STAFF SERGEANT HILARY DENVER FALLICK
4 – 1st Tunnelling Company
Sidney Bedford Fallick married Margaret Martha Leila Hodgkinson at Sydney, New South Wales (NSW) in 1890. The arrival of their first child was announced in the newspaper:
A second son, Rupert Ascott Fallick was born at St Leonards in 1904.
Hilary signed the ‘Attestation Paper of Persons Enlisted for Service Abroad’ on 12 September 1915, stating his trade as ‘Surveyor Mining’. A medical examination on the same day found him to be ‘fit for active service’ and recorded that he was 5ft 10½ins tall and weighed 158 lbs. He had a fair complexion, brown eyes and fair hair. He was of the Methodist faith. He named as his Next-of-Kin his mother Mrs. Lilly Fallick of “Fortnam”, West Esplanade, Manly, Sydney, NSW. He signed the Oath to ‘well and truly serve’ on 24 September 1915 at Sydney
On 27 September he signed a second Attestation Paper at Casula, NSW, this time naming his father Mr. Sidney Bedford Fallick of Manly, NSW as his Next-of-Kin.
On 9 November, Hilary was appointed to the 1st Reinforcements, 7th Field Company Engineers at the Engineer Depot, Moore Park, Sydney, by Major A.C. Fewtrell (O.C. Reinforcements, Engineers, A.I.F.). He was given the Service Number 3748 and the rank of Sapper.
Hilary embarked from Sydney on 30 November 1915 on board HMAT A40 Ceramic. On 8 January 1916 he disembarked from Suffolk at Fremantle, Western Australia and returned to Sydney (3rd Military District) per Zealandia. He was transferred to the Mining Corps and on 17 January, was promoted to Corporal and given a new Service Number, ‘4’.
On 9 February 1916 at Casula, NSW, Hilary was officially appointed to the Mining Corps by Lieutenant Colonel A.C. Fewtrell, now Commanding Officer of the Mining Corps, and a second medical examination on 17 February confirmed he was still ‘fit for active service’.
Hilary formed a friendship with Penleigh Boyd (see profile: BOYD, Theodore Penleigh, 9, Sgt), and was frequently mentioned in Penleighs’ letters to his wife:
On 16 February he was promoted to Staff Sergeant and embarked on Ulysses with the Headquarters, 1st Australian Mining Corps
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. Following the 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 Broadmeadows while additional stores and equipment were loaded onto Ulysses. 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.
Departing Melbourne on 1 March, Ulysses sailed to Fremantle, Western Australia where a further 53 members of the Corps were embarked. 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.
After a delay of about a month for repairs, The Mining Corps sailed for the European Theatre on 1 April 1916.
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 23 June 1916 Hilary was temporarily attached to No.1 Company of the Mining Corps.
On 31 August 1916 he reported sick and was admitted to the 1st Canadian Casualty Clearing Station for dental fillings, rejoining his unit on 1 September.
On 11 October Hilary was attached the 1st Australian Tunnelling Company (1ATC) as a Draughtsman.
On 29 September 1917 he reported sick and was hospitalised for a day at the 98th Field Ambulance with dental caries.
Hilary proceeded on leave to Nice from 15 March 1918, rejoining his unit on 14 April.
He was detached for duty on 27 August 1918 to the Controller of Mines, 4th Army. He proceeded on leave to England from 11 to 25 November 1918, rejoining his unit on 29 November. He rejoined 1ATC on 6 December.
On 19 February 1919 he was admitted to the 20th Field Ambulance with influenza and was transferred to the 20th Casualty Clearing Station on the same day. He was transferred by Ambulance Train 36 to the 14th General Hospital where he was admitted on 24 February.
Hilary was transferred to England on 3 March and was admitted to Endell Street Military Hospital suffering mild influenza. His Next-of-Kin was notified of his illness on 20 March.
Discharged to furlough on 7 March, Hilary marched in to No.2 Command Depot, Weymouth from A.I.F. Headquarters, ex hospital, on 21 March 1919. He left London on 10 April 1919 for return to Australia on board HMAT A7 Medic.
Having disembarked in Sydney on 31 May 1919, on 1 June at the Domain Anzac Buffet, Sydney, he underwent a medical examination, which recorded that he was still underweight with an accelerated heart rate and some adventitious sounds in his chest. His condition was recorded as ‘unsatisfactory’ and noted that he had had Trench Fever in January 1917 and Influenza from 10 February 1919 for 3 weeks.
Hilary Denver Fallick was discharged from the A.I.F. in Sydney on 25 August 1919. He was entitled to wear the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.
Hilary was a member of 1ATC from June 1916 until his return to Australia in May 1919. In that period he would have worked at Hill 60 in the preparations for the Battle of Messines Ridge. He also most likely worked on the digging of the Catacombs at Hill 63.
He may have been involved with the Easter Raid of April 1917 and the accidental explosion of 25 April 1917 which killed 10 members of his unit.
He may have also been involved with operations on the Hindenberg Line in September 1918 when 20 members of 1 & 2ATCs where decorated. He may also have worked on the construction of the Hooge Crater dugouts.
Hilary married Eunice F. MacGee (McGee) in 1921 at Marrickville, Sydney.
In 1930 Hilary, a Secretary, and family were living at ‘Alkoomie’, Sowerby Street, Muswellbrook.
By 1936 they had moved to ‘Eunden’, Bligh Street, Muswellbrook.
1943 saw the family living at 11 Brownlee Street, Wollongong where Hilary was now a Manager. In 1954 their address was 12 Park Street, Greta and Hilary was the Colliery Manager.
By 1958, Hilary had retired and he and Eunice were living at 43 Cope Street, Lane Cove. In 1968 they were still at 43 Cope Street and Naomi Ruth Fallick, student, was living with them.
Reunions
Past members of the Australian Electrical & Mechanical Mining & Boring Company and Tunnelling Companies gathered on or about Anzac Day for a reunion luncheon. We have had access to some of their records, which were very well kept and are quite detailed.
Hilary first appears on the list in 1934 giving his address as Box 33, Post Office, Muswellbrook. He is listed at the same address in 1968.
Hilary Denver Fallick died on 31 January 1969 at St Leonards. He was cremated at the Northern Suburbs Crematorium, Sydney, NSW.
In 1977, Naomi was a nurse still living at the Cope Street address.
© Donna Baldey 2013
www.tunnellers.net
ADDENDUM
WW2
NX142604 (N73352) Lieutenant Colonel Rupert Ascott Fallick, Army, 5 Heavy Brigade, RAA.
Rupert was born at North Sydney on 29 February 1904. He named as his Next-of-Kin Lily Fallick.
109571 Corporal Shirley Leila Fallick, RAAF, Eastern area Headquarters.
Shirley was born at Helensburgh, NSW on 16 October 1924. She enlisted on 24 June 1943 and was discharged on 15 April 1946. She named as his Next-of-Kin Hilary Fallick.
BDMs
Sidney B Fallick d 1922 at Sydney son of William C & Jane
Margaret Martha Leila Fallick d. 1946 at Manly – parents not recorded
Rupert Ascott Fallick m. 1945 at Woollahra Suzanne Nina Dansey
Suzanne Nina Fallick d. 1963 at Balmain d/o St John Warburton & Myra Linton