SAPPER KENNETH PHILLIP FAIR
1003 – 3rd Tunnelling Company
Launceston, Tasmania was the birthplace of Kenneth Phillip Fair on November 14, 1884 the son of Archibald and Mary Ann (nee Phillips) Fair.
On 31 October 1901 Kenneth Fair was a crew member on the ship Crocodile which arrived at Sydney, Australia from Liverpool, England. It was recorded that he was 16 years of age and was born in Tasmania. His Station on the ship was O.S. (Ordinary Seaman).
Kenneth Philip Fair joined the Royal Navy in October 1902, giving his birthdate as September 3, 1883 and his place of birth as Launceston, Tasmania. Record 301830 of the Royal Navy Registers of Seaman's Services shows he was 174cms (5ft 8½ins) tall with brown hair, blue eyes and a fresh complexion. A tattoo of hands crossed through a ship was a distinctive mark. The first ship he served on was Pembroke II from October 14, 1902 to July 22, 1903 and his period of engagement was for 12 years. His rating was Stoker 2nd Class. His character was recorded on 31 December 1902 as ‘V.G. (very good). On 22 July 1903 he was again recorded as having a ‘V.G.’ character.
Kenneths’ mother, Mary Ann Fair, remarried in 1906 to John William Holloway.
K. Fair was a 3rd Class passenger on the ship Empire of Britain which departed Liverpool in August 1909. He was recorded as aged 27 years and a labourer by occupation and was contracted to land at Quebec, Canada.
K. Fair, age 26, born Launceston, A.B. (Able Bodied Seaman) was a crew member on the Wakatipu which arrived at Sydney on 20 May 1910 from Launceston.
K. Fair, age 26, born (Plockton), A.B. was a crew member on the Wakatipu from Launceston to Sydney arriving 3 June 1910.
The Register of Seamen’s Discharges records K. Fair, A.B., registered in Dunedin, born in Launceston, released in full on 6 January 1911, last ship Dartford. Conduct, Character and Qualifications all reproted as V.G.
The Register of Seamen’s Engagement records K. Fair, A.B., last ship Nerong, engaged on 21 September 1911 on the Steamer Kooyong, bound for Adelaide.
K. Fair, A.B., age 27, born Launceston, was a crew memberon board Kooyong which arrived at Sydney on 28 October 1911from Adelaide via Newcastle.
The Register of Seamen’s Discharges records K. Fair, Lamp Trimmer, registered in London, born in Launceston, released from Kooyong on 4 January 1912. Conduct, Character and Qualifications all reproted as V.G.
K. Fair, A.B., age 27, born Launceston, Lamps, was crew on Kooyong which arrived Sydney from Melbourne on 9 January 1912
K. Fair, O.S., engaged at Melbourne on Kooyong, outward bound from Albany on 25 January 1912 for Fremantle.
K. Fair, Bosun, age 27, crew on Barrier which arrived Sydney on 23 September 1913 from Melbourne.
K. Fair, A.B., age 29, born Launceston, Lamps, crew on Makatipu which arrived Sydney on 23 January 1914 from Launceston.
K. Fair, A.B., age 29, born Launceston, Lamps, crew on Makatipu which arrived Sydney on 2 July 1914 from Launceston via Eden.
On 22 November 1915 the ship Hamm, employed by Millars’ Timber and Trading Company, arrived at Bunbury from Capetown and clearing for Capetown. Crew discharged at Bunbury included K. Fair.
At the recruiting depot at Bunbury, Western Australia on November 22, 1915 the married labourer applied to enlist for active service abroad and passed the medical examination. Personal particulars from Attestation Papers show he was 176cms (5ft 9ins) tall, weighed 70kgs (156lbs) with a chest measurement of 97cms (38ins) and had a dark to medium complexion with grey eyes and grey black hair. No distinctive marks were noted. Religion was Presbyterian. Next-of-kin nominated was his wife Mrs Annie Phillip Fair of 194 Cimitiere Street, Launceston, Tasmania and allotted three fifths of his pay in support of his wife and children.
Swearing in took place at Blackboy Hill camp, near Perth, W.A. on November 29, 1915. Allotment for basic training was with the 37th Depot Battalion on November 29, 1915 in the rank of Private.
Recruiting for the Miners’ Corps officially began on December 1st, 1915 and Private Fair 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. Fair was assigned the regimental number 1003 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. The No.3 Company was officially transferred to the 3rd Tunnelling Company in the field on December 18, 1916.
On November 16, 1916 Sapper Fair was admitted to the 72nd Field Ambulance with N.Y.D. (not diagnosed yet) then noted with (Pyrexia) fever and remained until November 21 then sent to the 1st Corps Rest Station. On November 24 was admitted to the 1st Casualty Clearing Station with myalgia (muscular pain) and taken by Ambulance Train No.12 three days later entering the 4th General Hospital with myalgia. On December 4, 1916 was discharged to Base Details at the Aust General Base Depot. Sapper was attached to the 1st Anzac Entrenching Battalion on December 11, 1916 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.
