Thomas Gardner was 33 and two months old when he enlisted for World War 1 on 1 September, 1914. An iron turner by trade, he was born in 1881 in Richmond, Victoria, the son of Thomas Gardner and his wife, Sarah Ellen, nee Gorman. There were three other children, Mabel (b. 1877), Adeline (b.1879) and Sarah (b.1883).

Thomas gave as his address 51 Exhibition St., Melbourne, with his next of kin was his mother, Mrs. Sarah Ellen Gardner of 117 George Street, East Melbourne. Tom Gardner had already served in the militia and must have believed he could cope with the conditions of war. However, although he served in the Australian army from 1914-18, it was at great cost to both his mental and physical strength. He was to be returned to Australia in broken health in July, 1918, and died four months later, on 24 November, 1918.

He was sent to train at Broadmeadows and wrote this cheerful letter back to his mother: We have had nearly all our stuff issued to us: singlets, underpants, boots, shirts, overalls, razor, belt, muffler and a host of other things, so we shall be comfortable enough. We get plenty of hard work and I feel in the pink of condition. He was placed in the 7th Battalion and set sail for Egypt on 19 October, 1914,  on board HMAT Hororata A20, stopping briefly at Albany to join with the ships from other states.

The 7th Battalion had been raised in August 1914 by Lieutenant Colonel H.E.  'Pompey' Elliott. It was recruited from Victoria within a fortnight of the declaration of war and arrived in Egypt on 2 December, 1914. The 7th was part of the second wave of ANZACs on the beach at Anzac Cove on 25 April and Tom Gardner would have been there. Ten days later, they were transferred to fight at Krithia, a battle that lost one-third of the original battalion. Tom Gardner was one of the survivors, but contracted influenza on 13 May and was admitted to the 1st Casualty Clearing Station until he was removed to a hospital ship, the HT Canada, then sent on to Malta, where he was placed in the Military Hospital at Floriana and then to Camp Pembroke for convalesence.

He was discharged from hospital  on 26 July, 1915, sent to Alexandria, then back to the Gallipoli Peninsula, remaining there until the evacuation in mid-December, 1915.  He was transferred to the 59th Battalion, then at Serapeum on 4 March, 1916, then almost immediately transferred again to the 5th Pioneer Battalion. On 8 March, he was promoted to Corporal, later reduced to ranks due to an episode of violence. He ill again in late March and transferred to the No.4 Hospital at Ferry Post, suffering from Gonorrhea. He remained there eighteen days, before being discharged to to Abbassia, then on 21 June, embarking on HT Ivernia for France and disembarking at Marseilles. Here he would have joined the 5th Pioneers on the Western Front. 

The Pioneer Regiments were engineering corps, engaged with transport and communications, building and maintaining trenches, duckboard paths, roads , bridges and any other building task. Although they were not a fighting force, they were constantly in or near the front lines. After two months, Tom Gardner was again in hospital, this time with debility  and nervous depression, recorded as 'sick to hospital in the field'. Released from hospital, he was admitted again on 29 November, 1916, sent back to England on board HT Goorkha.  He remained in hospital for two months, this time with rheumatic fever and bronchitis. On 1 January, he was in hospital again, with myalgia. A Medical Report from 9 January described him as having had bronchitis for years. Worse past two months. Short of breath and cough has caused him to vomit of late (indecipherable) in chest. Voice husky.

Tom Gardner was sent back to France on 28 March, 1918, and rejoined his unit on 16 April, but by May, was again ill. A Medical Report of 28 June, 1918, noted that he suffers from sleeplessness and headaches. Has muscular fatigue after exertion and is unable to concentrate his mind. From notes of RMS he is evidently war-weary.  It was noted that by then Tom Gardner had had three years and (indecipherable) months of service, noting him as neurasthenic.

Thomas Gardner was transferred to England and was sent home on 31 July, 1918, on board HMAT Malta. He discharged from the army  as medically unfit on 14 October, 1918. As noted, he died on 24 November 1918. He is listed on the Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour and on Panel 174 in the Commemorative Area.  He was 37 years old.