Thomas Wilfred SALE

Born 1899 in Hamstall, Staffordshire, England ^{[20] [21]}
Son of farmer William SALE Jnr and Ellen SLATER ^{[20] [21]}
In 1901 he was living with his parents and siblings Mary, Rupert and Ernest on Hay End Farm in Hamstall, Staffordshire ^[20]
Departed London, England on the steamship Ormuz and arrived in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia on 24 June 1924 ^[63]
Later shifted to South Australia and then Western Australia ^{[10: 13-Sep-1928]}
Farmhand for A. Hamlet JONES on Turipa Farm in Coorow, Western Australia in 1928 ^{[4: 22-Sep-1928]}
He was among the 400 people who attended the Matrons and Benedicts Ball held in Three Springs on 31 August 1928 ^{[4: 8-Sep-1928]}
Died 11 September 1928 in Coorow; buried at Winchester Cemetery in Carnamah, Western Australia (Row A, Plot 5) ^{[1] [4]}
Undertaker of his funeral was Henry Parkin & Son of Carnamah and the officiating minister was Rev. JAQUET of Three Springs ^[1]


From The Moora Herald and Midland Districts Advocate newspaper, Thursday 13 September 1928:
Tragedy at Coorow - Tractor Driver Dead in Paddock
"On Tuesday afternoon Wilfred Sales (23), a young Englishman who had not been long in the Commonwealth, and a recent arrival from South Australia, met his death in a very tragic manner at Coorow. He was in the employ of Mr A. H. Jones, farmer, and was engaged in driving a tractor for fallowing. He was found dead alongside the machine in the paddock in which he was working. No one witnessed the tragedy, but it is surmised that Sales fell from the tractor and that the plough passed over him, as he had a deep gash in his head and his clothes had been practically torn off him."


From The Irwin Index newspaper, Saturday 22 September 1928:
The Coorow Tragedy - Inquest and Verdict - Some Remarkable Features
"Details of the accident at Coorow whereby Thomas Wilfred Sale lost his life under tragic circumstances make sad reading. From the evidence of Senior Constable Street, of Three Springs, taken at the inquest held at Coorow before Mr. F. Bingham J.P., as Acting Coroner, on September 12, it appears that on September 11 Sale, who was a native of Staffordshire, England, an apparently about 23 years of age, was working a tractor to which a disc plough was attached at "Turipa," Coorow, the property of Mr. A. H. Jones, for whom he had worked for about nine months. At about 7 p.m. on that day it was noticed that deceased had not returned from the paddock in which he had been working, and thinking that something was wrong, Jones and another employee named George Alexander Melville went to look for him. They found the tractor stopped, and no one in charge. Returning to the house for a light, they made a search, and found the body. Being unable to get in touch with the Three Springs police on account of the telephone office being closed, they communicated with the Moora police through the railways. Receiving a message from Moora early the next morning, Constable Street proceeded to the scene of the tragedy. A careful investigation revealed tracks from which it appeared evident that the unfortunate young man had stopped the tractor and attempted to do something to the discs. Being apparently unsuccessful in his object, he had restarted the machine and walked behind with the intention of adjusting the discs while the plough was in motion. He had then, it appeared attempted to get back to his seat again by getting in between the plough and the tractor, and had been caught by the plough and dragged under, the wheel of the plough passing over his head. The body had been dragged for 408 paces, and was shockingly mutilated, but the neck seemed to be broken and the constable was of the opinion that deceased was killed almost instantaneous. Both arms and legs were broken and the neck and other parts of the badly had been badly gashed by the discs. The Acting Coroner returned a verdict to the effect that deceased was killed by falling between a tractor and plough while same was in motion. Remarkable Features - Some remarkable features of the case were noted by Constable Street. After dragging the body of Sale for nearly a quarter of a mile, the discs on the plough had struck a root and released it. The machine had then gone on working for about four hours unattended, stopping finally when headed straight for the body, within 50 yards of it, as the result of a piece of grit becoming lodged  the petrol pipe and checking the supply. On three occasions the tractor has passed close to the body, twice on one side, and once on the other. Once it just missed a tree. At another time it passed within six feet of the fence. On one occasion it had been heading straight for the fence, but had then turned and gone along parallel with it at a distance of about 15 feet. A deep patch of sand had been traversed almost as though some person were controlling the machine. Those who saw how it has been working [from its tracks], always turning and keeping in the paddock on each occasion when it had been heading in a direction leading out of it, were unanimous in describing the occurrence as the most marvellous thing they had ever seen. The Funeral - The funeral took place in the Anglican portion of the Winchester Cemetery on Thursday, the Rev. E. G. Jaquet, of Three Springs, officiating. The funeral arrangements were carried out by Messrs Henry Parkin and Son of Carnamah. Members of Mr. Jones' family attended, also deceased's mate, Mr. Melville, who was visibly affected. The late Mr. Sale was of sober habits, and in fairly good financial circumstance. He came to Australia in 1924 and had no relatives in this country so far as could be ascertained. Mr. Jones thought highly of him, and he had been treated as one of the family."

From The Staffordshire Advertiser newspaper, Saturday 22 September 1928:
Deaths
"Sale - Thomas Wilfred, beloved son of William and Ellen Sale, of Hay End Farm, Hamstall Ridware; accidentally killed at Coorow, Perth, Australia, aged 29 years. Intimation received by cable Sept. 15."

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