LANCE CORPORAL REGINALD AUSTIN WILLIAM BLACK
7247 (5706 / N6327) - 3rd Tunnelling Company
The Birth Deaths & Marriages records list Reginald Austin W Black as having been born in 1874 at St. Leonards, Sydney, New South Wales (NSW), the third son and fourth child of Albert Thomas and Kate Margaret (nee Mulligan) Black.
He attended University of Sydney from 1893 to 1898, achieving a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1896 and a Bachelor of Engineering, Mining & Metallurgy in 1898.
On 22 December, 1902 at Kanowna, W.A., he appliedfor a Gold-mining Lease of ground to be known as 'Gem- North,'containing 18 acres, commencing at a point about 2 chains south-westerlyof the western most corner of lease 946X, thence north-westerly about13 chains, thence northerly about 7 chains, thence easterly about 6, thence south-easterly about13 chain, thence south-westerly about 11¾ chains to the point of commencement.
Reginald married Ellen Nina Zahel in 1903 at Canterbury, NSW. A son, Reginald John, was born in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia, on 4 January 1905.
In March 1904 in Kalgoorlie, he and his partners dissolved by mutual consent their partnership in the firm “The Venture Cyanide Syndicate”.
In May 1905 Reginald gave expert witness in a case involving diminishing coins so that they might pass for then current gold coins.
In June 1907 at Kalgoorlie he applied for a mineral leaseof ground to be known as ‘CaneCopper Mine’, containing 24 acres, commencing at datum peg one and one halfmiles north of hill known as Cane's or
Rundle's, thence north twenty chains, thence west twelve chains, thence southtwenty chains, thence east twelve chains to datum point.
In July 1907 in Kalgoorlie, he retired from the firm of ‘Mining Engineers, Metallurgical Chemists and Assayers’ dissolving the partnership he had with the firm.
Reginald Black signed the ‘Attestation Paper of Persons enlisted for Service Abroad’ at Casula, New South Wales on 14th February 1916, stating his age as 41 years and 10 months. A medical examination at the Board of Health, Sydney on 9 February had found him to be ‘fit for active service’, and recorded that he was 5ft 7½ins tall, weighed 14 stone, had a dark complexion, blue eyes and black hair.
He named his wife, Mrs Ellen Nina Black of “Roscar”, North Bridge, NSW as his Next of Kin.
He signed the Oath to ‘well and truly serve’ on 14 February at Casula, NSW, and was appointed to No.4 Tunnelling Company.
Reginald spent a month at the Engineer Depot, Casula followed by 3 months with the 4th Tunnelling Company at Roseberry Park. He was then sent to the Miners Reinforcements at their camp in Seymour, Victoria for 4 months and then completed the 4 month Engineer Officers Training School at Roseville, NSW between November 1916 and March 1917, finishing the course as an Acting Sergeant.
During the course, on 27 February 1917, Reginald applied for a Commission in the Australian Imperial Force stating that he was born on 16th January 1876. He listed his Educational Qualifications as Batchelor of Engineering (Mining Engineering) and Batchelor of Arts (Science) from Sydney University. His current employment was as a Mining Manager and his address was “Roscar”, Northbridge, Sydney.
Reginald was not selected for a Commission and returned to the Seymour Camp on 23 March 1917. On 21 May he was allotted to the Tunnelling Companies in readiness for embarkation.
The troopship HMAT A32 Themistocles with 167 Tunneller Reinforcements, including Reginald Black, sailed from Melbourne, Victoria on August 4, 1917. The voyage across the Pacific was rough and stormy for several days causing seasickness on board. As the ship reached the Tropics it became very hot. Colon, Panama was reached on August 31, 1917 and during an unavoidable eight-day delay very heavy rain and muggy conditions was endured. The transport docked at Halifax, Nova Scotia on September 18, 1917 and three days later left to experience good weather across the Atlantic arriving in Glasgow, Scotland on October 2, 1917 after a fifty-nine day voyage. The troops were entrained to Tidworth, England
One of the Tunnellers, 7427 Spr William James McPeak, died of acute transverse myalitis on 14 August and was buried at sea. He was one of 4 soldiers to die on this voyage.
Reginald retained his Acting Sergeant rank on the voyage from Australia to Europe. He reverted to Sapper rank when he marched in to the No.1 & No.3 Details Camp at Parkhouse, England on 3 October.
