Contributed by Ron Inglis, October 2021:
Horace Hilton Thoroughgood, 30, a baker and ex-pupil of Auburn Public School, lived with his wife Elsie and his four children in Cumberland Road, Auburn. He was a brother-in-law to Auburn Memorial man John Arnot.
Comparing his date of enlistment with his date of death, it appears at first glance that Private Thoroughgood was the longest serving of the Auburn Memorial men, with three years and eight months. However, there were several factors leading to this long period of service.
Private Thoroughgood enlisted twice with a break in between. He enlisted the first time at Liverpool in December 1914. After 11 days on Gallipoli, he received a gunshot wound to the chest and back and was invalided to England via Malta. He was in Britain for more than a year before he was declared permanently unfit for general service, but fit for home service. He returned to Australia on the Marathon and was discharged from the AIF in October 1916.
Four months later Thoroughgood enlisted again, this time in Newcastle. The Official History notes that some 6,000 men did as Thoroughgood did. After a further four months in Australia, Thoroughgood embarked on the Beltana in June 1917, arriving in Plymouth, United Kingdom, on 23 August 1917. He did not cross to France and march into Australian Pioneers until January 1918.
Thoroughgood survived eight months on the Western Front before being killed in action on 25 August 1918. His body was never found, therefore his name was inscribed on the Australian National Memorial at Villers-Bretonneux, when that memorial was unveiled in 1938.
On both his enlistment papers, Thoroughgood gave his religion as Church of England, however his name appears on the honour roll and the memorial stained glass window of the Auburn Presbyterian Church. It does not appear on the First World War Honour Roll in St Philip’s Auburn Anglican Church.
Horace Hilton Thoroughgood is honoured on the following memorials in Australia:
- Auburn War Memorial
- Municipality of Auburn 1914-1919 Honour Roll
- Auburn Public School First World War Honour Roll
- Auburn Presbyterian Church First World War Honour Roll
- Auburn Presbyterian Church First World War Memorial Window
- Roll of Honour Australian War Memorial Canberra
His decorations:
- British War Medal 1914-20
- Victory Medal
- 1914-1915 Star
