Thomas Charles Eastick CMG DSO (1900 - 1988)

Born 3 May 1900 in Hyde Park, South Australia, Australia

Husband of Ruby Sybil (Bruce) Eastick — married 31 Oct 1925 in Richmond, South Australia, Australia

Died 16 Dec 1988 at age 88 in Somerton Park, South Australia, Australia

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Biography

Tom Eastick CMG DSO is Notable.

Thomas Charles Eastick was born on 3 May 1900 at Hyde Park in South Australia. His father was Charles William Lone Eastick and his mother was Agnes Ann (née Scutt).^[1] His father was a plumber. He left school aged 12½ and became junior purchasing clerk at Colton, Palmer & Preston (a hardware firm). He was invited to manage an engineering firm for 12 months in 1927. Following that, he co-founded Angas Engineering Co. with a friend who was a mechanic. He remained with that company until 1977.^[2]

He married Ruby Sybil Bruce on 31 October 1925 in the Baptist church at Richmond, South Australia. He was 25 and she was 23.^[3] They had five sons.

Brigadier Tom Eastick CMG DSO served in the Australian Army in World War II
Service started: 1 November 1939
Unit(s): 13th Field Brigade of the Royal Australian Artillery, 2/7th Field Regiment, 7th Division Royal Australian Artillery, 9th Division Royal Australian Artillery
Service ended: February 1946

Tom and Ruby and their family lived at Reade Park when World War 2 started. He was commissioned as a temporary lieutenant colonel commanding the 13th Field Brigade of the Royal Australian Artillery on 1 November 1939. In April 1940 he was selected to raise and command the 2/7th Field Regiment, AIF and promoted to a substantive lieutenant colonel. The unit was assigned to the 9th Division and embarked for the Middle East in November 1940. He was Mentioned in Despatches in 1942 for the efficiency of his regiment. The unit was deployed in North Africa May-October 1941 then depot regiment for three months at the British Army School of Artillery at Almaza near Cairo. It then performed defensive duties in Syria and Lebanon in the first half of 1942. He received a Distinguished Service Order for commanding the unit in Tel el Eisa in July and El Alaein in October and November 1942, both in Egypt. He returned to Australia in February 1943 and promoted to temporary Brigadier in command of the 7th Division Royal Australian Artillery in July 1943. That unit was posted to Papua New Guinea the following month until April 1944. He commanded 9th Division artillery from June 1944, in Australia, Morotai and Borneo. He took the surrender of Japanese forces in southern Sarawak, In February 1946 he transferred to the reserve of officers with the rank of honorary brigadier and appointed companion of the Order of the Star of Sarawak. He was recalled to the army on 28 January 1950 and appointed commander, Headquarters Group, Central Command and honorary aide-de-camp to the governor-general. he returned to the officer reserve on 1 October 1953. He was appointed CMG in 1953 and knighted in 1970.^[2]

Tom Eastick died on 16 December 1988 at the Masonic Nursing Home in Somerton Park.^[2]

Wikidata: Item Q7815692, en:Wikipedia

Sources

1. ↑ Genealogy SA birth index Given Name(s): Thomas Charles Last Name: EASTICK Birth Date: 1900, May 03 Gender: M Father: Charles William Lone EASTICK Mother: Agnes Ann SCUTT Birth Place/Residence: Hyde Park District: Adelaide Symbol: Book/Page: 657/477
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3} David N. Brook, 'Eastick, Sir Thomas Charles (Tom) (1900–1988)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/eastick-sir-thomas-charles-tom-12451/text22393, published first in hardcopy 2007, accessed online 14 June 2019.
3. ↑ Genealogy SA marriage index Groom Given Name(s): Thomas Charles Groom Last Name: EASTICK Bride Given Name(s): Ruby Sybil Bride Last Name: BRUCE Marriage Date: 1925, October 31 Marriage Place: Baptist Church Richmond Groom Age: 25 Groom Approx. Birth Year: 1900 Groom Marital Status: S Groom Father: Charles William Lone EASTICK Bride Age: 23 Bride Approx. Birth Year: 1902 Bride Marital Status: S Bride Father Name: Andrew Henry BRUCE District: Adelaide Symbol: Book/Page: 305/364