SAPPER WILLIAM CORCORAN
961 – 3rd Tunnelling Company / 1st Aust Light Railway Operation Company
William Corcoran stated he was born in 1870 in London, England. His parents were possibly Patrick and Mary (nee Elward) Corcoran. He came to Australia. In 1910 he was a miner at Sandstone, W.A. and by 1915 was a labourer at Kurramia Woodline in the Kalgoorlie District.
At the Kalgoorlie Recruiting Depot on November 23, 1915 the forty-five year old single miner applied to enlist for active service abroad. Passing the preliminary medical examination personal particulars taken show his postal address was Post Office, Kalgoorlie, W.A. and was 174cms (5ft 8½ins) tall with a chest expansion of 94-100cms (37-39½ins). His brown eyes passed the eye test showing very poor vision in his right eye and good vision in the left one. Declared fit his application was accepted by the recruiting officer.
Attestation Forms were completed adding further information of his weight at 82.7kgs (182lbs) with a dark complexion and brown hair. Religion was Roman Catholic. Next-of-kin nominated was his brother Patrick Corcoran of Old Street, London, England. He signed and took ‘The Oath’ the same day.
Acknowledgement to the departing volunteers was published in the:
Basic training commenced at Blackboy Hill camp, near Perth on November 27, 1915 and allotted to the recruits for the Mining Corps.
Recruiting for the Miners’ Corps officially began on December 1st, 1915 therefore Private Corcoran was placed for basic training at the Helena Vale camp at Blackboy Hill, W.A. with the newly forming Corps. 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. Corcoran was assigned the regimental number 961 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.
Disciplinary action was taken for the following:
Offence: Hazebrouck 11/5/16 (1) Insubordination (2) Conduct prejudicial to
Military discipline
Award: 21 days Field Punishment No.1 by C.O.
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. Sapper was attached for duty with No. 4 Section to the 254th Tunnelling Company, Royal Engineers.
Sapper Corcoran was wounded in action on June 30, 1916 by a gunshot wound to his leg. On July 5 he was admitted to the No. 8 Stationary Hospital at Wimereux and the following day evacuated to England on the hospital ship Panama entering the 3rd London General Hospital at Wandsworth on July 8, 1916, diagnosis being gunshot wound right leg.
His name appeared in the Casualty List for Western Australian soldiers published in the:
He marched into the No.1 Command Depot at Perham Downs on August 14 then discharged to furlough and to report back on August 31. He was transferred to Parkhouse camp on September 13, 1916 and marched into the Aust Details No. 3 Camp on November 3, 1916 which was the Aust Tunnellers Training Camp.
While in camp the following occurred:
Offence: Parkhouse 8/11/16 Overstaying leave from 2400hrs 8/11/16 to 1200hrs 14/11/16
6 days
Award: 168 hours detention by Capt G.E. Welsh O.C. 16/11/16
Forfeiture: 6 day’s pay R.W.
Total forfeiture: 14 day’s pay
An inventory of his Kit was taken on November 22, 1917 while in camp.
The No.3 Company was officially transferred to the 3rd Tunnelling Company in the field on December 18, 1916.
Sapper Corcoran was allotted to the Reinforcements for the Tunnelling Companies and departed to France on New Year’s Day, 1917 aboard S.S. Arundel from Folkstone, England arriving at the Aust General Base Depot a day later.
He was attached to the 1st Anzac Entrenching Battalion on January 12, 1917 which was an advanced section of the Base Depot that organised works near the lines and through duties, usually of ten days duration, would accustom the reinforcements to war conditions before being assigned to a company in the field.
On July 18, 1917 he was taken to the 7th Aust Field Ambulance due to the old wound on his right leg and transferred the next day to the Company Rest Station. On January 22 was sent to the 12th General Hospital at Rouen until January 30 then was conveyed to England on the hospital ship St David with rheumatism and old leg wound. He entered Edmonton Military Hospital the following day diagnosed with old gunshot wound and myalgia (slight) (muscular pain).
His name was published in the W.A. Casualty list in:
He was discharged to furlough on February 26, 1917 and reported to Perham Downs’ camp on March 13, 1917. The next day appeared before the Medical Board and classed with C3 debility.
Sapper left No.2 Command Depot at Wareham on March 24, 1917 for the No.1 C.D. at Perham Downs and two days later marched out for the No.2 C.D. at Weymouth.
