SECOND CORPORAL ALBERT EDWARD BRUCE BARLOW
938 – 3rd Tunnelling Company
Albert Edward Bruce Barlow was born in 1892 at Kerang, Victoria the son of Robert Henry and Mary Ann (nee Coulson) Barlow. Bruce was educated at the Perth Boys School, James Street, Perth, Western Australia. He was working at Sandstone, Mount Magnet, W.A. in 1915 as a biograph operator.
On December 6, 1915 the twenty-three year old electrician and motor mechanic applied to enlist for active service at the Perth recruiting depot and passed the medical examination. Attestation forms were completed and describe him as 172cms (5ft 7½ins) tall, weighing 59kgs (130lbs) with a chest expansion of 87-94cms (34-37ins). Complexion was fresh with brown eyes and brown hair and two vaccination scars on his left arm were classed as distinctive marks. Church of England was his religious faith. Next-of-kin was his father Robert Henry Barlow of 22 Waugh Street, North Perth was nominated as his next-of-kin. He signed and took the ‘Oath of Enlistment’ the same day.
He was assigned for basic training on December 10, 1915 as a Private with the 38th Depot Battalion.
Recruiting for the Miners’ Corps had begun on December 1st, 1915 therefore Private Barlow was placed for basic training at the Helena Vale camp at Blackboy Hill, W.A. with the newly forming Corps. The Unit’s title was the No. 3 Company with a major portion of No.3 Company recruited by 2nd Lt. L.J. Coulter, A.I.F. who was sent from N.S.W. to W.A. for that purpose. They were made up to strength with 1 Officer and 274 Other Ranks and embarked from Fremantle, W.A.
On December 18, 1915 the company sailed for Sydney, NSW on board the troopship SS Indarra. His name appears on the passenger list which was published in:
On Boxing Day (Dec 26th), 1915 the Unit arrived in Sydney and marched into Casula Camp, near Liverpool, NSW. They were joined by the 4th Section of the Tasmanian Miners, bringing the establishment strength up to 15 officers and 349 Other Ranks under the command of 2nd Lieutenant L.J. Coulter.
Mining Corps Units from all Military districts came together at Casula camp, near Liverpool, NSW to complete training as a Corps.
Barlow was assigned the regimental number 938 in the rank of Sapper and remained in No.3 Company. On February 18, 1916 he was promoted to Corporal in Routine Order No. 49 for the voyage to Europe.
At a civic parade in the Domain, Sydney on Saturday February 19, 1916, a large crowd of relations and friends of the departing Miners lined the four sides of the parade ground. Sixty police and 100 Garrison Military Police were on hand to keep the crowds within bounds.
The scene was an inspiriting one. On the extreme right flank, facing the saluting base, were companies of the Rifle Club School; next came a detachment of the 4th King’s Shropshire Light Infantry, then the bands of the Light Horse, Liverpool Depot, and the Miners’ on the left, rank upon rank, the Miners’ Battalion.
The Corps boarded HMAT A38 Ulysses in Sydney, NSW on February 20 and sailed for the European theatre. Arriving in Melbourne, Victoria on February 22 the Miners camped at Broadmeadows for a stay of 7 days while further cargo was loaded.
Another parade was held at the Broadmeadows camp on March 1, the Miners’ Corps being inspected by the Governor-General, as Commander-in-Chief of the Commonwealth military forces.
Leaving Melbourne on March 1, Ulysses arrived at Fremantle, Western Australia on March 7 where a further 53 members were taken on board.
On Wednesday March 8, 1916 the whole force, with their band and equipment, paraded at Fremantle prior to leaving Victoria Quay at 9.30 o’clock.
The ship hit a reef when leaving Fremantle harbour, stripping the plates for 40 feet and, although there was a gap in the outside plate, the inner bilge plates were not punctured. The men on board nicknamed her ‘Useless’. The Miners were off-loaded and sent to the Blackboy Hill Camp where further training was conducted.
The Mining Corps comprised 1303 members at the time they embarked with a Headquarters of 40; No.1 Company – 390; No.2 Company – 380; No.3 Company – 392, and 101 members of the 1st Reinforcements.
Finally departing Fremantle on April 1, Ulysses voyaged via Suez, Port Said and Alexandria in Egypt. The Captain of the shipwas reluctantto take Ulysses out of the Suez Canal because he felt the weight of the ship made it impossible to manoeuvre in the situation of a submarine attack.
The troops were transhipped to HM Transport B.1 Ansonia, then on to Valetta, Malta before disembarking at Marseilles, France on May 5, 1916. As a unit they entrained at Marseilles on May 7 and detrained on May 11 at Hazebrouck.
A ‘Mining Corps’ did not fit in the British Expeditionary Force, and the Corps was disbanded and three Australian Tunnelling Companies were formed.
The Technical Staff of the Corps Headquarters, plus some technically qualified men from the individual companies, was formed into the entirely new Australian Electrical and Mechanical Mining and Boring Company (AEMMBC), better known as the ‘Alphabetical Company’.
Four sections of the No. 3 Company were dispersed to various sectors for instructional training. These four sections re-combined to relieve the 255th Coy, Royal Engineers in the mining sector that included existing mine systems of Red Lamp; Winchester; Colvin; Ducks Bill and Sign Post Lane.
While abroad his father passed away in Perth with the following Obituary published in the:
He reverted to the ranks on September 19, 1916 at his own request. On October 10, 1916 the Company again relieved the 257th Coy R.E. in the Winchester Sector.
Leave from France was granted from October 5 until October 15, 1917. The same day he made a Will bequeathing his real and personal estate to his mother Mrs M.A. Barlow of 26 Waugh Street, North Perth.
