Thomas MCGRORY

Thomas MCGRORY

Per his military service record (Depot), Thomas McGrory was born at Glasgow, Scotland.[1]  He gave his age as 32 years and 2 months, his marital status as single, and his occupation as boxer.  His description on his Certificate of Medical Examination was height 5 feet 10 inches tall, weight 13 stone 2 lbs., with a fair complexion, brown eyes, and brown hair.  His religious denomination was Roman Catholic.  He claimed that he had 8 ½ previous military service as a Corporal in the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders in the British Army.

His next of kin was recorded on his Attestation Paper as his mother, Mrs M. McGrory, 360 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy, Melbourne, Vic.

He was named in the Leader as one of the men who enlisted with the Coo-ees at Orange.[2]

He completed his medical examination on 24^th October 1915 at Orange. He was attested by Captain T. A. Nicholas at Orange on the same day.

While the Coo-ees were at Lithgow, Private McGrory was charged by Captain A. C. Eade with being absent without leave on 1^st November 1915, and was fined one pound.

After completing the Coo-ee March he went to Liverpool Camp as reinforcement for the 13^th Battalion.

Private McGrory went absent without leave from the 16^th until the 22^nd of December 1915 when he was arrested by the Civil Police at Circular Quay. He went before a Civil Court on the 23^rd of December where he was fined three pounds for an unknown offence, He was then handed to the Military Police who escorted him to Victoria Barracks where he was placed under guard.

On 24^th of December Private McGrory broke guard and went absent without leave again till the 28^th of December 1915.

On 29^th of December 1915 Private McGrory was discharged from the Australian Imperial Force not likely to become an efficient soldier.

Thomas McGrory was involved in hearing at the Central Police Court on 25^th January 1916, followed by a court case on 6^th March 1916 at the Darlinghurst Quarter Sessions, in which he was charged with having assaulted another Coo-ee (Private Daniel Lynch) at Central Railway Station about midnight on January 16^th 1916, and robbed him of two pounds and five shillings.[3]

According to Thomas McGrory’s  statement, ‘he and Lynch and several other soldiers had been drinking together’, and ‘a general fight ensued, and that was all there was to it’. He claimed ‘he did not attack Lynch in the way alleged, and did not rob him’, and that ‘he joined the Coo-ees at Orange, and became acquainted with Lynch on the march down’.[4]  Thomas McGrory was subsequently found guilty by the jury and was remanded for sentence.

[1] NAA B2455, MCGRORY T

[2] THE RECRUITS. (1915, October 25). Leader (Orange, NSW : 1912 – 1922), p. 4. Retrieved November 26, 2016, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article117842599

[3] ‘Soldier Charged’, The Sydney Morning Herald, 26 January 1916, p. 6. Retrieved March 1, 2017, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article28782852  ;’Coo-ees in a Brawl’, The Sun, 6 March 1916, p. 5 (Final Extra). Retrieved March 1, 2017, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article221356476

[4] ’Coo-ees in a Brawl’, The Sun, 6 March 1916, p. 5 (Final Extra). Retrieved March 1, 2017, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article221356476