SAPPER GEORGE ARCHIBALD VIDACOVICH
1292 – 3rd Tunnelling Company
George Archibald Vidacovich was born in Avenel, Victoria in 1890 the son of Spiro and Ellen (nee Luceingvich. The family moved to Western Australia and in 1914 he was working as at a dairy when the following occurred and reported in the:
At the recruiting depot in the Goldfields Senior Cadets Hall, Kalgoorlie on December 14, 1915 twenty-five year old single dairy hand applied to enlist for active service abroad and passed the preliminary medical examination. Personal particulars taken show his postal address to be care of D. McMahon, Dairyman, Somerville and was 178cms (5ft 10ins) tall with a chest expansion of 85-94cms (33½-37ins) and his eyes passed the eye test with fair vision in his blue eyes. Declared fit his application was accepted by the recruiting officer on December 17.
Forms of Attestation were completed which describe him further having a dark complexion with blue eyes and black hair. Next-of-kin nominated was his father Spiro Vidacovich care of G. Cronk, Boulder City, W.A. He was sworn in at Blackboy Hill camp, near Perth on January 19, 1916.
Acknowledgement to the departing volunteers was published in the:
On January 19, 1916 he was allotted to the 45th Depot Battalion in the rank of Private until March 1 when he was placed on standby at Helena Vale camp with the Miners’ Depot.
Meanwhile at Liverpool camp, near Sydney, New South Wales members of the Mining Corps had been established and completed training.
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 including Sapper Vidacovich were taken on board. His rank was Sapper with the regimental number 1292 and was taken on strength the following day.
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 May 23, 1916 Sapper was admitted to the 3rd Aust Field Ambulance with bronchial catarrh and diarrhoea and transferred to the 1st Field Ambulance Divisional Rest Station the next day then returned to duty on May 31, 1916. He again went sick to hospital on June 18 with glycosuria (glucose in urine)and ten days later sent to the 23rd General Hospital in Etaples with suspected tuberculosis of his lung. On July 6 he was evacuated to England on the hospital ship Brighton from Boulogne with chronical bronchitis being admitted to the 1st Aust Auxiliary at Harefield in Middlesex on July 29, 1916. On August 11, 1916 was discharged to the No. 1 Command Depot at Perham Downs.
After his return from furlough on August 25, 1916 he appeared before the Medical Board and given ‘A’ Class fit.’ On September 1 was transferred to the 1st Aust Dermatological Hospital at Bulford for treatment of a social disease and returned to the No. 7 Details Camp on September 29. On October 13 he was to be taken on strength at No. 3 Camp, Parkhouse but was readmitted to Bulford hospital for further curative care lasting forty-one days and returned on November 27, 1916.
Sapper proceeded overseas to France from the Tunnelling Reinforcement camp at Perham Downs on New Year’s Day 1917 leaving Folkstone and marched in to the Aust General Base Depot. On January 15 was attached to the 1st Anzac Entrenching Battalion 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.
On February 18, 1917 he marched out to the 3rd Tunnelling Company in the field rejoining on February 23.
He was issued on March 30, 1917 with two Blue Chevrons to wear on his uniform for serving twelve months abroad.
Sapper was wounded in action on August 12, 1917 by shell gas and admitted to the 53rd Casualty Clearing Station then transferred on Ambulance Train no.12 for the 22nd General Hospital in Camiers the following day.
The Unit Diary for the 3rd Tunnelling Company recorded the following
“13/8/17 Work in Progress: Detachment Pumping and Listening at REDLAMP, FAUQUISSART etc.
Section at work tunnelling from Huns and excavating GUNPITS at FOSSE 7 (CHARING X)
2/Cpl and 18 O.R. reported shell gassed on 11/8/17.
7 O.R. detailed to attend 1st Army Mine School. Church Parade.”
Sapper was moved on August 17 to the No. 6 Convalescent Depot in Etaples then two days later transferred to the Base Depot in Rouelles and marched out for his unit on August 25. He rejoined his unit on August 30.
Base Records advised his father by Telegram on August 20, 1917 that his son was suffering the effects of gas poisoning and would advise anything further received.
During the night of September 4-5, 1917 Sapper was wounded in action for the second occasion by gas poisoning and taken to the 16th Field Ambulance and rejoined his unit on September 6.
