Acting Commander Thomas Wyburn BIDDLECOMBE^[1]

1880 - 1917  (37 years)

• Name	Thomas Wyburn BIDDLECOMBE
  Prefix	Acting Commander
  Birth	1880	Shapwick, Somerset, England, United Kingdom   [1, 2]
  Gender	Male
  Residence	1881	Polden Hill, Shapwick, Somerset, England   [2]
  	His age was given as nine months.
  Misc	20 Jan 1900	Bristol, Somerset, England, United Kingdom   [3]
  	Qualified as second mate for a foreign going ship
  Misc	1914	Australia   [4]
  	Lt. Commander, Thomas Wyburn Biddlecombe, Acting Commander of the ship Pioneer
  Misc	1914	Melbourne, Australia   [5]
  	Mariner, H.M.S. Pioneer
  Death	3 Mar 1917	Off the Coast of Ireland   [1]
  	Acting Commander (A/Cdr) Thomas Wyburn Biddlecombe, HMS Q27. Formerly of South Yarra, Victoria, he joined the Royal Australian Navy as a Sub Lieutenant in July 1906 and rose to the rank of Lieutenant Commander (Lt Cdr) in July 1913. At the outbreak of the First World War he was the captain of HMAS Pioneer in East Africa. Acting Commander Biddlecombe was attached to the Royal Navy in England in 1916 in command of a special service ship (HMS Q27). He was killed on 13 March 1917 during action against a German submarine off the west coast of Ireland and was the first RAN officer killed in action in command of his ship. He was aged, 36 years. Source: Australian War Memorial online at http://www.awm.gov.au/collection/P01585.001
  Will_prob	25 Sep 1925	London, England, United Kingdom   [6]
  	"Thomas Wyburn of Toorak, Melbourne, Australia, died 13 March 1917 at sea. Administration (limited) London 25 September to George Whitley, solicitor, the attorney of Gertrude Biddlecombe, widow. Effects £ 284, 18 s., 1d"
  Person ID	I6861	Watkins
  Last Modified	5 Jan 2014

  
  

  Father	William Josiah BIDDLECOMBE,   b. 23 May 1825, Shapwick, Somerset, England, United Kingdom d. 20 Aug 1901, Reading, Berkshire, England, United Kingdom (Age 76 years)
  Mother	Amelia Ann WYBURN,   b. 27 Nov 1838, Woolavington, Somerset, England, United Kingdom d. 15 Mar 1913, Reading, Berkshire, England, United Kingdom (Age 74 years)
  Marriage	Abt Dec 1872  [7]
  Residence	1881	Polden Hill, Shapwick, Somerset, England   [2]
  	Farmer of 268 acres, employing four laborers: two boys and two women
  Residence	1891	Shapwick, Somerset, England, United Kingdom   [8]
  	Farmer
  Residence	1901	Eye & Dunsden, Oxfordshire, England   [9]
  	Retired Farmer
  Family ID	F1395	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Gertrude Mary THWAITES
  Marriage	27 May 1909	Adelaide, South Australia, Australia   [1, 10]
  	Address: Saint Paul's Church
  Residence	1914	Toorak District, Victoria, Australia   [3]
  Children	1. Guy Wyburn BIDDLECOMBE,   b. 1910, Swallowfield, England, United Kingdom d. Yes, date unknown   2. Joan BIDDLECOMBE
  Family ID	F3357	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	24 Mar 2023

  
  

• Event Map

  Birth - 1880 - Shapwick, Somerset, England, United Kingdom Residence - 1881 - Polden Hill, Shapwick, Somerset, England Marriage - Address: Saint Paul's Church - 27 May 1909 - Adelaide, South Australia, Australia Misc - 1914 - Australia Misc - Mariner, H.M.S. Pioneer - 1914 - Melbourne, Australia  = Link to Google Earth

  
  

• Photos

  Acting Commander, Thomas Wyburn Biddlecombe Acting Commander (A/Cdr) Thomas Wyburn Biddlecombe, HMS Q27. Formerly of South Yarra, Victoria, he joined the Royal Australian Navy as a Sub Lieutenant in July 1906 and rose to the rank of Lieutenant Commander (Lt Cdr) in July 1913. At the outbreak of the First World War he was the captain of HMAS Pioneer in East Africa. Acting Commander Biddlecombe was attached to the Royal Navy in England in 1916 in command of a special service ship (HMS Q27). He was killed on 13 March 1917 during action against a German submarine off the west coast of Ireland and was the first RAN officer killed in action in command of his ship. He was aged, 36 years. Source: Australian War Memorial online at http://www.awm.gov.au/collection/P01585.001

  
  

• Sources

  [S24] Miscellaneous, Email from Eleanor Hodgins Taylor (Australia) dated 29 May 2013. [S266] 1881 England Census, Polden Hill, Shapwick, Somerset, England, Page 9 Dwelling 49. [S86] ua. [S86] ua, UK, Navy Lists, 1888-1970. [S86] ua, Australian Electoral Rolls. [S86] ua, Principal Probate Registry. Calendar of the Grants of Probate and Letters of Administration made in the Probate Registries of the High Court of Justice in England. London, England © Crown copyright. [S86] ua, England & Wales, FreeBMD Marriage Index, 1837-1915 forAmelia Ann Wyburn: Chelsea, Vol. 1a, Page 496. [S267] 1891 England Census, Shapwick, Somerset, England, Page 6 Dwelling 34. [S271] 1901 England Census, Eye & Dunsten, Oxfordshire, England, Page 17 Dwelling 68. [S24] Miscellaneous, Email from Elizabeth Allen, dated 3/12/2002.