Sapper Harold Cockton

SAPPER HAROLD COCKTON

970 – 3rd Tunnelling Company

Harold Cockton was born on August 25, 1886 the son of Mary Cockton, daughter of John Drape and Ann (nee Stamper) Cockton at Scales, Bromfield, Cumberland in England. His father’s name is unknown. Mary also had a daughter named Ethelinda Cockton born in 1893 to the union. At St Paul’s Church, Causeway Head, Silloth, Cumberland his mother married John Osborn on June 15, 1895 and they had a daughter Annie Josephine Osborn in 1896. Harold was educated at Colt Park, Causeway Head, Silloth.

In 1901 Harold is staying with his grandparents at their Inn at Causeway Head, Holme Low, Silloth, Cumberland and residents listed were John D. Cockton (69) Innkeeper, his wife Ann (71), their son Salkeld (34) hotel worker and grandson Harold (14).

On July 23, 1909 Mr Harold Cockton, an English farmer, departed London as a 3rd Class passenger on the 5453-ton Royal Mail Ship Orient under Master of the Ship Commander H.G. Staunton, R.N.R. His voyage ended in Fremantle, Western Australia where the twenty-three year old disembarked on August 26, 1909. News of the steamship’s arrival was reported in:

In 1910 Harold is registered working as a farm hand at Belle Vue in the Swan district of Western Australia.

Back in England a year later in 1911 his family were living in a four roomed house situated at Mawbray, Maryport, Cumberland and citizens of the household were John Osborn (58) joiner, his wife of sixteen years, Mary (49), Annie J. (15) and Ethelinda Cockton (17) a domestic servant.

Harold was working as a labourer on the Railway near Argyle Siding, Argyle, W.A. about the time war broke out.

A year later at the recruiting depot in Perth, W.A. on October 25, 1915 the twenty-nine year old platelayer applied to enlist for active service abroad and passed the preliminary medical examination. Personal particulars taken show his postal address was Railway Coffee Palace in Perth and was single, standing 161cms (5ft 3½ins) tall with a chest measurement of 94cms (37ins). Declared fit his application was accepted by the recruiting officer.

Attestation Forms were completed the same day and describe him further giving his birthplace as Silloth, Cumberland, England and had served a five and a half year apprenticeship as a carpenter under J. Osborn there. Complexion was fair with blue eyes and had fair hair. Distinctive marks were a mole on his left shoulder and three vaccination scars on the left arm. Religious faith was Church of England. Stating his father to be deceased nominated as next-of-kin his mother Mary Osborn of Croft House, Mawbray, Maryport, Cumberland, England. He signed and took the ‘Oath of Enlistment’ the same day.

On November 30, 1915 he was assigned for basic training to the 37th Depot Battalion in the rank of Private with the number 1443.

Recruiting for the Miners’ Corps had begun on December 1st, 1915 therefore Private Cockton was placed for basic training at the Helena Vale camp at Blackboy Hill, W.A. with the newly forming Corps on December 16.

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 (December 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. Cockton was assigned the regimental number 970 in the rank of Sapper and assigned to the First Reinforcements, 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. On October 10, 1916 the Company relieved the 257th Tunnelling Company, Royal Engineers in the Winchester Sector.

The Unit Diary of the 3rd Tunnelling Company records the following extracts in November 1916:

Sapper Cockton was killed in action about November 28, 1917. The Unit Diary of the 3rd Tunnelling Company continues:

A full list of those who lost their lives resulting from the camouflet attacks were recorded in the Unit Diary as follows:

No.