Shortly after arriving in England, Reginald was admitted to Parkhouse Military Hospital on 19 October 1917 suffering Mumps and was again appointed Acting Sergeant on 11 November.
He proceeded to France on 22 November and marched in to the Australian General Base Depot at Rouelles on 23 November. He marched out to his unit on 25 November and was taken on strength of the 3rd Australian Tunnelling Company on 30th November 1917. Reginald was appointed Lance Corporal on 27 December.
Promoted to Acting Second Corporal 26 October 1918 he enjoyed some leave in France from 23 November to 9 December, rejoining his unit on 19 December. He was admitted to the 39th Stationary Hospital on 21 December with debility and transferred to the 56th General Hospital on 4 December.
On 11 January 1919, he embarked for England from 56th General Hospital and admitted to Essex County Hospital at Colchester. On 21 February he was transferred to the 3rd Auxiliary Hospital at Dartford. On 22 February he was assessed as suffering from debility and Neurosthenia. It was recorded that he had been hospitalised with a cough and pains in the back. He had previously had pneumonia on 3 different occasions. Emphysema was also mentioned in the report.
On 8 March, Reginald was discharged from hospital to furlough to report to No.2 Com. Depot.
He was granted 6 months Non-Military Employment leave in England, with pay and allowances, from 22 March to 22 June 1919 to gain ‘Experience in the various systems employed in Refrigerating Works’ with Yuilles Ltd, 120 Fenchurch Street, London. His leave was cancelled in May and a further period of leave, without pay and allowances, was granted from 21 May to 20 November 1919 to allow him to return to Australian at his own expense.
Reginald was discharged in Canada, evidently with his wife’s consent, 21 November 1919 (possibly 14 December) and his wife was so informed on 19 March 1920. His address in Canada was Canbank, Winnipeg, Canada. He was entitled to wear the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.
Reginald Austin William Black never returned to Australia. He pursued various mining ventures in Canada and the US, ending up in Tucson, Arizona, where he tried to start a Vanadium mine at the beginning of the Depression. He died in Tucson in 1930 and is buried in the Evergreen Cemetery in an unmarked grave. His grandson John, John’s wife Frances and their son, great grandson Nicholas, have visited the cemetery and stood at his grave.
In 1935, Reginalds’ son, R. J. Black of Pymble, New South Wales, wrote to the Army seeking information on his deceased fathers’ war service. It is believed he last saw his father in 1917 when he was 13.
Reginald is commemorated on the Sydney University’s website: ‘Beyond 1914’. He is also commemorated on the WW1 Honour Roll at the Mona Vale Public School, New South Wales. The Roll was hung in the school in 1921, the lettering being recently restored.
His brother, Lieutenant Albert Travers Black, also appears on the Honour Roll having served in the Royal Navy in WW1.
Appointed a temporary Sub-Lieutenant in December 1916, he attended the Royal Navy College, Greenwich. He was described as a ‘good seaman, excitable, zeal & attention shewn to duty’.
He served on motor launches ML.128 in Dover Command, (battle honour - Zeebrugge 4.1918)and on ML 363.
Albert was awarded the Distinguished Service Crossfor distinguished services in connection with minesweeping operationsin the Baltic Sea.
A native of Australia and a Mining Engineer & Assayer like his brother, he returned to Australia, disembarking from SS Osterley at Sydney on 8 March 1920. His address prior to the war was “Rosscarbery”, Baringa Road Northbridge, North Sydney, NSW.
Albert Travers Black died at Neutral Bay, New South Wales on 29 December 1955.
Reginalds’ son, Reginald John Black, served in World War II as NX128564 (N94421) enlisting in January 1942 in Port Moresby, Papua and serving with 14 Field Regiment as a Major until discharged in September 1944.
Note of interest:
John & Rebecca Mulligan of Sydney had 6 children, two of whom were:
Edric T Mulligan b. 1848
His sons:Major Edric Noel Mulligan DSO CdeG, CO - 2ATC236 Sapper Keith Mulligan – 2ATC
His daughter:Gladys Mulligan - AANS
Kate Margaret Mulligan b. 1850
Her sons:7247 Reginald Austin William Black - 3ATCLt Albert Travers Black DSC – Royal Navy