He marched out to join the 3rd Tunnelling Company in the field on February 19, 1917 returning on February 24.
On October 9, 1917 he went sick to the 16th Field Ambulance suffering myalgia leaving two days later for the 1st Casualty Clearing Station with diarrhoea. On November 22, 1917 was conveyed on A.T.2 to the 22nd General Hospital in Camiers with colitis (inflammation of the inner lining of the colon causing rectal bleeding, diarrhoea and abdominal pain). A week later was transferred to the 6th Convalescent Depot in Camiers then a day later relocated to the 13th Convalescent Depot in Trouville where he remained until discharged to the A.G.B.D. in Rouelles on December 28, 1917.
He was to march out to rejoin his unit on January 2, 1918 but was admitted the next day with Influenza to the 10th General Hospital in Rouen. Invalided to England on February 9, 1918 on the hospital ship Western Australia entered the 1st London General Hospital in Camberwell with Influenza on February 10, 1918 and later added slight shell concussion where he remained for twelve days.
While in still in England he was issued with three Blue Chevrons to wear on his uniform for serving two years abroad with his Company.
After improvement a transfer took place on February 22, 1918 to the 1st Aust. Auxiliary Hospital in Harefield, Middlesex where on February 26 he was assessed by the Medical Board and his Statement of Case reads:
Disability: Neurasthenia (War) (nervous condition, constantly worried to point of exhaustion)
Date of disability: 8 Oct, 1917
Place of disability Loos
Essential facts: This man was caught up by a barrage and flung about; this caused him to be unable to control himself. He was been depressed etc. since
Caused by: Active Service
Attributable to: Shell explosion
Present condition: Somewhat depressed – not sleeping very well – nervous – sweating – digestion upset and headaches
He is mentally dull and unstable at present and quite unfitted for
General Service for a very long time – if ever again
Re-examination: 6/12 months
Degree of disability 50% at present
Finding: B2I – Temporarily unfit for General Service and for Home Service
6/12 months
Dated: 26/2/18
Approved: 1/3/18
On February 28, 1918 was granted furlough from Westham camp from March 23 to March 27, 1918.
The next day was transferred to the No. 2 Command Depot at Weymouth with slight shell concussion. At Verne camp on March 2, 1918 the medical examiner gave the following:
Age 42 years – Neurosis following shell shock – permanently unfit for General Service and Temporarily Unfit for Home Service.
Further leave was issued from Verne camp on May 24, 1918.
On June 17, 1918 Sapper Fair embarked from Devonport, England on the hospital carrier D13 H.M.T. Matatua. His berth for the journey was a hammock and his health improved during the voyage.
His name was recorded in the Unit Diary of the 3rd Tunnelling Company as follows:
Base Records advised his next-of-kin on July 3, 1918 that he was returning home. News of this was reprinted in the:
The ship docked at Fremantle, W.A. (5th Military District) on August 8, 1918 and he proceeded to Melbourne (3rd M.D.) arriving on August 15 and embarked for Tasmania (6th M.D.) on the Rotomahana to Launceston.
On 16 August he made a statement concerning the death of 5497 Sapper James Brennan:
The welcome for the soldiers was published in the:
Sapper Fair entered on August 17, 1918 the No. 12 Aust General Hospital in Launceston for treatment.
On October 3, 1918 he was assessed by the Permanent Medical Referee Board giving their decision as Permanent Military Capacity with Temporary Civil Capacity with 1/3rd disability for the labour market.
A copy of his War Service was made for the War Pension Department on October 8, 1918.
Military Discharge was issued in Hobart, Tas (6th M.D.) on October 18, 1918.
Anglesea Barracks, Hobart on January 15, 1919 advised Base Records the dates of arrival and discharge of the ex-soldier. Later that year his residence was 194 Cimitiere Street, Launceston North with soldier as his occupation.
On 19 May 1920, Kenneth married Adelaide Beattie, the 24-year-old daughter of John and Mary Ann (formerly Ellington) Beattie.
The birth of their daughter was reported in the:
Sapper 1003 Kenneth Phillip Fair, 3rd Tunnelling Company was issued the British War Medal (3339) and the Victory Medal (3338) for serving his country.
16 January 1922 - K. Fair, Bosun, age 38, born Launceston, was a crew member on the ship SS Poolta arrived Sydney from Launceston, Cornwall, via Devonport, Tasmania.
30 January 1922 - K. Fair, Bosun, age 38, born Launceston was a crew member on the ship Poolta which arrived Sydney on from Devonport, Tasmania.