People Australia

Thomas Baker Heffer, n.d. photographer unknown

from Bank of NSW Roll of Honour

THOMAS BAKER HEFFER, son of Mr. Samuel John Heffer and Mrs. H. Heffer, was born at Wanganui, New Zealand, on 9th July, 1885. He was educated at the Thorndon School, Wellington, and entered the service of the Bank on 1st November, 1903, at Blenheim, New Zealand. His subsequent transfers were to Wellington in 1909; Lautoka, Fiji, in April, 1910; Suva on 1 st November of that year, and to the Head Office in July, 1911.

He enlisted in the A.I.F. on 24th May, 1915, and left Australia in December, 1915. After five months’ service in Egypt he proceeded to France where he remained, with brief intervals in hospital, until 15th August, 1918. He had received his commission in September, 1915, gained his second star on 1st October, 1916, and was promoted to the rank of captain on 17th March, 1917.

In the following year he acted as Adjutant of the 15th Battalion from 1st January until 7th August.

Captain Heffer had taken part in the operations at Pozieres, Mouquet Farm, Gueudecourt, Zonnebeke, Hamel, Villers-Bretonneux, and was wounded for the second time during the assembly for the big Australian advance on 8th August, 1918. He reached Australia on 1st February, 1919.