SAPPER SAMUEL JOHN TERRELL
4493 – 3rd Tunnelling Company
Born at Carisbrook, Victoria in 1890, the son of Samuel and Alice (nee Turvey), Samuel John Terrell was a young man of 25 years and 9 months, when, following a medical examination at Boulder, Western Australia (WA) on the same day, he signed the ‘Attestation paper of Persons Enlisted for Service Abroad’ on 10 January 1916
A single Miner of Boulder, Samuel was 5ft 4ins tall and weighed 136 lbs. He had a dark complexion, brown eyes and black hair.
He signed the Oath to ‘well and truly serve’ at Blackboy Hill, near Perth, WA, and named as his Next-of-Kin his mother Alice Maud Mary Terrell of 78 Clancy Street, Boulder.
After a couple of months at 43 Depot, he was appointed to No.6 Tunnelling Company with the rank of Sapper.
He was officially appointed to the 6th Tunnelling Company on 1 May 1916 by Major Lawson, then officer in Charge of the Company, at Belmont, WA.
Samuel embarked for the Western Front from Fremantle on board Warilda.
Two Sections of the Northern recruits to form the No.4 Company had embarked from Brisbane, Queensland early in May, 1916 aboard HMAT A69 Warilda for Sydney, New South Wales (NSW). Six officers and 152 other ranks together with the 1st Reinforcements of fifteen other ranks made up the two sections.
At Rosebery Park, Sydney, NSW they joined their Headquarters and two sections (8 officers & 153 O.Rs.) plus 1st Reinforcements consisting of one officer and seventeen other ranks for final training.
The 7713-ton transport departed Sydney, NSW on May 22, 1916 and collected in Melbourne, Victoria the No.5 Company recruited from Victoria, South Australia & Tasmania consisting of a Headquarters and 2 Sections (8 officers & 173 men) (3 M.D.). 1 Section from Tasmania (3 officers & 76 O.Rs); also 1st Reinforcements for No.5 Company (17 men from Vic. & 8 men Tas.) The ship departed on May 25, 1916 for Adelaide, S.A. to collect one Section of 3 officers & 76 O.Rs with 1st Reinforcements of 8 O.Rs.
Docking at Fremantle, W.A. on June 1, 1916 No.6 Company recruited from Western Australia of 14 officers and 325 O.Rs along with 1st Reinforcements of 1 Officer & 32 O.Rs embarked and Warilda departed the same day for the European theatre.
The day before, the 6th Tunnelling had paraded through the city streets of Perth. After traversing Barrack and Hay streets the column entered St George’s-terrace via Victoria-avenue. Opposite Government House his Excellency (Sir Harry Barron), with whom were the State Commandant (Colonel J.H. Bruche), Major P.H. Meeks and Major Wilkinson, A.D.C., took the salute. Passing along the Terrace the route was via William and Wellington streets to the station. The men paraded in full fighting equipment.
Durban, South Africa was reached on June 16, 1916 and Cape Town on June 21, 1916 while St Vincent completed the African ports of call on July 7, 1916. Discipline was fairly good except at intermediate ports where soldiers going Absent Without Leave caused concern. The fifty-eight day voyage experienced remarkable pleasant weather and terminated at Plymouth, England on July 18, 1916. Four, Five and Six Companies comprising of 1064 officers and other ranks were detrained to Amesbury and Tidworth to begin training for the front.
Most of the Reinforcements proceeded overseas to France on 28 August 1916. Samuel was taken on strength of the 3rd Australian Tunnelling Company (3ATC) on 30 August 1916.
He reported sick on 24 February 1918 and was transferred to the 1st Auxiliary Hospital on 9 March. He was embarked for England on board Hospital Ship St Denis on 14 March and admitted to Boscombe Military Hospital, Cosham, on 15 March 1918 with myalgia.
Discharged from hospital to the 3rd Convalescent Depot on 26 March, he proceeded overseas to France from the Overseas Training Brigade at Longbridge Deverill on 22 June 1918, marching in to the Australian General Base Depot (AGBD) on 23 June, rejoining his unit shortly after.
