2nd CORPORAL CHARLES ERNEST BURLEY
940 – 3rd Tunnelling Company
Born in 1888 at Ballarat, Victoria, Charles Ernest was the fourth son and fifth child of Joseph Walter and Isabel (nee Gibson) Burley.
Charles had some previous Military experience as a member of No.5 Company, Australian Garrison Artillery Victoria before transferring to the Royal Australian Artillery, Permanent Forces, in Melbourne in 1908 (Service Number 1689). He served 3months before taking discharge on 30 June 1908.
Charles married Elizabeth Salloway in Perth in 1909. The Electoral Roll for 1910 shows Charles, a tram conductor, and Elizabeth living at 116 Goderich Street, Perth. His older brother Joseph and his wife were also living in Perth at the time.
Having been found ‘fit for active service’ at a medical examination on 8 December 1915, Charles signed the ‘Attestation Paper of Persons Enlisted for Service Abroad’, and the Oath to ‘well and truly serve’ on that day at Perth in front of Lieutenant Weaver as the Attesting Officer.
Aged 27 years and 11 months, Charles was 5ft 9¾ins tall and weighed 156 lbs. He had a sallow complexion, brown hair and brown eyes. He listed his religion as Church of England. He stated his occupation as Miner and named as his Next-of-Kin his wife Mrs Elizabeth Burley of Kensington Street, East Perth and allotted three-fifths of his pay for the support of his wife and children.
The original No.3 Company of the Australian Mining Corps consisted of a Company Headquarters and 3 Sections recruited in the 5th Military District (Western Australia). This major portion of No.3 Company was recruited by 2nd Lt L.J. Coulter, A.I.F. who was sent from NSW to WA for that purpose.
Recruiting for the Miners’ Corps began officially on December 1st, 1915. The recruits were placed for basic training the following day at the Helena Vale camp at Blackboy Hill, WA as the Corps was being established. The Unit’s title was the No.3 Company and was made up to strength with 1 Officer and 274 Other Ranks embarking from Fremantle, W.A. on December 18, 1915 and sailing to Sydney, NSW on board the troopship SS Indarra.
On Boxing Day (December 26), 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 to complete training as a Corps.
Although not officially appointed to the Mining Corps until 14 December 1915 at Blackboy Hill, it is believed Charles may well have been on that Indarra voyage.
On 4 February 1916 Charles was promoted to 2nd Corporal. He embarked for the European theatre on Ulysses with No.2 Section, 6 Squad, No.3 Company of the Australian Mining Corps shortly afterwards.
Following a farewell parade in the Domain, Sydney, the Australian Mining Corps embarked from Sydney, New South Wales on 20 February 1916 on board HMAT A38 Ulysses.
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.
Ulysses arrived in Melbourne, Victoria on 22 February and the Miners were camped at Seymour while additional stores and equipment were loaded onto Ulysses. Departing Melbourne on 1 March, Ulysses sailed to Fremantle, Western Australia where additional members of the Corps were embarked. After a delay of about a month due to Ulysses requiring repairs following a collision with an uncharted rock when leaving Fremantle on 8 March, The Mining Corps sailed for the European Theatre on 1 April 1916. The men on board nicknamed her ‘Useless’.
The ship arrived at Suez, Egypt on 22 April, departing for Port Said the next day; then on to Alexandria. 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 Mining Corps was transhipped to B1 Ansonia for the final legs to Marseilles, France via Valetta, Malta. Arriving at Marseilles on 5 May, most of the men entrained for Hazebrouck where they arrived to set up their first camp on 8 May 1916.
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’.
On 9 March, while still at sea, Charles had been reduced to Sapper rank by the Commanding Officer of the Mining Corps (Lt.Col. Fewtrell). No reason was stated.
On 13 August 1916 he was caught ‘out of bounds’ and awarded 72 hours Confined to Barracks by his Officer Commanding, Major Coulter.
A notice appeared in the South Australian Advertiser on 12 August 1916 about death of Charles’ and Elizabeths’ baby Miriam:
On 11 September 1916 his brother Fred Burley wrote to Base Records saying that he had been told that Charles had been killed and requested earliest advice if such were the case. The reply of 14 September was to effect that Base Records had no such advice.
Charles attended a course at the 1st Army Mine School, which ended on 30 October 1916, where he achieved a ‘Good’ result in Listening.
Charles Burly was officially transferred to 3rd Australian Tunnelling Company on 18 December 1916.
He was wounded accidentally on 6 February 1917 when a rifle cartridge exploded in fire while he was attending. It was deemed by his OC that he was not to blame, the OC recording that “He was on duty in front line billets when cartridge accidentally exploded in fire”.
