Jack Toms and his youngest brother Colin riding his Indian Scout motorbike.
Jack Toms was born in 1912 in the Kawhatau Valley, approximately 20 kms from Mangaweka, He was the eldest of George and Gertrude Toms' five sons. He spent his early childhood years in the Kawhatau Valley and later moved to Manui (another outlying area of Mangaweka). Jack attended Manui School and later on Mangaweka School. The Toms family felt the Anglican Church played a significant role in their lives. Jack was confirmed at St Martins at about 12 years of age after having attended Sunday school here for the previous years. Jack later worked as a farm hand doing general farm work, shearing etc and in the Post Office whilst also pursuing his interests of motorbike riding. Jack volunteered for enlistment in 1939. He was listed as "missing in action" for some time before the family was notified that he had been killed in action whilst in Greece in 1941. Selwyn Toms, a younger brother of Jack's, tells us that Jack was very aware of the implications of going to war and believed that by his prompt enlistment he was shouldering the responsibility for the whole family as he hoped none of hes younger brothers would ever be required to go to war. However, 3 more of his brothers volunteered to serve in WWII, leaving his youngest brother, Colin, at home. Colin was too young to go to war when it began, being born in 1924. Jack's 3 brothers did return home although one was seriously injured in Alamein in 1942. He lay on the battlefield for
3 days and his life was saved by another injured mate who scavenged water bottles from dead soldiers and provided body warmth at night to keep them both alive. During the war years Jack's father became ill and Died on the day the war ended. The war had had a huge impact on each and every one of the Toms family which was why they chose to donate money towards the stained glass window in St Martins Church at Mangaweka.
This information was given to Peter Roache, Kawhatau Valley, Mangaweka
by Selwyn Toms.
2005
Jack was the oldest of a family of five boys. He attended the Manui School of two rooms, only one was used and the other had a fire place. The children chopped the wood. In the porch was a table and a wash basin and cold water. Later Jack attended Mangaweka School and left at age fourteen, He then worked in the Post Office. He delivered mail riding his push bike. He was also a telephone exchange operator from 6am until midnight . The Postmaster told Jack to always be polite no matter how annoyed people became.
Later he worked on the Te Kapua road to the top of the hill cleaning gutters and any slips
that came down. He shoveled the metal back into the wheel ruts. He helped pull out old wooden culverts pipes and replaced them with concrete pipes.(See photo) This work continued until he went to the war. He gained a lot of responsibility.
Jack belonged to the Mangaweka Rifle Club that practiced at Kawhatau Valley.He was an excellent shot and won a cup for his accurate shooting and was a keen rabbit shooter. The Defence Rifle Club was run by the Government Offices from the First World War 1914-18.
His transport was an Indian Scout Motorbike (See photo) of medium size which he owned. He also learned to shear but was lightly built even though he was 5ft 10 inches in height. He was a very conscientious person.
Jack felt it was his duty to volunteer for service and trained in Trentham and was enlisted and went overseas with the first echelon. He was trained in the infantry with a Louis machine gun. Unfortunately he was amongst the first men killed.. The Germans had been training for years. They dropped paratroopers that landed in the trees above our men, Jack was shot in Greece. Our soldiers had come off a train and they had run under the trees to try and occupy the end of a tunnel and then they were going to march through to where they would dig trenches.
Selwyn Toms…aged 89 in June 2008 is the only remaining member of Jack’s family.
This information came from Selwyn and Jean Toms, Piopio 2008
In Memory of
Private JOHN GOODMAN TOMS
33842, 19th Bn., New Zealand Infantry
who died age 29
on 26 April 1941
Son of George Goodman Toms and Alice Gertrude Toms,
of Mangaweka, Wellington, New Zealand.
Remembered with honour
PHALERON WAR CEMETERY
Grave/ Memorial Reference:8.C.12
Commemorated in perpetuity by
the Commonwealth War Graves Commission
The World War Two Memorial found in St Martin's on the Close
Jean Toms, Selwyn Toms with Isabelle Fallaver (cousin of Selwyn and Jack)
at the Reconsecration Service 10th November 2006