The Unit Diary recorded this entry for the incident:
“On 5.9.17 the following were gassed at Nizam Trench, Hill 70: -
1046 Sgt Jamieson, W.G.998 Spr Fisher, H.991 Spr Eddison, J.J.
2409 Spr Springfield, C.E. 1129 “ Porter, H. 1281 “ Hoy, H.
4360 “ Howe, C. 4458 “ Richards, W. 1314 “ Fowler, A.G.
1101 “ McIndoe, S.W. 5009 “ McKiernan, W. 6813 “ Edwards, A.E.
1297 “ Tester, A.P.M. 1292 “ Vidacovich, G.A. 6776 “ Warren, L.A.
4315 “ Duffy, J. 5793 “ McLean, W.”
His father received a Telegram from Base Records dated September 13, 1917 advising that his son was gassed for the second occasion.
His name was published in the Casualty List appearing in the:
On December 4, 1917 Sapper was injured accidentally suffering a sprained ankle and sent to the 35th Field Ambulance and two days later was transferred to the 33rd F.A. rejoining his unit from hospital on December 12.
Comfort gifts were supplied by the Goldfields Ladies Committee and a letter of Thanks was returned signed by all recipients. This was reprinted in the:
Disciplinary action was taken for the following:
Crime:21/4/18 Drunkenness
Award:Fined 10 shillings by C.O. 3rd Tun Coy
27/8/18Crime:W.O.A.S. [while on active service] Conduct to prejudice of good order
and military discipline, in that he, in the field on Aug. 25, 1918 was
gambling contrary to K.R. Para 459 (2) In possession of a crown & anchor
sheet contrary to Coy’s standing order S.O. No.12.
Award:28 day’s F.P. No. 1 [Field Punishment] by C.O. 3 Tun Coy
Leave was granted from France on October 24, 1918 and while away Peace was declared and he returned on November 15, 1918.
He went to the 136th Field Ambulance on December 28, 1918 with scabies (a skin irritation caused by Itch Mite whose eggs are laid under the skin’s outer layer) and returned to his unit on January 3, 1919.
Orders were received on February 6, 1919 to prepare for demobilisation and return to the Base Depot but Sapper became ill with influenza and sent to the 2nd General Hospital in Havre on February 9. Was discharged to the Aust General Base Depot on February 21 and they marched out for return to England on February 26 crossing the English Channel and arrived at the 2nd Training Brigade camp in Codford the next day. On March 1 left for the Reserve Brigade Aust Artillery camp at Heytesbury remaining until March 19 then returned to the Reserve Brigade Artillery camp.
Sapper Vidacovich embarked for Australia on board the H.T. Sardinia from Devonport, England on April 19, 1919. His name was listed among the soldiers returning home in the:
Base Records advised his next-of-kin on May 9, 1919 that he was on his way home. The ship docked at Fremantle (5th Military District) on May 28, 1919. News of their arrival was published in:
Military Discharge was issued in Perth (5th M.D.) on July 12, 1919 on termination of his period of enlistment.
For serving his country Sapper 1292 George Archibald Vidacovich, 3rd Tunnelling Company was issued with the British War Medal (8254) and the Victory Medal (8219).
In 1925 he was living at 71 Lindsay Street, North Perth working as a labourer.
He married in 1927 to Elizabeth Logan Anderson with their marriage registered in Perth and their residence became 10 Leane Street, South Perth and he continued as a labourer.
The Perth Branch of the Repatriation Commission requested a Statement of his Service from Base Records which was forwarded on April 24, 1928.
He appeared before the Police Court with the following reported in the:
In the Kalgoorlie Warden’s Court the following was reported in the:
Due to monies owing on property his name was listed when action was about to be taken in the:
George Archibald Vidacovich, late of South Perth, passed away on October 16, 1963 aged 73 years. Cremation took place at Karrakatta Crematorium and his ashes were taken by the War Graves Commission at the cemetery.
Mrs Elizabeth Vidacovich died on August 22, 1983 aged 94 years and interred in the family grave in the Anglican portion of Karrakatta Cemetery within Lawn Section 2 in gravesite no. 143.
His name is commemorated in the Perth War Cemetery, Nedlands in the Garden of Remembrance on Wall 2 in Row F.
© Donna Baldey 2016