Charles suffered a wound to his left hand, which was serious, but it was considered in all probability that it would not interfere with his future efficiency.
Treated at the 23rd Field Ambulance on the same day, he was transferred to the 1st Casualty Clearing Station on 9 February. On 20 February he was transferred to Ambulance Train 20 and transported to the 4th General Hospital at Camiers where he was admitted on 21 February.
On 2 March he was discharged to the 6th Convalescent Hospital at Etaples. Absent from Parade at 1.45 pm on 4 March, he was awarded 2 days forfeiture of pay.
On 14 March 1917 Charles’ wife, referring to herself as Bessie Burley, wrote to Base records, Melbourne thanking them for the advice they had sent on 2 March regarding her husbands injury, and advising that her address in future would be Adelaide Road, St Leonards, South Australia should further information come to hand.
On 24 March he was transferred to the 5th Convalescent Hospital, also at Etaples, and discharged from there to the Australian General Base Depot on 7 April. On 20 April he rejoined his unit.
Being in hospital, Charles had missed hisretraining as a Protoman (mine rescue).
On 27 September 1917 Charles’ wife advised that she had moved to Light Terrace, Thebarton, South Australia.
Sapper Charles Ernest Burley was killed in action by a machine gun bullet at Hill 70 on 29 November 1917.
It was 1 year and 2 days after the units’ worst incident when 20 soldiers were killed in one incident in the Black Watch Sap in the Hill 70 tunnels.
Charles was buried at Plot 1, Row A, Grave 13 of the Hersin Communal Cemetery Extension, 2¼ miles South of Noeux-les-Mines, France.
A total of 55 Australian Tunnellers are now at the small Hersin cemetery.
From 8 February 1918, War Pensions were paid to: Elizabeth - £2/9/- per fortnight; child - Isabel Rose 20/- pf and child - Cyril Augustine 15/- pf.
In October 1918, Major Alexander Sanderson, Officer Commanding the 3rd Australian Tunnelling Company, wrote to Mrs Elizabeth Burley at the Kensington Street, East Perth address with photographs of the last resting place of Charles Burley. A similar letter was also sent May 1919 and further advised that a permanent stone memorial would later be erected over the grave. This letter also carried photographs of the marker erected over the grave.
On 11 November 1918, Elizabeth Burley signed for her husbands’ effects, which had been returned to Australia on the ship Toromeo.
The package contained letters, cards, photos, Notecase, diary, silver wristwatch, pipe, knife, cigar holder, and his Miners certificate. Elizabeth included her sincere thanks in acknowledging receipt of the items.
Charles’ details were published in June 1919 by the Western Australia Government Railways:
The pamphlet “Where The Australians Rest” was sent to Elizabeth on 25 November 1921. The Memorial Scroll and King’s Message were received on 14 December 1921. The Memorial Plaque was issued direct to the widow on 17 October 1922. The Victory Medal (31830) was received by Elizabeth on 21 February 1923. The British War Medal (32053) was also issued to the widow.
On the Roll of Honour circular submitted by his widow, she refers to his occupation as ‘blacksmith's striker’.
Charles is commemorated on Panel 26 of the Roll of Honour at the Australian War Memorial, Canberra.
Photo of headstones & cemetery by kind permission of
The War Graves Photographic Project
Notices appearing in the South Australian Advertiser:
Thursday 13 December 1917 there was a short item under the heading ‘Roll of Honor’:
Friday 1 February 1918 under heading ‘Died on Active Service’:
Friday 29 November 1918: Under ‘HEROES OF THE GREAT WAR.’
On Saturday 29 November 1919 there were two entries:
LEST WE FORGET
Family history courtesy of Sue Rogge:
Bessie Burley married William John Prince. She died aged 85 in Walkerville, South Australia. Their son Cyril Augustine Burley died at Walkerville in 1972 aged 60. Their daughter Isobel Rose Burley of Plains, South Australia died, apparently having never married, in 1989 aged 78.
In World War 2 Charles’ son Cyril served as a war correspondent:
437114- Flying Officer BURLEY, CYRIL AUGUSTINE - RAAF HQ (DPR)
DOB: 27 Mar 1912 at Thebarton, SANOK: CECELIA
Enlisted: 7 Nov 1942at Adelaide, SADischarged: 9 Aug 1945
Brief history of Charles’ siblings:
Joseph Leonard b.1877
Isobel Emily b.1879
Frank Arthur b.1881
Albert Edward Burley b. 18 July 1883
Frederick Richard b.1885
Charles Ernest b.1888 d.1917
Miriam Grace b.1891 married Reg Turner.