SAPPER WILLIAM MURRAY
1094 – 3rd Tunnelling Company
Melbourne, Victoria was the birthplace of William Alexander Murray in 1875 the son of Robert and Sarah (nee O’Brien) Murray. He followed the gold mining to Western Australia.
During the Boer War William enlisted with the Western Australian 1st Mounted Infantry Contingent and his details were published in the:
The contingent departed Albany, W.A. on November 7, 1899 together with Victorian, South Australian and Tasmanian units on the transport Medic arriving at Cape Town on November 27, 1899. They formed into The Australian Regiment with a Company from New South Wales and entrained on December 1 for De Aar to join the Kimberley Relief Force.
They participated in many skirmishes including General Clements’ Column with the Australian Regiment and with Major-General Hutton’s Column on advance from Bloemfontein to occupation of Pretoria; and lastly with Colonel De Lisle’s Column for the capture of Pretoria.
On December 13, 1900 their tour of duty over, they departed Cape Town in the transport Orient, arriving at Albany, W.A. on December 29. The contingent was disbanded on March 29, 1901.
Medal and clasps for Johannesburg, Diamond Hill, Wittebergen and Cape Colony were issued.
At the recruiting depot in Perth, W.A. on December 8, 1915 the unmarried miner applied to enlist for active service abroad. Passing the preliminary medical examination personal particulars taken show his postal address was Melbourne House, Wellington Street, Perth and was forty years of age with a height of 174cms (5ft 8½ins) and a chest measurement of 94cms (37ins). Declared fit his application was accepted by the recruiting officer.
Attestation Forms added further information of his weight at 62.7kgs (138lbs) with a chest expansion of 89-94cms (35-37ins) and had a fresh complexion with blue eyes and brown hair. Distinctive marks were a swan tattoo on the right underarm and four vaccination scars on his left arm. Roman Catholic was his religious faith.
Next-of-kin nominated was his father Robert Murray of 175 South Street, Fremantle, W.A. and later changed to Cue, W.A.
Recruiting for the Miners’ Corps had begun on December 1st, 1915 therefore Private Murray 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. Murray was assigned the regimental number 1094 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.
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 Murray was assigned on May 13, 1916 to No. 4 Section and attached for duty with the 254th Tunnelling Company, Royal Engineers.
Disciplinary action was taken for the following:
Crime: Absent from Tattoo 2/7/16
Award: 7 day’s C.B. [confined to billets] by O.C. 3rd Tun. Coy
Crime: In the field while on active service – drunk 5/11/16
Award: Fined 5 shillings by O.C. 3rd Tun. Coy
Crime: In the field drunk & disorderly 21/11/16
Award: Fined 10 shillings by O.C. 3rd Tun. Coy.
Crime: In the field drunk 12/3/17
Award: Fined 10 shillings by O.C. 3rd Tun. Coy.
The No. 3 Company was officially transferred to the 3rd Tunnelling Company in the field on December 18, 1916.
Sapper went sick on July 8, 1917 to the 16th Field Ambulance with Trench Fever then later moved to the 17th Field Ambulance and transferred to the Company Rest Station and after ten days was discharged to duty. The next day the following occurred:
Crime: At Boulogne – drunk in town 19/7/17
Award: 14 days F.P. No. 1 by Lt-Col Sandall
After serving Field Punishment he rejoined his unit on August 1.
On August 19, 1917 Sapper was wounded in action by a yellow gas shell and taken to the 7th Casualty Clearing Station for treatment of gas poisoning.
The Unit Diary of the 3rd Tunnelling Company stated the following on the incident:
“The following were gassed at Hill 70: -
On the 18.8.17 1106 2/Cpl Macnamara, M.J.
19.8.17 5796 Spr Nicholson, C.
1311 “ White, W.
3631A “ Abblitt, J.W.
1084 “ Murray, W.
6639 “ Parfitt, F.R.”
On August 25, 1917 was transferred to the 190th Hospital Barge and conveyed to Calais entering the 30th General Hospital for further gas poisoning treatment.
Base Records advised his next-of-kin on August 27, 1917 that he was suffering from gas poisoning.
