Tom, as he was popularly known, was born in June 1892 in Bundalong, one of six children born to Alexander and Annie Carmichael.
He attended primary school in nearby Esmond, high school in Melbourne and after leaving school, taught woodworking at Benalla High School.
When WWI broke out in August 1914, Tom volunteered for service in the Australian Imperial Force and joined the 7th Australian Infantry Battalion.
In October, he embarked in Melbourne on the troop ship Hororata, part of the first convoy of Australian and New Zealand troops to the war.
“The 7th Battalion landed on Gallipoli on 25 April 1915,” Australian War Memorial historian Thomas Rogers said.
“In early May, the Australian 2nd Brigade, of which the 7th Battalion was part, was withdrawn from the Anzac area and landed at Cape Helles as part of a major offensive to capture the high ground there.
“Just after 5pm on May 8, 1915, as the Australian and allied troops attacked, Second Lieutenant Carmichael was leading a charge when he was struck by bullets, dying of his wounds shortly afterwards.
“He was 22 years old.”
The Last Post ceremony is held at 4.30 pm every day except Christmas Day in the Commemorative area of the Australian War Memorial.
Each ceremony shares the story behind one of 103,000 names on the Roll of Honour.
To date, the Memorial has delivered more than 4,100 ceremonies, each featuring an individual story of service from colonial to recent conflicts.
It would take more than 280 years to read the story behind each of the 103,000 names listed on the Roll of Honour.
“The Last Post Ceremony is our commitment to remembering and honouring the legacy of Australian service,” Memorial director Matt Anderson said.
“Through our daily Last Post Ceremony, we not only acknowledge where and how these men and women died, we tell the stories of who they were when they were alive, and of the families who loved and, in so many cases, still mourn for them.
“The Last Post is now associated with remembrance, but originally it was a bugle call to sound the end of the day’s activities in the military.
“It is a fitting way to end each day at the Memorial.”
Story told in Yarrawonga
At last year’s Anzac Day service in Yarrawonga, Sacred Heart College captain Jessica Freeman told the story of Second Lieutenant Carmichael, recounting his death from unbearable wounds.
“Spending four months vigorously training in the (Egyptian) desert, his infantry ventured into the unknown soils of Gallipoli on April 25, 1915, where they would be a part of the second wave,” Jessica said.
“Living to only 22 years of age, Carmichael dedicated his life to the country we reside in today.
“His courageous service to his country will forever be remembered and he and many other heroic individuals will continue to symbolise the strength and bravery of soldiers past, present and future.
“Coming from Bundalong myself, I am truly inspired by Carmichael’s story and his ability to have such an honourable impact on our nation, regardless of the size of his hometown.”
