For large parts of WWI, Elizabeth Irwin was without her husband Thomas and three sons as they fought in various fields of war.

Elizabeth and Tom moved to Wollongong around 1890, and in 1901 Tom enlisted in the Boer War until its end in 1902.

In the days of the Garrison Artillery at Wollongong, Tom was a warrant officer and served with the regiment for many years. He had been an expert in the treatment of animals and when the Veterinary Surgeon's Act was passed, he registered as a veterinary surgeon.

Relatives have told the Illawarra Remembers project that Banjo Paterson asked Tom to enlist to look after the horses. On September 24, 1915, Tom complied and enlisted; he registered as 50 years of age when, in fact, he was much older. Relatives still have the whip which was given to him by Banjo Paterson. He was accepted into the army and went to Egypt as part of a Remount section to look after the horses of the Light Horse Regiment while they were fighting in the trenches at Gallipoli.

Tom was attached to the first embarkation of men and equipment for Mena Camp in Egypt on October 17, 1915. These operations were kept secret and lasted five days.

He was the oldest returned soldier at the age of 62. He was sent home in 1916 after the men returned and could take care of the horses.

He died on May 9, 1930, at the age of 74. On the day of the funeral a gun carriage was taken up and down Kenny Street, and he was buried at Wollongong Cemetery.

His obituary stated that he was a man of very fine personality, straightforward and manly in all his dealings as well as a good friend.

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William (Bill) Mcintosh Irwin

Bill Irwin was raised and educated in Wollongong. He was apprenticed as a coach builder and blacksmith and was a member of the North Wollongong Water Rats Surf Life Saving Club. Bill was the next member of the Irwin family to enlist after his father. He embarked from Sydney in September 1916 and served in Etaples, France.

He returned to Australia in August 1917 and in 1920 joined the police force.

Not long after being posted to Nowra in 1930, he recognised the need for an ambulance service.

Within a year, sufficient money had been raised and the first ambulance was handed over at a public ceremony. Bill was given the honour of throwing back the covers to reveal the new G.M.C. and it was Bill who drove it a few days later on its first case. Along with nine volunteers, he ran the ambulance service in Nowra for the next 18 months.

Around September 1933 he was asked to join the water police at Blakehurst which he agreed to do and was instrumental in starting the Sutherland water police.

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Charles Duff Irwin

Bill's younger brother Charles entered the war six months after Bill.

According to the National Australian Archives, Charles enlisted twice. He initially enlisted on March 3, 1916, and was sent to the AIF 53rd Battalion Depot, Bathurst. He was discharged on April 25, 1916, on the grounds of being medically unfit. Reports state that he was in Bathurst Hospital with appendicitis in March 1916.

He enlisted again on October 4, 1916, and was accepted, joining the 13th Battalion and embarking in November 1916 from Sydney aboard SS Port Nicholson.

His service ranged from Etaples, Havre, as well as Passchendaele where he received shell wounds in both knees and his back, resulting in the amputation of his left leg. Charles was only 19 when he died from his wounds on October 16, 1917. He is buried at Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery, Poperinge, Belgium.

Charles is commemorated on a number of local memorials including Wollongong Public School, City Church (formerly Presbyterian Church), Wollongong War Memorial and the North Wollongong Surf Club.

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Thomas Kennedy Irwin (Junior)

Thomas Kennedy Irwin (junior) attended Wollongong Public School and worked as a coach painter at Dwyers Wollongong.

Like his brothers, he was a member of the North Wollongong Surf Life Saving Club and served in the Home Service Ambulance prior to enlisting.

He was the last Irwin family member to enlist, sailing from Melbourne in October 1917.

He joined the 2nd Light Horse Field Ambulance and was active in the Sinai Desert, Solomon's Pools, Jericho, Jerusalem and Damascus.

According to his service record, Thomas was discharged due to medical unfitness and arrived home in July 1919.

According to the Illawarra Mercury at the time, Thomas had an active interest in boxing and was involved with the Wollongong cricket team.

Thomas died in 1936 as a result of mustard gas poisoning used in trenches and was buried at Wollongong Presbyterian Cemetery.