By September 4 he was invalided to England on the hospital ship Newhaven entering the 3rd London General Hospital at Wandsworth the same day.
Base Records had trouble locating his father at the Fremantle address with their notice returned undeliverable. Trying through the press was successful receiving advice on September 12 his address was now Cue, W.A.
The following Telegram was sent to his father from Base Records:
Sapper was transferred to the 3rd Aust. Auxiliary Hospital at Dartford on September 14, 1917 and later discharged to furlough on September 24 and report to the No. 2 Command Depot at Weymouth on October 8.
His father sent the following Telegram to Base Records dated September 18, 1917 from Cue, W.A.
On September 20, 1917 Sapper appeared before the Medical Board and his Statement of Case reads:
Disability: (a) Rheumatism (b) advanced age
Date of disability: August 17, 1917
Place of disability: France
Essential facts: Gassed on August 17th. At present feels very weak. Occasional cough at night. An occasional pain over heart and behind eyes. Feels very shaky. Pains in both shoulders and knees since winter last. Pains are always present to swelling of joints. In France 17 months.
Caused by: Active Service and exposure to cold
Present condition: Pale man. Looks rather debilitated. Pterygium in each eye. Heart, lungs, abdomen – nil. Joints normal.
Vision VR 6/12 – 1.00 Sph 6/6
Vision VL 6/12 – 1.00 “ 6/6
Recommendation: Change to Australia 27/9/17
Approved: 20/10/17
Sapper Murray departed Devonport, England on November 1, 1917 on board H.T. Anchises for Australia. Base Records advised his next-of-kin on December 4, 1917 that he was returning home. His name was listed with returning soldiers published in the:
The ship docked in Fremantle (5th Military District) on December 25, 1917 and he went to No. 8 Aust General Hospital in Fremantle for treatment of overage and an alcoholic. On January 1, 1918 was discharged to the Details Camp at Karrakatta. His medical notes on discharge were as follows:
Overage - 46 years. Rheumatism. Well at present. Presbyopia – vision with glasses 6/6 right and left. Confirmed Alcoholic. D.R.U. No incapacity.
Military Discharge was issued in Perth (5th M.D.) on January 22, 1918 as medically unfit.
William Alexander Murray died on November 16, 1919 aged 45 years. Funeral arrangements were published in the:
Interment took place in the Roman Catholic portion of Fremantle Cemetery within the monumental section C in gravesite no. 599.
For service for his country Sapper 1094 William Murray, 3rd Tunnelling Company was issued with the British War Medal (8176) and the Victory Medal (8141).
These medals were not collected from the designated barracks and returned to the Medals Section of Base Records on September 30, 1934. A letter was addressed to him care of the last known address of his next-of-kin on October 21, 1924 but was returned unclaimed.
His sister Mary Happ wrote to Base Records from 31 Wentworth Street, Strathfield, N.S.W. on July 30, 1925 inquiring about her brother who joined in Perth and sailed from New South Wales with Professor David’s batch. As his sister and next-of-kin she drew his allotment money while on active service. She asked if he received his Gratuity Money and all monies he was entitled to and if there were any medals or anything she would be most grateful for. He told her before he died he did not received his Gratuity money and she would like to receive all information concerning this.
Base Records replied on August 5, 1925 to her communication and in order to properly dispose of his War Medals issuable in respect of her brother’s service they needed to know if he married after his return to Australia and outlined the order of those eligible under the Soldiers’ Estates Act 1918. These mementoes must be handed over to appropriate next-of-kin or submitted for consideration by the Minister. With her enquiry regarding War Gratuity it had been referred to the District Finance Officer, 5th Military District, Perth, W.A. as financial matters did not come with the branch’s purview. A letter to Perth in regards to her inquiry was sent the same day.
Mrs Happ replied on August 18, 1925 that her brother never married but had one brother living at Bondi. She wrote she was disappointed about the medals as it was her brother’s wish as he left her his allotment money to draw but had to abide by the Rules. She forgot to add that both parents were dead. She also asked should it be advisable for her to write to Perth regarding the matter of his Gratuity Money.
Both Medals were forwarded from the Medals Section to his brother on September 10, 1925 and receipted by Mr E.C. Murray on September 17, 1925.
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