Thomas Carmichael arrived as a 24-year-old at the port of Fremantle from Scotland in October 1910 and settled in Geraldton. In 1914 he played for Thistle as a forward and was described in the local newspaper as one of the most enthusiastic players in the town.
He enlisted early in the war with the British Army and served their Army Service Corps. According to a letter by him from Salonika (Thessaloniki) in 1916 he served at Gallipoli but we don’t know much else about his war service. What we do know is that Carmichael returned in fine fettle and resumed playing for Thistle in September 1919.
A very clever player, he was a stalwart at the club and played into his late thirties. In 1928 at the age of 42 he turned out for the ‘Scotland’ team in a match against ‘England’. He passed away in Geraldton in 1954 at the age of 68.
On 16 October 1916 the Geraldton Guardian published this letter from Thomas Carmichael:
GERALDTONIAN AT SALONIKA, Driver T. Carmichael of the A.S.C., with the Salonika forces, writing on September 5th to Mr P. J. Stone says “Man I am very much alive and kicking (the ball every time I get the chance). Well I am getting on not so bad considering, but I would rather be down at the Club Hotel with yourself in the chair, ready to encore Dannie Duggan for his ice cream song, ‘Oh! for a night to-night.’ This is a very miserable place and is getting me baldie headed. However I believe I will pull through and get worse before it is all over. How are you and all that are left of the Thistle boys. I see by the paper cutting that some of them can play football yet and score goals. Charlie Taylor gives me good news about the boys in France, and they are all doing well. I wish them good luck and a speedy return: It was with regret I learned about Joe Chapman, Groessler, and the brothers Allen. Well I have been lucky, though I had a fright or two, when I was at Cape Helles. I have not seen anything here yet, but I may see more than I want to see before it is all over. l have not seen any of the Geraldton or Australian boys since I saw T. Groessler in Egypt before I landed in Anzac. Well I hope I will see a nice jolly company somewhere in Geraldton when it is all over, with you in the chair and plenty of music.”