Sgt. Thomas Graham Wishart (1871 – 1960)

Thomas Graham Wishart was born on 30 March 1871 in the parish of Airth in Stirlingshire. He was the son of John Wishart, a master gardener from Glasgow and Elizabeth Henderson. At the time of Thomas’s birth the family were living at Airth Castle and ten years later at Shanwell Mansion House in the parish of Orwell, Kinross. By 1891 Thomas and his parents were living at Kirkton in Largo, Fife where Thomas worked as a joiner and would soon meet his wife, Sarah Lee. Originally from Gateshead in Durham and working in service at Strathairly Mansion in Largo in 1891, Sarah and Thomas were married on 7th February 1896 in Glasgow. By 1901 they were living on Main Street in Largo with their two sons, John and James. At the time Thomas was working as a bicyclemaker and electric bellfitter.

In the pre-war years Thomas set up his own garage in Upper Largo called the East End Garage and made his living as a motor engineer – at some point designing and patenting the ‘wizard carburettor’.

In mid-November 1915 Thomas made his way to the Dundee Recruitment Office and enlisted as a motor driver (M2/150430) in the the Army Service Corps on the eighteenth of that month. Joining his company at Grove Park, South London, Thomas was initially stationed in Portishead, Somerset with the 557 ASC Motor Transport Company where he was eventually promoted to corporal on 24th February 1916.  The 557 was formed in November 1915 as special base depot for the Middle East, however before they departed it was converted to an RGA Ammunition Column.

On the 31st March 1916 Thomas boarded a ship for France and disembarked the next day on 1st April at Le Havre where he was assigned to the 68th Siege Batteries, Royal Garrison Artillery with the 557 MT Company. On the 26 April he was transferred to 641 Motor Transport Company, which was an ammunition column for the 57 Seige Battery, III corps. Thomas was engaged as a lorry driver and responsible for hauling the heavy guns and howitzers of the RGA, with attendant equipment and ammunition.

Over the next year Thomas was assigned to a number of different Motor Transport companies and was promoted to Acting Sergeant on 28th December 1916, a rank he held until 22nd May 1918 when he was promoted to Sergeant. At the time he was with the 611 MT Coy.

By the 21st March 1919 Thomas was stationed with the 2nd Army Seige battery, 625 Motor Transport Company and given his third bout of leave since arriving in France between 15th and 29th July 1919, and in early 1920 found himself based in Cologne – extending his service for a three months from 1st May. It was during this period that he was involved in an accident that ended his military career.

On Sunday 4th July 1920 Thomas was a sidecar passenger in a Douglas Combination motorcycle driven by another Sergeant. They had gained a day pass and were on the return journey back towards Heinbach. As the sergeants passed through Leckenick, they turned a corner and the sidecar wheel caught in a railway line, tearing it from its axle and overturning the vehicle. Thomas was thrown from the sidecar and suffered a fracture dislocation of the surgical neck and right humerus.

He was admitted to hospital straight away and eventually discharged on the 31st August, when he proceeded to the Rhine Army Motor Transport Vehicle reception for demobilization.

After the war Thomas continued to work as an engineer and was proceeded in death by his wife, eventually succumbing himself to cancer and dying on the 26th August 1960 whilst resident at the Kinloch Social Welfare Home in Collessie.