Thomas Gordon Fairbairn
Photograph provided by John Rackstraw

Tom embarked from Melbourne on 29 Dec 1940 on H.M.T. Mauritania and disembarked in Palestine on 31 Jan 1941 where he marched out on 9 Feb 1941 to join the 2/8th who had arrived in the Middle East on 18 May 1940 and trained in Palestine and Egypt in preparation for its first campaign against the Italians in eastern Libya. The 2/8th had played a small roll at Bardia (3-5 Jan 1941) but suffered the heaviest casualties of any Australian unit during the battle of Tobruk (21-22 Jan 1941).

On 31 Mar 1941 the 2/8th embarked for Greece and fought a fierce battle with German troops at Vevi in the north on 11-12 Apr 1941 but, overstretched and assailed by a vastly superior force, was forced to withdraw. The battalion became disorganised, lost a great deal of its weapons and equipment, and many of the troops were separated. They were evacuated from Kalamata in two ships on the night of 26 Apr. Only 199 members of the battalion were taken straight back to Eqypt, while another 394 were landed on Crete after their transport Costa Rica was sunk. This party fought around Canea after the landing of German troops on 20 May (Extracted from Unit History of 2/8th Battalion, Australian War Memorial website and WW2 Service File, NAA Series B883, Barcode 6224788).

On 27 Apr 1941 when the troops were being evacuated from Greece, Tom was on board the Costa Rica, at 2.40pm enemy aircraft came out of the sun and bombed the ship, although there was no direct hit, the force of the explosion caused the engines to stop and by 3pm water was coming through gaps in the plates on port side. The British destroyers Hero and Hereward, who were already crowded with evacuating troops, took on board the troops from the Costa Rica. Tom claimed his feet never got wet (Australian War Memorial, website, Official Histories, WW2, Vol II, Chapter 7 and notes taken by John Rackstraw, Tom's nephew, from conversation with Tom, 15 August 2005).

Cairo – The Mosque of Ibn Tulûn

Mrs H Fairbairn 8 Brighton Street Flemington Vic Australia Dear Mum and all at home Just a few lines to tell you that I am well and happy have been ship wrecked and feeling no ill effect. Please excuse me for not writing before this as I have been on the move ever since I have arrived here did you receive my card your loving son Tom

Postcard sent by Tom to his mother after the sinking of the Costa Rica 27 April 1941
Transcription of faded postcard provided by Raymond Fairbairn

The battalion was reunited in Palestine on 3 Jun 1941. On 2 Aug Tom was attached to Officer's School and on 8 Sep he rejoined his unit. On 29 Oct Tom was detached from his unit for Special Duty (Batman). On 2 Apr 1942 Tom embarked for home on Felix Rousell and arrived at Adelaide on 23 May at SA L of C Area. On 20 Jul 1942 Tom rejoined his unit from Special Duties and the next day was detached for Special Duty (Batman). In Jun the 2/8th was deployed to defend Darwin. On 20 Jun 1943 Tom entrained from N.T. to L of C Area Qld.

On 12 Apr 1944 Tom attended the First Aust Army AASC School and completed the Orderly Room Sergeant Wing Course No 16, his rank was recorded as Lance Cpl, he was recommended as ‘Competent to perform the duties of an Orderly Room Sgt, personal characteristics ‘Keen and conscientious, displayed interest throughout the course’.

On 28 Oct 1944 Tom embarked with the 2/8th for New Guinea on board USAT Mexico, they disembarked at Aitape on 1 Nov 1944 to undertake the 2/8th’s only campaign against the Japanese. It was involved in the Danmap river operations between Dec 1944 and Feb 1945, and then the advance on Wewak and clearance of the Prince Alexander Range between April and July 1945. On 6 May 1945 Tom was promoted to Sergeant. The capture of the dominating heights of Mount Shiburangu on 7 Jun was the battalion's greatest achievement of the campaign. Following the Japanese surrender on 15 Aug, drafts of 2/8th men began returning to Australia for discharge (Extracted from Unit History of 2/8th Battalion, Australian War Memorial website and WW2 Service File, NAA Series B883, Barcode 6224788).

When Tom was serving in Greece in 1941, an old lady in a village gave him a small Greek bible, although he could not read it, he carried it throughout the war, and bought it back to Australia, later, after he retired to Queensland the bible went missing. On 13 March 1981 the Greek Consul presented Tom with a replacement bible as a token of gratitude from the Greek Nation (Notes taken by John Rackstraw, Tom's nephew, from conversation with Tom, 15 August 2005).