SAPPER ALFRED ERNEST MARTIN
1089 – 3rd Tunnelling Company
Alfred (Alf) Ernest Martin stated he was born at Clare, South Australia. He was the son of Henry and Anna Maria (nee Crongey) Martin born in 1864 and had a brother John Frederick and a sister Julia Catherine. He went to the goldfields of Western Australia.
From 1912 onwards he was a miner or mill hand at Ravensthorpe, W.A.
At the recruiting depot in Ravensthorpe on September 17, 1915 the single miner deleted a few birthdays to give his age as 43 years and passed the medical examination. Attestation Forms were completed and describe him further as 171cms (5ft 7½ins), weighing 75.4kgs (166lbs) with a chest measurement of 102cms (40ins). Complexion was fair with grey eyes and had fair hair. Distinctive marks was one old faint scar in the left shin, otherwise noted very free of marks. Religious faith was Church of England.
Next-of-kin nominated was his father Henry Martin of George Street, Moonta, South Australia. He was sworn in the same day.
Basic training took place at Blackboy Hill camp, near Perth on September 27, 1915 as a Private with the 31st Depot Battalion until allotted on October 10 to ‘A Coy’ 4th Depot Battalion. On November 1 went to the 3rd Depot Battalion for eleven days then to the 3rd Brigade Artillery Reinforcements as a gunner for four days to November 15. He was then allotted on to 12th Reinforcements to the 13th Battalion as a Private until November 24 and placement with the 16th Reinforcements to the 12th Battalion followed from November 25, 1915 for two weeks.
Recruiting for the Miners’ Corps officially began on December 1st, 1915 and Private Martin was placed for basic training at the Helena Vale camp at Blackboy Hill, W.A. with the newly forming Corps on December 9, 1915. 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. Martin was assigned the regimental number 1089 in the rank of Sapper and remained in No. 3 Company.
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.
Disciplinary action was given for the following:
Offence:Absent from Tattoo 22/6/16
Award:7 days C.B. [confined to billets] by C.O. 28/6/16
The No. 3 Company was officially transferred to the 3rd Tunnelling Company in the field on December 18, 1916.
Service continued without illness of injury until May 25, 1917 when he was wounded in action receiving a gunshot wound to his head. A slight wound to his right arm was not recorded and became unconscious for several hours but no paralysis ensued. He was taken to the North Midland Field Ambulance then to the 7th Casualty Clearing Station where he was trephined [bullet removed through circular incision in skull by saw instrument.]
The following is an extract of the entry in the Unit Diary of the 3rd Tunnelling Company:
On June 4 Sapper was conveyed by barge to the 7th General Hospital at St Omer for further treatment.
Base Records sent the following Telegrams to his father:
His name was listed the Casualty List published in:
His sister Julia C. Martin wrote on behalf of her father to Base Records that a wire was received dated June 7 stating the Sapper Martin had been admitted to hospital dangerously wounded and on June 18 a wire stated he was improving. Since then they had heard nothing and as you can imagine they were very anxious. The Red Cross Information Bureau had been making inquiries but to date had received no reply. They did not want to put them to unnecessary trouble but it would be a great relief to them if they could ascertain and let them know the nature of his wounds and the hospital that he was in so that they might cable him. If it was outside their sphere they did not expect it to be done but on the other hand would be grateful for any information.
Base Records replied on July 23, 1917 that since it was reported that Sapper Martin was improving nothing further had been received and is was assumed that satisfactory progress was being maintained.
It was not necessary to mention the hospital he was in as letters addressed to that given therewith would be forwarded to wherever he was located. His cable address was given as 1089 Martin, Erkel, Adminaust, London. Records explained that ‘Erkel’ was the cable indicator for the 3rd Tunnelling Company and ‘Adminaust’ for the A.I.F. Headquarters, London through whom the cable message would be administrated. Any further cable reports would be promptly transmitted.
A transfer to England on the hospital ship St David took place on July 17, 1917 entering the King George Hospital, Stamford Street, London the next day. Medical notes during his 20 day treatment were:
Trephined – On admission head wound healed
X-ray – Trephine hole in right temporal parietal region, several depressed fragments of
bone and minute F.B.’s [foreign bodies] present
Improving
Trans to Auxiliary Hospital
Notes on July 19, 1917 state:
Patient feeling better in himself, except for occasional toothache & headache which is
troublesome at times; he is making good progress
Notes on July 21, 1917 show:
X-ray reported trephine hole in right temporal parietal region and several depress fractures
of bone and minute F.B.’s [foreign bodies] present
Notes on July 26, 1917 reveal:
Patient is getting up and says he is feeling a little better.
