CORPORAL DONALD REUBEN STRATFORD M.M. M.S.M.
711 – 2nd Tunnelling Company
St Kilda, Victoria was stated as the birthplace of Donald Ruben/Reuben Stratford on September 27, 1882. In 1910 he married Alice Evaline (Evelyn) Brew at Yarragon, Vic with his surname registered as Gordon in Civil Records. They were residing at Longwarry, Vic in 1914 where he worked as a timber splitter.
At the Recruiting Depot in Melbourne, Vic on September 16, 1916 at almost thirty-three years of age he applied to enlist for active service abroad. Passing the medical examination Attestation Forms were completed giving his description on enlistment as 165cms (5ft 5½ins) tall, weighing 63.6kgs (140lbs) with a chest expansion of 84-90cms (33-35½ins). Complexion was medium with blue eyes and brown hair and distinctive marks were scars on his left breast and left chin. Church of England was his religious faith and nominated his wife Mrs Evelyn A. Stratford of Post Office Millgrove, Vic as next-of-kin. Two-fifths of his pay was allotted in support for his wife and two children. Her address changed to 132 Noone Street, Clifton, Melbourne, Vic. The ‘Oath of Allegiance’ was taken and signed the same day.
Basic training commenced immediately with the 24th Depot Battalion until November 5, 1916 when he was transferred to the Miners Corps the next day for further training. On December 1, 1916 the recruits were sent to Miners’ Casula camp, near Liverpool, NSW and he was allotted to the No. 2 Company of the Corps with the regimental number 711 in the rank of Sapper.
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’.
On December 18, 1916 he was admitted to the 10th Field Ambulance with Influenza and discharged to duty three days later.
He was transferred to the 2nd Tunnelling Company on December 24, 1916 in the field.
Service continued until he was admitted to the 2 / 1 East Lancashire Field Ambulance on September 9, 1917 with diarrhoea and later that day transferred to the 15th Casualty Clearing Station. He rejoined his unit on September 13, 1917.
A promotion to 2nd Corporal was granted to complete establishment of his section on December 21, 1917.
Blue Chevrons were issued to wear on his uniform after serving twelve months abroad.
Leave was granted and proceeded on March 21, 1918 but he missed the train. His unit was advised on March 25 and he was advised to report to the Aust General Base Depot at Rouelles on April 3, 1918. An inquiry was made by the 2nd Tunnelling Company on May 26 and the Commanding Officer advised the A.G.B.D. that the soldier’s explanation had been satisfactorily accepted and he marched out of the Base Depot on May 31 and rejoined his unit on June 3, 1918. He was promoted to Corporal on October 1, 1918.
A recommendation for the Military Medal was made on October 4, 1918 by the C.R.E. Aust Corps and the citation reads:
“Throughout the operations of the 29th September, 1918, in the neighbourhood of BELLICOURT, he acted as a runner between forward road parties and the report centre making a number of trips under heavy shell and machine gun fire. He showed great courage and determination when casualties were very heavy, and when it appeared impossible to get through the enemy barrage.”
Note:
The Australian War Memorial, Honours and Awards section, records that on the 29th and 30th of September, 1918, elements of the 1st and 2nd Australian Tunnelling Companys supporting the Infantry attack on the Hindenberg Line at Bellicourt and Bony, were awarded 10 Military Crosses, 2 Distinguished Conduct Medals and 12 Military Medals.
The Sappers had been charged with the usual Engineer tasks of clearing enemy mines and booby traps from roads and dugouts following the attacking Infantry, clearing and maintaining the tactical roads and clearing wells and setting up water points. When the attack stalled and became disorganized, the Sappers continued with their assigned tasks, assisted to re-organise the line, captured prisoners, carried messages for their own and other units, organized a party of American Infantry, helped feed a battery with ammunition, assisted and carried wounded, all being achieved under heavy shell and machine gun fire and while their own sections suffered 50 and 75% casualties.
The 2nd Tunnelling Company issued Christmas Cards and were mentioned in the Unit Diary as follows:
“8/11/18 - Weather wet - Further Company Christmas Cards issued, making a total of 8 per man complete.”
The Tunnelling Companies remained as part of the Army of Occupation after Armistice was declared assisting with the rehabilitation of roads and bridges in their area by defusing delayed-action mines and booby traps left by the enemy.
On November 28, 1918 Corporal Stratford proceeded on leave and rejoined his unit on December 9.
News from the A.I.F. Decorations Department advised that he had been awarded the Meritorious Service Medal which was published in the London Gazette on January 19, 1919.
Mrs E.A. Stratford wrote to Base Records from Millgrove on February 23, 1919 advising her change of address and inquiring about the Dependant’s Badge. Base Records replied on February 25 acknowledging her letter and address change and enclosed an application for the Badge to be completed and sent to Victoria Barracks, Melbourne.
