Dental plate: Private T P Wollaston, 43 Battalion, AIF

A metal dental plate designed to fit over lower teeth, keeping the teeth in place.

Associated with the service of 3143A Private Tennyson Penn Wollaston, who was born on 29 May 1899 at Sheringa, South Australia. He enlisted in the AIF on 4 April 1917 at the age of 18 and was posted to the 7th Reinforcements to the 43rd Battalion. Wollaston was allocated the number 3143 and posted to B Company at Mitcham camp on 16 April. After completing his initial training, he left Adelaide on 23 June, travelling aboard HMAT Borda. The men disembarked at Plymouth, England on 25 August, and undertook another four months of training to prepare them for the Western Front.

Wollaston and his unit embarked from Plymouth on 8 January 1918 for France. They were taken on strength of the 43rd Battalion, resting at Locre near Ypres, on 13 January. Wollaston had his first experience of trench warfare in February when the battalion went into the line at Le Bizet, near Armentieres. In March the battalion moved to Calais for rest and further training. The rest was brief however as the Germans launched Operation Michael, their spring offensive. The battalion was rushed into the line at Sailly la Sec on the Somme and went into action there on 27 March.

On 30 March, during a heavy German assault, Wollaston sustained a gunshot wound to the left side of his face. He was evacuated through Boulogne to England, arriving at Queen's Hospital, Sidcup, Kent. Here he underwent surgery on the teeth in his lower left jaw and on his face. This dental plate was used to keep his teeth in place while recovering from his wounds. On 2 May, Wollaston was charged by the Officer Commanding the hospital for refusing to obey an order given to him by an Non commissioned Officer (NCO). He forfeited 28 days pay for the infraction. He was discharged from hospital on 24 May and was granted a furlough until 5 July. Upon reporting back for duty, Wollaston was again granted a furlough from 8 July until 22 July when he reported for duty at Number 4 Command Depot, Hurdcott.

On 1 October Wollaston marched into the Machine Gun Training Depot. During this period of his training, the war came to an end on 11 November. He returned to France on 28 November and was posted to 1 Machine Gun Battalion. Here, due to another man having the same service number, the letter A was added to the end of Wollaston's service number. He returned to England in early June 1919. He embarked for Australia on 18 July, sailing in the transport ship Takada. He disembarked in Adelaide on 4 September and was discharged from the AIF on 4 October.

Wollaston's brother Charles Todd Wollaston served with him in the 43rd Battalion and was awarded the Military Medal for bravery at Peronne in September 1918. A second brother, Rudyard Kipling Wollaston enlisted as soon as he turned 18, but the war ended before he could leave Australia. After returning to Port Lincoln, Tennyson Wollaston married and began a family - having a son, Clare and four daughters, Joan, Faye, Myrtle and Mary. He worked as a wharf labourer at Port Lincoln to support his family.

When the Second World War began, Wollaston enlisted for service in the Volunteer Defence Corps (VDC) on 19 January 1942. His son Clare and two daughters, Myrtle and Mary enlisted for service with the RAAF and WAAAF. Wollaston was allocated the service number S56976 and posted to number 9 post, A Company, 5 Battalion, VDC. He was promoted to acting lance corporal in April. In December, Wollaston was charged with being drunk in the lines and causing affray, He was found guilty of the former, but not the latter as he was found to have acted in self defence. Wollaston was fined 5 pounds and returned to duty. He was discharged from the VDC on 30 June 1943 due to ill health. Tennyson Wollaston died in 1962.