T. A. OATES.
Mrs. J. M. Oates, of Jamestown, whose son, Private Thomas A. Oates, has been missing since September, 1916, has been informed that he was killed in action on September 4. Private Oates previous to enlisting was a resident of Jamestown, and was well-known and respected throughout the district. He offered his services in August, 1915, and left Australia in October of the same year, arriving in France in June, 1916. It was at the battle of Moquet Farm that Private Oates made the supreme sacrifice. He left a widowed mother residing in Jamestown, and one brother, Mr. H. W. Oates, of Auburn. He was 26 years of
age. [2]
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O > Oates > Thomas Auburn Oates
Categories: Adelaide National War Memorial, Adelaide, South Australia | HMAT A24 Benalla, Nov 1915 | 1914-1915 Star | British War Medal | Australian War Memorial, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory | Serre Road Cemetery No. 1, Puisieux, Pas-de-Calais | 52nd Infantry Battalion, Australian Imperial Force, World War I | Anzacs, World War I | Killed in Action, Australia, World War I