Corporal Stratford was eligible for early repatriation being advised on March 10 and marched out to Havre for transfer to the United Kingdom. Disembarking at Southampton on March 17 he reported to Sutton Veny camp for demobilisation.
He embarked on March 28, 1919 on board the H.T. City of Poona for the voyage to Australia. His next-of-kin was advised on April 28, 1919 of his impending return. Corporal was admitted to the ship’s hospital on April 29 with vomiting and returned to duty on May 3. The ship docked in Melbourne, Vic (3rd M.D.) on May 14, 1919.
Military Discharge was issued in Melbourne, Vic on June 28, 1919 on termination of his period of enlistment. He returned to work as a paling splitter in Millgrove, Vic.
His Meritorious Service Medal was sent to the Commandant 3rd Military District on July 2, 1919 to forward on to Corporal Stratford.
On July 19, 1919 Base Records advised his wife that her husband’s name had appeared in the London Gazette on January 19, 1919 relating to his M.S.M. award and also in the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette on June 3, 1919. This extract stated:
The Congratulatory Card was received and forwarded to the soldier on October 3, 1919.
Base Records advised Mrs Stratford on November 21, 1919 that in the London Gazette on June 17, 1919 announcement of the award of the Military Medal for bravery in the field had been graciously granted by his Majesty the King. The Commonwealth of Australia Gazette on October 10, 1919 also printed these results.
His Military Medal and Deed was also sent on December 19, 1919 to the Commandant 3rd M.D. to pass on to the recipient.
Corporal 711 Donald Reuben Stratford, 2nd Tunnelling Company was also entitled to wear the British War Medal (35275) and the Victory Medal (35019) with his Military Medal and Meritorious Service Medal for service to his country.
They were still registered as residing in Millgrove, Vic in 1924 with his occupation of paling splitter and in 1931 he was at Killawarra, Vic and a timber worker.
He enlisted for service in the Second World War and volunteers were acknowledged in the:
At Sale, Vic on July 17, 1940 he enlisted for service during World War II stating his birthdate was September 27, 1900 deleting a few birthdays to give his age as thirty-nine years. The timber-hewer nominated his wife Mrs E.A. Stratford of Millgrove, Vic as next-of-kin and religion as Presbyterian. Two days later at Caulfield, Vic he took the ‘Oath of Enlistment.’
His service number was VX 47373 and taken on strength with the Redbank Reinforcement Depot. Enlistment description was brown hair with blue eyes and distinctive marks were scar on left wrist and base of thumb with index finger of left hand missing.
He was transferred to Colac then posted to Seymour. At Royal Park, Victoria on September 12, 1940 he applied to enlist for Home Service with the 17th Garrison Battalion therefore was discharged on November 14, 1940 at Albury, Vic. from the R.R.D.
Served at Tatura and was promoted to Lance Corporal on December 18, 1940. In August, 1941 was transferred to the POW camp at Murchison, Vic.
During the war his wife passed away in 1942 aged 55 years in Melbourne. Next-of-kin became Mrs J. Todd, 10 Erin Street, Richmond, Vic.
In April, 1944 he was promoted to Sergeant. The following year in July was admitted to the 25th Aust General Hospital with U.R.T.I. (upper respiratory tract infection) and qualified for medical classification and recommended for discharge. Military Discharge took place on August 29, 1945 due to medical unfitness from Hyperpiesis (high blood pressure), anxiety and age as he was sixty years and eleven months old and noted as a Repatriation case.
A Statement of Service was sent from Base Records to the Repatriation Commission in Melbourne on August 31, 1945.
He is listed as a timber worker at Millgrove from 1949 to 1954.
Donald Reuben Stratford died on February 2, 1956 at 72 years of age and was buried at Upper Yarra Cemetery, Warburton Highway, Wesburn, Vic.
Other family members who enlisted for service in World War II were:
William Henry Stratford: born 8 April 1924 at Yarra Junction, Vic and enlisted on 14 May 1942 from Millgrove, Vic in Melbourne. Next-of-kin Donald Stratford. Service Number 55848 with the Royal Australian Air Force as Leading Aircraftman. Discharged on 31 January 1946 Air Force Headquarters.
Leonard Stratford: born 26 May 1916 at Warburton, Vic and enlisted on 4 August 1942 from Millgrove, Vic at Bayswater, W.A. Next-of-kin Evelyn Stratford. Service Number VX106983 with the 9 Australian Line Section as Signalman. Discharged on 22 March, 1946.
Stanley Donald Stratford: born 9 July 1913 at Millgrove, Vic and enlisted on 18 July 1940 from Brodribb River at Caulfield, Vic. Next-of-kin Marjory Stratford. Service Number VX 47358 with the 2/3 Aust Light A/A Regiment, Aust Army as Private. Discharged on 6 December 1945.
© Donna Baldey 2012
Photos courtesy of Peter Miller, Vic, relative of Corporal Stratford