SAPPER ALFRED O’NEILL
5394 – 1st Tunnelling Company
Born on 19 January 1885in Launceston, Tasmania, Alfred was the son of James and Anne Jane (nee Gray/Grey) O'Neill, both of whom had been born in Ireland.
At Willeroo Station, Northern Territory in 1909, Agnes Elizabeth O’Neill was born, father Alfred O’Neill, mother Maggie. Various family histories record that Maggie was aboriginal.
Alfred and his partner, Frederick Waterhouse, were granted a gold mining lease at the Union Reef near Pine Creek, Northern Territory, in April 1914. He was working on his gold mining lease near Pine Creek when war broke out in September 1914.
Alfred volunteered for the war but was rejected by the Army because of bad teeth. He had these fixed at his own expense, and then tried again, only to be rejected once more because of varicose veins; and he had also been badly burnt once before on the right leg.
He tried a total of six times to be accepted before finally being taken into the Army on 5 April 1916 at the age of 31. By this time the Army was taking enlistments in Darwin, and so, unlike many of the early volunteers, he did not have to pay his own fare to Queensland or another place where he could be signed up.
He signed the ‘Attestation Paper of Persons Enlisted for Service Abroad’, and the Oath to ‘well and truly serve”, at Darwin on 5 April 1916.
A medical examination recorded that he was 31 years and 2 months of age; stood 5ft 8½ins tall and weighed 154 lbs. He had a medium complexion, hazel eyes and brown hair. He was of the Roman Catholic faith.
He stated he was single, born in Sydney, NSW,and was a miner by calling. He recorded that he had previously been rejected for service on the grounds of varicose veins.
Alfred named as his Next-of-Kin his mother Mrs. Ann O’Neill of 13 Smith Street, Balmain, New South Wales.
His training began at 11th Depot Battalion on 18 April 1916. On 29 May he was transferred to the 54th Reinforcements, 4th Pioneer Battalion. On 20 June he was transferred to the Mining Corps. He was moved to the Miners Reinforcements training camp at Seymour, Victoria on 29 June 1916.
Alfred embarked for the Western Front on board Suffolk.
HMAT A23 Suffolk departed Melbourne, Victoria on 30 September 1916 with 166 members of the September 1916 Reinforcements to the Mining Corps. She arrivedat Fremantle, Western Australia on 10 October and departed the same day. Arriving atCapetown, South Africa on 30 October,Suffolk departedthe next day and voyaged on to Dakar in West Africa arriving on 15 November. After a delay of 5 days, she sailed for Plymouth, England on 20 November, and after a voyage lasting 64 days, the Tunnellersdisembarked on 2 December.
He proceeded overseas to France on 1 January 1917 and marched in to the Australian General Base Depot on 2 January. He was attached to the 1st Anzac Entrenching Battalion on 12 January.
The Battalion was an advanced section of the Base Depot formed at La Motte, France on June 6, 1916. The Battalion organised works near the lines and through duties would accustom the reinforcements to war conditions before being assigned to a company in the field. For a time, all infantry reinforcements were drawn from this unit. Heavy losses at Pozieres in July through September 1916 caused all infantry to be directly absorbed into their fighting units.
The Battalion continued to be a transit unit for tunnelling reinforcements and in October 1916 there were 9 officers and 203 men in the Battalion which now served as a tunnelling company, working with the 1st Canadian Tunnelling Company at St Eloi, The Bluff and the Ravine (near Ypres). On 5 November 1917 the 1st Anzac Entrenching Battalion was abolished.
Alfred was transferred to the 1st Australian Tunnelling Company (1ATC) where he was taken on strength on 27 January 1917.
He reported sick on 6 April 1917 and was admitted to the 133rd Field Ambulance with PUO (pyrexia of unknown origin). He was transferred to the 134th Field Ambulance the same day. He was discharged to duty on 11 April and re-joined his unit in the Field.
Alfred O’Neill was killed in action on 1 October 1917.
On 1 October 1917, 8 Sappers of the 1st Australian Tunnelling Company died. 6 were killed in action and it is known that at least 5 were members of a ration partythat was hit by shell fire and have no known graves. All we know of the incident has been derived from Red Cross files and personal documents of the various members involved.
Alfred was a member of 1ATC from January 1917 until his death in October 1917. 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.
In April 1921 a cross bearing the inscription “R.I.P. In Memory of 5394 Spr A. O’Neill. 1st Aust Tunng Coy. K. in A. 2/10/17” was found at map reference H.33.b.5.6. with no remains and was removed to Aeroplane British Cemetery. It was one of eight crosses, six belonging to members of 1ATC, found at the location with no remains.
Three copies of a photograph of the Memorial Cross erected in Aeroplane Military Cemetery to the memory of 5394 Spr A. O’Neill, 1st Tunn. Coy. were sent to his Next-of-Kin on 27 January 1921 and received by his mother on 1 February 1921.
Alfred O’Neill has no known grave and is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial, Ypres.
Three copies of a photograph of the Memorial Cross erected in Aeroplane Military Cemetery to the memory of 5394 Spr A. O’Neill, 1st Tunn. Coy. were sent to his Next-of-Kin on 27 January 1921 and received by his mother on 1 February 1921.
On 6 April 1921 Base Records wrote to Mrs A O’Neill at 13 Smith Street, Balmain inquiring whether there were any nearer blood relations to Alfred than herself so that war medals &c. could be properly disposed of. She advised that Alfred’s father, James O’Neill, was still alive and living at Riverview Street, Ryde, Sydney.
The pamphlet “Where The Australians Rest” was issued to his father on 4 May 1921.
The Memorial Scroll and King’s Message was received his father on 24 August 1921.
Alfred’s British War Medal was issued to his father in April 1922.
His father being unable to attend in person, the Memorial Plaque was signed for by Alfred’s brother, William O’Neill, on 15 November 1922.
Alfred’s Victory Medal was issued to father on 7 April 1923.
Alfred O’Neill is remembered at Panel 27 in the Commemorative Area at the Australian War Memorial.
© Donna Baldey 2017
Addendum
Name:O'Neill, Alfred.