Obituaries Australia

Advice has been received by cable of the death in London of Mr S. W. [Sidney Whitta] Thornton, F.S.A.A., F.C.I.S., from pneumonia. Mr Thornton was private secretary to Mr Kelso King, and secretary of the Electrolytic Refining and Smelting Company of Australia, Ltd, and the Mount Morgan Gold Mining Company Co., Ltd. Early in the war he offered himself for active service, but was rejected owing to defective eyesight. He later offered his services again to the Defence Department, and was finally accepted in August, 1918, and allotted to the Accounts Branch of the A.I.F. After spending two months at Victoria Barracks, Mr Thornton sailed from Australia in the steamer Wyreema on October 14, 1918, and has been occupied on important accountancy work in connection with the A.I.F. Pay Office in London. 

Mr Thornton took an active part in the affairs of the Red Cross Society, and in 1915 proceeded to Egypt as secretary to the Commissioners. He remained there for six months, and then, after visiting England and France, returned to Australia. Until he again sailed for London, in October last year, he toured the Commonwealth, lecturing at the various Red Cross centres, and organising new branches of the society. Mr Thornton was also an ardent worker in the interests of the Navy League, being a member of the executive committee. For some time he acted as secretary of the Servian Canteen Fund, in which position he was succeeded by General Finn. While in Sydney Mr Thornton resided at The Grange, Parramatta. He was 42 years of age, and is survived by a widow and one son, the latter having recently been awarded a bursary from King’s School to Oxford University. Both Mrs Thornton and her son are now in England.