Sapper George Smart

SAPPER GEORGE SMART

1153 – 3rd Tunnelling Company

Aberdeen, Scotland was given as the birthplace of George Smart in 1874. George and his brother John came to Western Australia where in 1903 they were residing at Mt Malcolm, W.A. with George working as a clerk and John as a carpenter.

In 1906 George had moved to Cantonment Road, Fremantle and was employed as a lumper and by 1909 was a labourer residing at 10 Point Street, Fremantle.

He married in 1915 to Ruby Victoria Elferson (nee Garnett), the widow of Frank Elferson who died in 1912, and they had a daughter Doris. George and Ruby resided at 222 South Terrace, Fremantle.

At the recruiting depot in Perth (5th Military District) the forty-one year old labourer applied to enlist for active service abroad and passed the preliminary medical examination on October 18, 1915. Personal particulars taken show he was unmarried 169cms (5ft 6¼ins) tall with a chest measurement of 93cms (36½ins) and stated both parents were dead. Declared fit his application was accepted by the recruiting officer.

Attestation forms were completed which describe him further was weighing 55.9kgs (123lbs) with a chest expansion of 87-93cms (34-36½ins) and a fresh complexion with grey-blue eyes and brown hair. Presbyterian was his religion. Distinctive marks were four vaccination scars on his left arm, a scar on his left forearm and a mole on the right shoulder.

Next-of-kin initially was given as his brother John Smart of Mandurah, W.A. but later changed to his wife Mrs Ruby Smart of 222 South Terrace, Fremantle, W.A. He nominated three-fifths of his pay in support of her and child. He was sworn in the same day.

Basic training commenced on October 25, 1915 with the 23rd Depot Battalion until November 30.

Recruiting for the Miners’ Corps officially began on December 1st, 1915 therefore Private Smart 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. Smart was assigned the regimental number 1153 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. Sapper Smart was assigned to the No. 4 Section of the Company on May 12, 1916 and were attached for duty with the 254th Tunnelling Company, Royal Engineers.

The following extracts are from the Unit Diary of the 3rd Tunnelling Company for that period:

“No. 4 Section of No. 3 Company went from Hazebrouck to Bethune on 13/5/16 to the 251st Company R.E. for instruction.”

“May 14-25 All sections worked as allotted on 13/5/16, but No. 3 and No. 4 Sections were gradually

taken back to Le Drumez to relieve the 255th Company, R.E. completely.”

On May 18, 1916 Sapper was wounded in action receiving a gunshot wound to his left ankle and right knee and taken to the 133rd Field Ambulance. A transfer to the 32nd Casualty Clearing Station took place two days later. On May 22 was conveyed to the 11th Stationary Hospital in Rouen.

He left the 1st Aust General Hospital in Rouen on May 30 for England on the hospital ship St David and admitted to hospital (unnamed). On June 3 he was transferred to the 1st Aust Auxiliary Hospital at Harefield remaining until discharged on July 26 to the No. 1 Command Depot at Perham Downs.

Furlough was granted from September 4, 1916 and to report to the No. 1 Command Depot on September 30. He was classified with B1A debility and marched out to the No. 3 C.D. at Woolwich on October 13, 1916. On November 3, 1916 was relocated to the No. 4 C.D. at Wareham.

On New Year’s Day 1917 Sapper marched into the Drafting Depot at Perham Downs and eleven days later went to the Aust. Details camp until April 3, 1917. Three days later he returned to the No. 1 Command Depot. On April 21 left for the No. 2 Command Depot at Weymouth to await his voyage home. On May 20 he went to Plymouth to board the transport.

Sapper Smart returned to Australia for discharge, due to weakness in his left leg from the gunshot wound, on the H.T. Ayrshire on May 23, 1917. Base Records advised his wife on June 14, 1917 that he was returning home. The ship docked at Fremantle (5th M.D.) on July 9, 1917.

Military Discharge was issued in Perth (5th M.D.) on September 21, 1917 as wounded. He was issued with a Military Pension as follows to his address at 222 South Terrace, Fremantle:

Self 15shillings per fortnight from 22/9/17

Wife 7/6d per fortnight from 22/9/17

Doris – daughter 5shillings per fortnight from 22/9/17

In 1919 the following was reported from the Fremantle Police Court in the:

Sapper 1153 George Smart, 3rd Tunnelling Company was issued for serving his country the British War Medal (8226) and the Victory Medal (8191).

They continued to reside at the same address in Fremantle.

A tragic accident occurred while working in 1943 which was reported in the:

George succumbed to his injuries of fatality and news of his demise was announced in the:

George Smart died from his accident on May 21, 1943 aged 68 years. Family arrangements were published in the:

Burial took place in the Presbyterian Monumental portion of Fremantle Cemetery within section EE in gravesite no 366.

His widow placed the following notice of Thanks in the:

The proceedings of the Inquest into his death by the Acting Coroner in Fremantle Court House were reported in the:

A Statement of his Service was requested by the Perth Branch of the Repatriation Commission from Base Records and forwarded on July 20, 1943.

Mrs Ruby V. Smart died on August 24, 1946 aged 67 years and interred with her husband. A notice was placed in the: