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The Lonely Anzac
History 16 of 27

16. The Lonely Anzac


The Lonely Anzac. Thomas Hunter born in Medomsley, Consett but left school and moved to Winlaton aged approx 14 to work as a miner. Thomas was a founder member of the Vulcans when they formed in 1896. He played for Winlaton and Durham County for a number of years before emigrating to Australia in 1911. When war broke out in 1914 he joined the Australian Expeditionary Force and was sent to fight at Gallipoli where he was injured. Having recovered from his injury he transferred to the western front in France and was again wounded, this time severely, with a bullet in his spine. His injury was so bad he was put on a boat to the south of England then put on a train to go for treatment at a military hospital in Halifax. Unfortunately he was in such a bad state that the train had to be stopped in Peterborough where sadly he died. The people of Peterborough felt sorry for this "Lonely Anzac" so far from home with no family around him that they started a subscription to pay for his funeral and a stone cross to mark his grave. Every year on Anzac Day there's still a memorial service in Peterborough to pay tribute to this brave warrior.