Lance Corporal Thomas Fulton

LANCE CORPORAL THOMAS FULTON

114 – 1st Tunnelling Company

At Maryborough, Queensland on July 15, 1887 Thomas Fulton was born to parents William and Charlotte Maud Harriet (nee Giles) Fulton. His previous military experience was gained by serving two years with the Militia in Howard, Qld. In 1913 he was a miner working at the Bluff Colliery, near Rockhampton, Qld.

On November 1, 1915 the twenty-eight year old miner enlisted in Brisbane, Qld at the Recruiting Depot for active service abroad. Attestation forms give his description on enlistment as 172cms (5ft 7½ins) tall, weighing 66.8kgs (147lbs) with a chest expansion of 84-92cms (33-36ins). Complexion was dark with blue eyes and light brown hair. Vision was good and distinctive marks were tattoos on both arms and a scar on the right leg plus two vaccination points on his left arm. Church of England was his religious faith. Next-of-kin nominated was his sister Jane Fulton of Howard, Qld. He signed and took the ‘Oath of Allegiance’ the same day.

Basic training commenced at Enoggera camp, Brisbane before being sent to the Mining Corps for further training at their camp at Casula, near Liverpool, NSW. He was assigned to the No. 1 Company of the Corps with the regimental number 114 in the rank of Sapper.

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’.

On August 14, 1916 disciplinary action was taken for the following:

Crime: W.O.A.S. [while of active service] creating a disturbance 13/8/16

Awarded: Awarded 14 days F.P. No. 1 by O.C. Coy. [Field Punishment]

He was accidentally injured on September 23, 1916 receiving a scalp wound and admitted to the 22nd Field Ambulance. Moved on September 30 to the 1st Casualty Clearing Station then entered on October 4 the 13th General Hospital but was sent to England the same day from Boulogne on the hospital ship St Andrew then admitted to the East Suffolk hospital in Ipswich with scalp wound.

His next-of-kin was advised by Base Records on October 19, 1916 that he had been admitted to hospital and was suffering from scalp wound and the address for correspondence.

In The Queenslander on Saturday November 4, 1916 his name appeared in the Casualty List:

A transfer to the 1st Aust Auxiliary Hospital on November 8, 1916 followed until November 28 when he left for the No. 2 Command Depot at Weymouth. He marched out on December 11 for Tidworth camp for further orders which came two days later when sent to the Details Camp at Parkhouse. He remained until March 5, 1917 before moving to the Hardening & Drafting Depot at the Aust Details camp at Perham Downs.

On May 9, 1917 he proceeded overseas from Folkstone to France arriving at the Aust General Base Depot a day later. He marched out to rejoin his unit on May 17.

Service continued until November 6, 1917 when he was admitted to the 95th Field Ambulance for Dental Caries then to recuperate at the 30th Divisional Rest Station until November 8.

On January 22, 1918 the following was dealt with by the O.C. of the Company:

Crime W.O.A.S. A.W.L. from 11 a.m. 13/1/18 till 11 a.m. 19/1/18

Award: 14days F.P. No. 1

Total forfeiture: 21 day’s pay

He was issued with Blue Chevrons to wear on his uniform for serving twelve months.

He went sick on March 20, 1918 to the 1st C.C.S. for treatment of Scabies and was transferred to the 14th Field Ambulance then to the Divisional Rest Station and discharged to duty on March 26 returning to his unit two days later.

When Peace was declared Sapper Fulton was with his unit and the Tunnelling Companies remained on the front as part of the Army of Occupation assisting with the rehabilitation of roads and bridges by defusing delayed-action mines and booby traps left by the enemy.

On November 14, 1918 he was appointed to the rank of Lance Corporal.

Central Queensland soldiers on the Front were in contact with Mrs H.G. Wheeler working in London co-ordinating the Central Queensland Comfort Fund and each week sent report-letters naming those men she had been in contact with during the week. These were published in the Rockhampton newspapers to give relatives reliable news of their men abroad. Her address was care of the Agent-General, Queensland Office, London.

The following extract from her letters home published in the Rockhampton Morning Bulletin in which she imparts news of Sapper Fulton:

Orders were received on February 12, 1919 to return to Base to prepare to leave the front for England. They crossed the English Channel on February 24 and marched into No. 3 Camp at Parkhouse the next day. He passed the medical examination as fit for service on February 27. The same day a Kit Inspection took place and the following items issued:

Braces, Singlet & Towel and his putties withdrawn and replaced.

On March 20 the men transferred to the Reserve Brigade Aust Artillery camp at Heytesbury to await their return home. Another Kit Inspection took place on April 1, 1919 and he was issued with a suit of Khaki Drill.

After Demobilisation, L/Corporal Fulton embarked for Australia on the H.T. Boonah on April 20, 1919. His next-of-kin was advised by Base Records on April 19, 1919 that he was coming home. The ship arrived in Melbourne, Vic (3rd M.D.) on June 8, 1919 and was transhipped to the Sardinia for Sydney, NSW (2nd M.D.) docking on June 11 then entering Brisbane, Qld (1st M.D.) on June 14, 1919.

The same day his name appeared on the list of soldiers returning in The Queenslander on Saturday June 14, 1919:

The men went to the No.6 Aust General Hospital at Kangaroo Point where he was medically assessed.

His Statement of Case reads:

Sept 1916 shell would of scalp. In hospital 2 months. Now no disability. (Sgd) T. Fulton.

Present condition: Good. No operation was performed.

He was also dentally assessed and noted for repairs.

Recommendation was ‘demobilise as fit.’

Military Discharge was issued in Brisbane (1st M.D.) on July 29, 1919 on termination of his period of enlistment. He returned to work as a miner at Howard, Qld.

For serving his country Lance Corporal 114 Thomas Fulton, 1st Tunnelling Company received the British War Medal (12147) and the Victory Medal (11988).

Thomas continued to work at Howard, Qld as a miner. His passing was on April 11, 1949 aged 62 years.