Base Records advised his father on August 4, 1917 that Sapper Martin had been transferred to the King George Military Hospital, London on July 18 suffering from a gunshot wound to the head. Included in the letter was the address for correspondence.
A Telegram was also sent to his father dated August 10, 1917 stating that he was still improving.
Sapper was transferred to the 3rd Aust. Auxiliary Hospital in Dartford on August 7, 1917 and discharged after seven days to the No. 2 Command Depot at Weymouth on August 13. While there he was assessed by the Medical Board and their Statement of Case shows:
Disability:Shell wound right temporal region of skull
Date of disability:25/5/17
Origin of disability:France
Essential facts:Shell wound in head in right temporal region. Trephined (small circular saw used in surgery to remove bone from the skull) on 25/5/17
Subsequent X-ray report “Trephine hole in tempro-parietal
Region, several depressed fragments of bone and foreign bodies present.
Since operation has been feeling fairly well and improving.
Has a good deal of pain starting usually in the jaw. Any rapid movement causes giddiness. States there is some impediment in his speech since wound. Has some slight difficulty in thinking of the word to use when speaking. Eyesight is not as good as formerly. Slight deafness in ear.
Cause of disability:Shell wound – active service
Present condition:Trephine wound in R Tempro-parietal region is healed
Pain present. Giddiness on sudden movement
Slight deafness and defective eyesight
Operation performed:Yes trephined on 25/5/17
Recommendations:Discharge permanently unfit or change to Australia – yes
3rd A.A.H., Dartford 9/8/17
Further correspondence was sent to his father dated August 17, 1917 reporting his son was now convalescent.
At the Depot he appeared before the Medical Board at Verne Citadel, Portland Medical Centre on August 23, 1917 and his Statement of Case reads:
Date of disability:May, 1917
Origin of disabilityNear Loos
Age last birthday:53 years
Essential facts:Shell wound head – has healed. Trephine wound above R
ear. Now fairly well considering eye and nature of wound
Cause of disability:Gunshot wound – active service
Present condition:Suffers a lot from giddiness & his eyesight has been affected by wound. Easily tires.
Labour market lessened:¼ - one quarter
Recommendation:Discharge permanently unfit – yes 23/8/17
Approved:Permanently unfit for all services 8/9/17
On September 24 marched out to D. Sub. Depot at Parkhouse.
Sapper Martin embarked for Australia on October 18, 1917 on board H.T. Port Lyttleton. His berth for the voyage was a hammock. Medical notes during the voyage report:
Nov 4Has been dull and confused and constantly drowsy since embarkation
Nov 17Deserted himself of clothes and plunged into the harbour – confused
statement about going swimming
Nov 28Violent maniacal attack proceeded followed by chronic spasms of limbs
Nov 29Relapsed into indolent state (void of exertion – not suffering)
Base Records advised his next-of-kin on November 20, 1917 that he was returning home. The ship docked at Fremantle, W.A. (5th Military District) on December 5, 1917 disembarking to the No. 8 Aust Military Hospital, Fremantle for the Disembarkation Medical Assessment. Notations for him were given as: Not admitted – G.S.W. Head – Mania. Final Medical Board comments were:
Overage 53 years – G.S.W. Head, trephine wound above right ear. Healed. Maniacal attacks at times. Suicidal tendencies. Violent to others. Subject to recurrent attacks of acute mania. D.P.U capacity total six months. Recommended further treatment at No. 24 Auxiliary Hospital.
Military Discharge was issued in Perth (5th M.D.) on June 4, 1918 as medically unfit.
For serving his country Sapper 1089 Alfred Ernest Martin, 3rd Tunnelling Company was issued with the British War Medal (8162) and the Victory Medal (8128).
In 1925 he was listed as a miner at Ravensthorpe, W.A.
Alfred Ernest Martin died on November 21, 1932 aged 68 years. Funeral arrangements were published in:
A further death notice was announced in the:
Finalisation of his Will was reported in the:
© Donna Baldey 2016