His service continued without incident until he was appointed to the rank of Lance Corporal on December 27, 1917. The next day was promoted to Second Corporal to complete establishment.
Three Blue Chevrons were due for issue on February 20, 1918 to wear on his uniform for serving two years abroad.
Leave to Paris was taken from July 1 and he rejoined his unit on July 10, 1918.
A month later Second Corporal Barlow was killed in action on August 11, 1918 along with five others killed and seven soldiers wounded. He was 26 years of age.
The Unit Diary for the 3rd Tunnelling Company reported the following entry and listed those killed and wounded for that day:
Burial took place at Hersin Communal Cemetery Extension, France 5¼ miles South of Bethune with the service conducted by Rev. J.H. King who was attached to the 11th Division Headquarters.
On August 20, 1918 advice was cabled to Base Records that he was killed in action and acknowledgment of the cable forwarded the next day.
News of his demise was published in the Public Notices of:
A copy of his Service records was made for the War Pension Department on August 28, 1918.
His name appeared in the Casualty List printed in the:
The next day the following notice was placed by his family in:
Major Alex Sanderson, Commanding Officer of the 3rd Tunnelling Company forwarded photographs of the last resting place of deceased soldier to his father at 22 Waugh Street, North Perth on October 20, 1918. The photographs may have not reached the family.
The A.I.F. Kit Store, London forwarded personal effects to Base Records after an inventory was taken on October 22, 1918 and the sealed package forwarded. Items listed were:
3 Discs, 1 Wallet, Photos, Metal Watch, silver cigarette case, pair spectacles in case, badge, medallion, 2 keys and YMCA wallet.
The District Pay Master (5th Military District) wrote to Base Records asking for his rank on November 14, 1918. A copy of his Will arrived from A.I.F. Headquarters on December 2, 1918.
Acknowledgement to the deceased soldier’s sacrifice appeared in the:
Major Sanderson sent further grave photographs to Mrs Barlow from the Company’s Headquarters at Tournai, Belgium on May 21, 1919 and a reference noted that 2/Cpl Barlow was killed in action by an enemy aerial bomb, 11/8/18 and buried at Hersin, Nouex-les-Mines, France.
Mrs Ulrich, aunt of the deceased soldier, residing at Camden Avenue, Peckham, England enquired for particulars of the death and burial of her nephew from the Red Cross Bureau. They informed her of the following:
The Red Cross made enquiries and the following were recorded in their files:
Sapper H.F. Millward, 4396 3rd Mining and Tunnelling Co, H.Q. advised from the Aust Demobilisation Base on March 13, 1919 at Havre –
‘He was killed by a bomb at Neux le Mornes. He was buried at Conpigny. There was cross erected over the grave. He came from Western Australia and was a cinema operator.’
Sapper W.T. Wilson, 6686 3rd Mining and Tunnelling Co. A.I.F. (Home address:33 Adelaide Street, Surrey Hills Sydney) stated on April 27, 1919 –
‘5’7”, fair, age 30 yrs. W. Australia
At Noeuxlemines on 11.8.18. I assisted to carry Barlow’s body.
He was killed by a bomb instantly. I did not see him buried but it may be at Hersin Cemetery.’
Sapper L. Thompson 7461 3rd Tunnelling Co. (Home address: 205 Bathurst St., Hobart, Tas.) reported from H.M.A.T. Port Denison —
‘He was killed by a shell instantaneously and buried at Hurshen Cemetery near Noeuxlesmines.’
The Red Cross Bureau wrote again to Mrs Ulrich advising her with further information on the death of her nephew:
Base Records received his personal effects after delivery from the troopship Somerset and forwarded the package on May 7, 1919 to his mother. Mrs Barlow receipted delivery on May 26, 1919.
On July 22, 1919 Base Records wrote to Mrs Barlow in reply to her request for a photograph of the grave of her son and that administration advised that action was being taken to have the grave photographed and immediately that was accomplished copies will be forwarded to them for transmission to her.
A tree planting ceremony for the Avenue of Honour at Kings Park, Perth in memory of the Fallen Soldiers was advertised for the following Sunday and his name was listed in the Roll of Honour under Thomas Street Path Enters Here:
On December 1, 1919 a Circular and Booklet re Graves was posted to his next-of-kin and acknowledged by printed card on April 15, 1920.
District Headquarters in Perth advised Base Records on May 20, 1920 that the deceased soldier’s father was dead and next-of-kin was his mother and gave her present address.
For his supreme sacrifice Second Corporal 938 Albert Edward Bruce Barlow was awarded the British War Medal (32047) and the Victory Medal (31824).
The War Medal was forwarded to the Commandant 5th Military District (W.A.) on November 18, 1921 to distribute to his next-of-kin. Mrs Barlow signed receipt on January 24, 1922.
The Pamphlet “Where the Australians Rest” was sent on November 25, 1921 to his mother.
Grave photographs in triplicate were posted to his mother on December 15, 1921 and the Memorial Scroll (348931) was delivered and signed on December 10, 1921. The Receipt for the photographs was signed on December 29, 1921. The Memorial Plaque (348931) was sent directly to Mrs Barlow on February 19, 1923 and the Victory Medal left in package no. 3966 the same day. Receipted delivery for the Medal was dated February 28, 1923.
On January 6, 1926 the Register Order Form was despatched of Hersin Communal Cemetery Extension, France and the Cemetery Register was posted on February 13, 1926.
His name is commemorated in the Avenue of Honour, Perth, W.A.
At the Australian War Memorial his name is commemorated on Panel 26 in the Commemorative area.
© Donna Baldey 2015