Private Thomas Richard Dawson, number 2359, enlisted on 28 May 1915 stating that he was 28 years of age. He was the one of five sons of James and Margaret Dawson of Moama, who also had two girls. Thomas was allocated to the 7th Reinforcement of the 5th Battalion. He embarked from Australia on 16 July 2015 and was taken on strength at Lemnos Island on 3 November 1915. He became a batman and eventually a driver. He was sent to France landing at Marseilles on 30 March 1916.
Thomas appears to have spent the period from his arrival in France in March 1916 with the 5th Battalion of the Australian Imperial force.
Thomas returned to Australia on the troopship Kildonian Castle on 7 May 1919 and was discharged from the AIF in Melbourne, 3rd Military District, on 29 June 1919. He signed the receipt for his British War Medal at Tungamah in 1922.