A Field Court Martial was held at Braquemont on 17 October 1918 at which Samuel was charged with (1) joining in a Mutiny; and, (2) Disobeying a lawful command, the events occurring on 25 September 1918.
He was found guilty of the first count, and not guilty of the second. He was sentenced to 2 years IHL on 17 October 1918. [see 3ATC “Court Martial” in the Western Front Units section of this site]
On 27 March 1919 Samuel marched out of the 3rd Tunnelling Company and into the AGBD for demobilisation. He left France on 2 April and marched in to No.3 Group at Codford, England on 3 April.
After returning from leave, he was admitted to hospital with pneumonia on 13 April.
Samuel left London on 1 June 1919 on board Somali, disembarking at Fremantle on 8 July 1919. He was Discharged in the 5th Military District (WA) on 22 August 1919 entitled to wear the British War Medal (11263) and the Victory Medal (11132).
In March 1924, Samuel gave evidence at the Inquest into the death of Arthur Samuel Smith at the Great Boulder Proprietary mine. The findings of the Inquest were published in the Western Argus - Tuesday 24 March 1924.
Samuel John Terrell died on 18 June 1930.
The Western Mail Tuesday 1 July 1930:
He was accorded an Imperial War Graves Commission headstone.
Kim writes: “... my Auntie told me that the young soldier used to write to my great grandparents Richard Hattam Terrell and Emily Jane Terrell (Seekay) on a regular basis from “Somewhere in France”.
Humphrey James Terrell (5845 - 3ATC) is the cousin of Richard Hattam Terrell.”
Samuel’s brother also served in WW1.
Cecil Terrell first enlisted at Kalgoorlie, WA on 20 May 1915. He was appointed to the 7th Reinforcements to the 11th Infantry Battalion and allotted the Service Number 1041. Born in Allandale, Victoria, he was 22 years and 10 months of age, stood 5ft 7ins tall, had a dark complexion, grey eyes and black hair.
A Labourer by occupation, he also named his mother, Mrs Alice Maud Mary Terrell, as his Next-of-Kin.
On 4 June he was re-appointed to the “A” Company, 28th Infantry Battalion and embarked from Fremantle with the Battalion on 29 June 1915 on board HMAT A11 Ascanius. He returned to Australia Wiltshire 25 September 1915.
Cecil re-enlisted on 29 February 1916, this time giving his place of birth as Boulder, WA.
Allotted the Service Number 4252 Private Cecil Terrell, he embarked from Melbourne on 7 March 1916 with the 9 to 12 Reinforcements for the 23rd Infantry Battalion on board HMAT A18 Wiltshire.
Cecil was transferred to Artillery on 16 April in the Canal Zone (Tel-el-Kebib) and taken on strength of 5th Divisional Artillery Corps (DAC) from the 23rd Battalion on 17 April 1916 with the rank of Gunner. He was appointed Driver on 16 May and posted to No.2 Section.
Cecil re-embarked on 18 June 1916 on H.T. Knight Templar with the 5th DAC at Alexandria for the British Expeditionary Force, disembarking at Marseilles on 25 June.
He enjoyed some leave from France from 20 to 30 September 1917, re-joining his unit on 3 October, and again had leave from France from 14 to 28 November 1918, re-joining his unit on 1 December.
Cecil left France on 1 April 1919 for return to Australia and demobilisation. He left London on the Konigin Louise on 21 June 1919, disembarking at Fremantle on 3 August 1919 and was discharged from the A.I.F. in the 5th Military District (WA) on 25 September 1919, entitled to wear the 1914/15 Star (4352), British War Medal (3530) and the Victory Medal (3526).
The Western Argus - Tuesday 26 June 1923:
© Donna Baldey 2011
compiled with the assistance of Kim Evans.
ADDENDUM:
5845 Sapper Humphrey James Terrell, 3ATAC, was a cousin of Richard Terrell of Boulder, WA. 4493 Samuel John Terrell, also of 3ATC, sent a Christmas card to Mr. & Mrs Terrell of Boulder in November 1918. The descendants of Richard Terrell now hold that card. The relationship between Samuel, Cecil and Richard Terrell is still being determined.