Twenty-six-year-old Thomas Joseph Goldsmith was farming at Lauriston, near Ashburton, when he enlisted to fight for his new home country. The recently-cleaned headstone of Private Thomas Goldsmith, in the Ashburton Cemetery. Private T J Goldsmith, 29162 was assigned to the 2nd Canterbury Infantry Battalion. Three-and-a-half months after first arriving in the trenches, Thomas suffered from a bout of diarrhoea so severe he had to be treated twice by field ambulance. Thomas served his country for three years and 159 days, which included two years and 345 days posted overseas.

Source: Otago Daily Times April 30, 2020 02:37 UTC