Thomas Ernest Welsh was born in Stawell and was a Bootmaker in Ballarat East when he enlisted in the 6th Battalion, 23rd Reinforcement on 7 October 1916 at the age of 21. His unit embarked from Melbourne, Victoria, on board HMAT A20 Hororata on 23 November 1916. He reached England in late January 1917 then moved over to France in May. On October 5th he was wounded in action, suffering a severe gunshot wound to his left arm. He was immediately evacuated to hospital in France, and then to England where his arm was amputated at the elbow. Consequently he was returned to Australia for discharge, reaching Melbourne in November 1918.

His brothers, Pte Leonard Allan Joseph Welsh, 6th Bn, returned to Australia, 7 February 1919 (Tree No. 3923); Corporal Stanley Welsh, 24th Bn, killed in action, 4 October 1917 (Tree No. 3348) also served.
Tree No. 1919