The following misdemeanour took place while at Weymouth:
Offence: Monte Video camp 22/6/17 Overstaying leave from noon 22/6/17 until 6p.m.
26/6/17
Award: 7 days C.B. by A/Col Brown
Forfeiture: 5 day’s pay R.W. £1/5
On July 19, 1917 he was transferred and taken on strength detailed as a Private with the Aust Railway Operating Depot at Bordon, England arriving the following day.
While serving at Borden disciplinary action occured as follows:
Offence: Overstaying leave from tattoo 25/8/17 to 9a.m. 6/9/17
Award: 8 days detention by Cpl R.E.S. Watts
Forfeiture: for 6/9/17 concurrent
Sapper proceeded to France from Folkstone on September 15, 1917 to the Aust General Base Depot and taken on strength in the field with the 15th Aust. Light Railway Operating Company on October 7, 1917.
Almost a month later went to the 5th Field Ambulance on November 4, 1917 with Rheumatism and after seven days entered the 6th General Hospital with myalgia. He was a patient at the 1/1 West Riding Field Ambulance on November 9 but the next day was moved to the 2nd Canadian Casualty Clearing Station. He was transferred on A.T.16 to Rouen on November 13 then to England on the hospital ship Essequibo and admitted to the 1st Southern General Hospital, Stirchley Section with Rheumatism (severe) the next day. Furlough was granted from November 22 and to report to Weymouth Depot on December 6, 1917.
On December 10, 1917 he was reviewed by the Medical Board at No. 3 Command Depot at Hurdcott and classified with Ci debility.
He was listed among the casualties published in the:
The address of his brother Patrick as next-of-kin was changed to 9 Remington Street, City Road, London on January 21, 1918.
Inventory of his Kit was undertaken on January 22, 1918 and items required to complete his Kit were issued.
He was absent without leave on February 12, 1918 with the following details:
Offence: Denton 13/2/18 A.W.L. from midnight 12/2/18 until 3.37p.m. 16/2/18
Award: Forfeits 4 day’s pay by Lt-Col T. Flintoff 18/2/18
Total forfeiture: 8 day’s pay
Offence: Hurdcott 21/5/18 A.W.L. from midnight 21/5/18 until 4.30p.m. 28/5/18
Award: 10 days F.P. No. 2 by Lt-Col T. Flintoff 29/5/18
Total forfeiture: 17 day’s pay
On July 4, 1918 Sapper marched into No. 2 Command Depot at Weymouth classed with C1 debility. A Kit inspection took place at Westham camp the next day. Unserviceable items were returned to Ordnance and replaced.
Further discipline was administered as follows:
Offence: Westham 5/7/18 Neglect of duty failing to be on parade after being duly warned
Award: 7 days C.B. by Major E.F. Playford 9/7/18
Offence: Weymouth 18/9/18 A.W.L. from midnight 17/9/18 till 4.40p.m. 18/9/18
Award: 7 days C.B. by Major E.F. Playford 19/9/18
Total forfeiture: 1 day’s pay
Sapper Corcoran returned to Australia as an invalid due to senility on board H.T. Somali on December 10, 1918. The ship docked in Fremantle (5th Military District) on January 21, 1919. News of their arrival was published in:
Sapper Corcoran entered No.8 Aust General Hospital at Fremantle on February 7, 1919 for his disembarkation medical examination.
Military Discharge was issued in Perth (5th M.D.) on March 24, 1919 as medically unfit.
A copy of his Will was returned to the 5th Military District on June 25, 1919 for filing.
Sapper 961 William Corcoran, 3rd Tunnelling Company / Aust Light Railway Operating Company was issued with the British War Medal (8092) and the Victory Medal (8059) for serving his country.
A Statement of Service was requested by the Perth Branch of the Repatriation Commission from Base Records and forwarded on October 7, 1927.
The following was advertised in the:
In 1930 he was a labourer at Goomalling in the Toodyay district of W.A. and in 1936 was a prospector at Hope Hill, Southern Cross, W.A.
William Corcoran passed away on January 19, 1947 aged 78 years. Funeral arrangements were advertised in:
His grave is located in the Roman Catholic portion of Karrakatta Cemetery, Perth within section KA in gravesite no. 178.
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