Rank

Name

Nature of Casualty

Locality

Date

Buried at

1030 / “ / Horton, W.F. / Enemy “Blow” at Hill 70 / Hill 70 / 27/11/16 / Hersin
4468 / “ / Russell, O.J.S. / “ / “ / “ / “
1414 / “ / Edwards, L.B. / “ / “ / “ / “
2371 / “ / Brockley, J.R. / “ / “ / “ / “
5253 / “ / Daniels, R.E. / “ / “ / “ / “
4431 / “ / Nightingale, W / “ / “ / “ / “
4304 / “ / Coulton, D / “ / “ / “ / “
2893 / “ / Francis, H.F. / “ / “ / “ / “
5250 / “ / Barker, C.V. / “ / “ / “ / “
1364 / Sgt / Kerby, M.J.M. / “ / “ / “ / “
1122 / Cpl / Pember, J / “ / “ / “ / “
4451 / Spr / Praed, W.J. / “ / “ / “ / “
4456 / “ / Reid, J. / “ / “ / “ / “
5014 / “ / Prosser, T.E. / “ / “ / “ / “
4402 / “ / Moore, W.J. / “ / “ / “ / “
4421 / “ / McLean Hector / “ / “ / “ / “
943 / “ / Batson, W.H. / “ / “ / “ / “
1273 / “ / Lyons, M / “ / “ / “ / “
1071 / “ / Ladd, A.E. / “ / “ / “ / “
1313 / “ / Christiansen, P.M. / “ / “ / “ / “
4224 / Sgt / Allen, J. / “ / “ / 28/11/16 / “
970 / Spr / Cockton, H. / “ / “ / “ / “

All were buried in Hersin Communal Cemetery Extension situated 2¼ miles south of Noeux-les-Mines, Harold Cockton in section 1 within row C in grave no. 18.

A cable was sent to Base Records and receipt confirmed on December 11, 1916 and Military Order no.5 advised he was killed in action.

A Telegram dated December 14, 1916 was sent from Perth to Base Records in Melbourne regarding the following:

Telegram of reply stated:

A copy of his service was made for the War Pension Department on December 15, 1916.

His name appeared in 256th Casualty List along with other West Australians killed in the same disaster in:

The Field Service Report was issued from the Anzac Section, 3rd Echelon, G.H.Q. on January 17, 1917.

A copy of his Will extracted on January 17, 1917 was returned to the 5th Military District on April 20, 1917 in which he desired to leave the whole of his property and effects to his mother Mary Osborn at her Cumberland address.

The certified copy of his Will made at Blackboy Hill Camp before embarkation abroad left all his real and personal estate to his mother for her sole use and benefit and made her Executrix and Trustee of his Estate.

On May 6, 1917 a letter was received in regards to his Savings Bank and next-of-kin re Will and replied to the same day by Base Records.

The Public Trustee in Sydney, NSW wrote to Base Records asking for a copy of the deceased soldier’s Will on June 18, 1917. They wrote again on December 3, 1917 requesting a copy of the Death Certificate. The Report of Death was issued to them on December 9 in duplicate.

On January 11, 1918 Base Records was advised that his date of death was now given as November 27, 1916.

The Office of the Supreme Court in Western Australia wrote on March 26, 1918 requesting a Death Certificate in triplicate for the deceased soldier and duly completed and sent. Their office advised receipt on April 22, 1918.

His mother receipted delivery of his personal effects from the Kit Store on March 30 and 31, 1917. The Inventory list stated:

Money belt, Wallet, Photos, Letters, Cards, Pocket knife, Ring, Metal Ring, Disc and Coin.

He was listed in the Roll of Honour published in the:

Commanding Officer of 3rd Tunnelling Company forwarded photographs to his mother of his grave on October 20, 1918 hoping they would be of some comfort to her. He wrote again on May 21, 1919 also sending photographs and advised that a permanent stone memorial would later be erected on the grave.

Mrs Osborn was issued with the booklet ‘Where the Australians Rest’. A circular was despatched on December 20, 1919 and a reminder sent on July 30, 1920.

For his supreme sacrifice Sapper 970 H. Cockton, 3rd Tunnelling Company was awarded the British War Medal (32057) and the Victory Medal (31834). The War Medal was sent to the Commandant A.I.F. for distribution to his mother and the Victory Medal was inscribed and issued by Australia House in London for her also.

The Memorial Scroll (320484) and the Memorial Plaque (320484) were also distributed to his mother on August 7, 1922.

His name was listed for the War Memorial at Donnybrook, W.A. with the proposed details published in:

His mother passed away on March 4, 1929 aged 67 years and his sister Ethelinda died in 1986.

His name is commemorated on Panel 26 in the Commemorative area of the Australian War Memorial.

A stone tablet bears his name in his home town of Holme and erected by the Parishioners of St Cuthbert’s Parish.