John James Eddison 991

CORPORAL JOHN JAMES EDDISON

991 – 3rd Tunnelling Company

John James Eddison was born in 1887 at Bradford, Yorkshire, England the son of Isaac and Rebecca Eddison. In 1891 the family were living at 25 Woodlands Road, Bradford and consisted of Isaac (30) drayman, wife Rebecca (25) and their children Samuel J. (6), John J. (4) and Mary A. (2) and a lodger, George Patterson (39) drayman.

A decade later in 1901 they were residing at 49 Girlington Road, Bradford and citizens of the household were Isaac (40) drayman for coal merchant, Rebecca (36), Samuel R. (16) and John J. (14) both Worsted Mill workers, Mary A. (12) Worsted Mill spinner part-time, and Elsie J. (1).

On Christmas Eve, 1907 at the Keighley St Mary’s Church, Eastwood, Yorkshire John (21) married Elizabeth Eleanor Conway (25), daughter of Michael Conway, a labourer of 8 Thomas Street. In the third quarter of 1909 their son Edward Eddison was born and in the last quarter of 1910 Norman Eddison arrived.

The following year in 1911 they resided at 127 Girlington Road, Bradford and living in the three roomed dwelling were John James (24) cotton dyer, Elizabeth Eleanor (29) and sons Edward (1) and Norman 7mths. The couple later were separated.

In 1914 John departed London for Australia on aboard the steamer S.S. Essex which arrived at Fremantle, Western Australia on October 29, 1914. News of the new immigrants’ arrival was published in:

The following year in 1915 he was a miner residing at 70 North Terrace, Boulder, W.A.

At the recruiting depot in Kalgoorlie, W.A. on November 21, 1915 the twenty-nine year old miner applied to enlist for active service abroad and passed the medical examination. Attestation forms were completed and describe him as 182cms (5ft 11ins) tall, weighing 70.9kgs (156lbs) with a chest expansion of 85-93cms (33½-36½ins). Complexion was fair with brown eyes and reddish hair. Distinctive marks were a wart on the lower lip near red margin and tattoo designs on each forearm. Religious faith was Anglican. Stating he was legally separated nominated his son Edward Eddison of 208 Girlington Road, Bradford, Yorkshire, England as next-of-kin and allotted two-fifths of his pay in support of his child. He was sworn in the same day.

Acknowledgement to the departing volunteers was published in the:

He was allotted for basic training on November 27, 1915 with the Miners’ Corps at Blackboy Hill camp near Perth.

Recruiting for the Miners’ Corps had begun on December 1st, 1915 therefore Private Eddison 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.

His name was published as a new recruit in the:

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. Eddison was assigned the regimental number 991 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 Eddison was with No. 2 Section and sent to the First Army’s Mine School to become a Listener and the following extract was recorded in the Unit Diary of the 3rd Tunnelling Company:

On November 27, 1916 Sapper Eddison was wounded in action by mine gas following an explosion which killed 20 men and 8 suffered mine gas poisoning. The Unit Diary for that day stated the following:

He was taken to the 72nd Field Ambulance then moved to the 1st Corps Rest Station and transferred to the 64th Field Ambulance on December 4 rejoining his unit on December 13, 1916.

The No.3 Company was officially transferred to the 3rd Tunnelling Company in the field on December 18, 1916.

His name was taken from the Casualty List and printed in:

He did Mine Rescue training in March, 1917 with the Proto-Breathing Apparatus.

Service continued without incident until the night of September 4-5, 1917 when he was wounded for the second occasion by gas poisoning. The Unit Diary recorded the following details:

Sapper was admitted to the 16th Field Ambulance then on to the 1st Casualty Clearing Station on September 5, 1917 and the next day was transferred by barge to St Omer for admittance to the 4th General Hospital. He was discharged to Base Details on September 14 and rejoined his Unit a day later.

Among the list of Casualties his name was published in:

Leave from France for ten days took place from October 15 to 25th, 1917.

Three Blue Chevrons were issued to wear on his uniform for two years’ service abroad on February 20, 1918. On February 24, 1918 he was promoted to Lance Corporal.

He was a recipient of Comfort Fund gifts from Kalgoorlie residents and the receiver’s list was reprinted in the:

Promotion to Second Corporal came through on April 4, 1918 due to Temporary Corporal Monaghan being promoted. On April 17, 1918 he was further promoted to Temporary Corporal as Cpl S.P. Wagner became Temporary Sergeant.

He proceeded on leave on June 28, 1918 and was granted and extension of leave to July 15, 1918 and rejoined his unit two days later. While away he was promoted to Corporal due to the promotion to Sergeant of T/Sergeant Wagner.

Corporal Eddison did further training which was recorded in the Unit Diary as follows:

A few days after completing the course Peace was declared and the Tunnelling Companies remained on the front as part of the Army of Occupation assisting with the rehabilitation of their districts by clearing roads and bridges of booby traps left by the enemy.

His last payment in France was issued on January 11, 1919.

On February 28, 1919 he was detached for duty with the Aust Corps Workshop and rejoined his unit on March 30. Leave from France was taken from April 2 and returned to his Unit on April 16, 1919.

Orders were received to prepare for demobilisation to England and return to the Aust General Base Depot on April 22, 1919. The men crossed the English Channel on April 28 and marched into No. 2 Group Camp.

Corporal was admitted to the Camp Hospital with Influenza and Diarrhoea on May 8 and left to march in to No.4 Group camp on May 16, 1919.

On May 28, 1919 John James Eddison (32) was married by Licence at the Bradford Registry Office to Annie Laurie Butterfield (35) blouse maker of 330 Girlington Road, Bradford, daughter of Hollings Butterfield, master greengrocer. John said he was a coal miner / soldier of 208 Girlington Road and his father was a locomotive engine driver. The ceremony was conducted by the Registrar Alfred W. Rogers.

Mrs Annie Eddison was registered as his next-of-kin with Base Records.

Accompanied by his wife, Corporal Eddison embarked for Australia on the H.T. Konigin Luise on June 21, 1919. His name was listed as a returning soldier in the:

The ship docked at Fremantle, W.A. on August 2, 1919 and news of its arrival was published in:

Military Discharge was issued in Perth (5th Military District) on September 27, 1919 as medically unfit.

Corporal 991 John James Eddison, 3rd Tunnelling Company was issued for serving his country the British War Medal (8104) and the Victory Medal (8070).

Presentation of War Medals to Kalgoorlie soldiers took place on Anzac Day 1921 and reported in the:

They were part of a Group settlement No.24 at Karridale, W.A. where he drew an Art Union prize announced in the:

A Statement of his Service was requested by the Perth Branch of the Repatriation Department and forwarded by Base Records on November 18, 1927:

John James Eddison died on December 27, 1927 aged 41 years at Karridale, W.A. In Inquest into his death was held and reported in:

Burial took place in the Karridale Cemetery and is marked by a War Grave Plaque.

He is commemorated in Honour Avenue, Kings Park, Perth.