Sapper James Edward Devine

DEVINE BROTHERS

SAPPER JAMES EDWARD DEVINE

4868 - 1st Tunnelling Company

Born in Brunswick, Melbourne, Victoria on 22 August 1892, James was 23 and 7 months of age when he signed the ‘Attestation Paper of Persons Enlisted for Service Abroad’ and the Oath to ‘well and truly serve’ on 16 February 1917 at Brisbane, Queensland.

A Shearer by trade, James was 5ft 10½ins tall and weighed 161 lbs. He had a fresh complexion, blue eyes and brown hair. His stated religion was Roman Catholic. He named as his Next-of-Kin his mother Mrs Theresa Devine of Lamrock Avenue, Bondi, New South Wales

James was with the 11th Depot Battalion until transferred to No.4 Company, Tunnelling Corps on 1 April 1916 and promoted to Acting Corporal. He reverted to Sapper Rank on 9 May. James was officially appointed to the 1st Reinforcements, 4th Tunnelling Company at Rosebery Park, New South Wales on 17 May 1916 and embarked on Warilda. The Embarkation Roll records his address as Fitzgerald Street, North Perth, Western Australia.

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.

Sydney Morning Herald Monday May 22, 1916

THE TROOPS

INSPECTION AT MOORE PARK

“In the presence of a crowd of 10,000 people the District Commandant, Brigadier-General Ramaciotti, V.D., held an inspection of troops at Moore Park, on Saturday afternoon. The troops consisted of Field Artillery, Tunnelling Section (including Queenslanders), under Major Vincent; Infantry, under Lieutenant Owen Gibbs, under Captain Brosnan, the whole parade being under the command of Major Holman, D.S.O.

Prior to arrival of the commandant and his staff, the men were drawn up in columns of companies on the Dowling-street side of the ground, facing the tramline. The bands of Liverpool Headquarters and the Engineers played selections of music.

Brigadier-General Ramaciotti, V.D. made a close inspection of the lines. Returning to the saluting base the Commandant took the salute as the various units marched past in columns of companies, and again as they returned headed by the band in columns of fours.

One company had with it a small kangaroo as a mascot. The animal was held on a ribbon, but when it drew level with the saluting base it bobbed up and down as if anxious to do its share in the saluting lines as its male friends were doing. Its antics were so ludicrous that the crowd roared.

At the conclusion of the inspection the men were marched across to the Royal Agricultural Ground, where they were provided with temporary quarters.” [Abridged]

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 W.A. 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.

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.

While at Perham Downs, James went Absent Without Leave (AWL) from 4 to 5 August and was sentenced to 168 hours detention and forfeiture of 9 days pay by the O.C. 4th Tunnelling Company.

He proceeded overseas to France on 29 August 1916 and marched in to the Australian Divisional Base Depot. On 30 September he was taken on strength of the 1st Aust Tunnelling Company.

James reported sick on 27 November 1916 and was admitted to the 2nd Canadian Casualty Clearing Station suffering PUO (pyrexia of unknown origin) on 5 December. On 7 December he was transferred by Ambulance Train 4 to the 8th Stationary Hospital. After being discharged from hospital, he spent a day at the Rest Camp at Boulogne before he marched in to the Australian General Base Depot at Etaples on 15 December.

James was transferred to No.2 Command Depot, Weymouth, England for Permanent Base Duty on 13 February 1917.

He was admitted to the Isolation Hospital on 17 February 1917 and was transferred to the Verne Isolation Hospital at Portland on 19 February until he was discharged on 24 February, marching in to No.2 Command Depot, Weymouth on the same day.

In London on 26 June 1917 he was awarded 7 days Confined to Barracks (CB) and the forfeiture of 14 days pay for being AWL from 3 pm on 7 June until apprehended at 9.30 pm on 20 June 1917.

He marched in to No.1 Command Depot at Perham Downs on 9 July 1917.

On 12 August 1917, James married not quite 17 year-old Matilda Twiss at the Sacred Heart Church, Camberwell.

James was again AWL from Noon on 18 August until 4 pm on 21 August 1917.

He was admitted to the 1st Australian Dermatological Hospital at Bulford 22 August 1917. He escaped from the Hospital 6 September, but was re-admitted on 7 September where he remained until discharged to the No.1 Command Depot, Perham Downs, on 21 September 1917.

On 24 September 1917, after 17 days in custody awaiting trial, James was found guilty of the two charges of being AWL and sentenced to 3 days Field Punishment No.2 and forfeiture of 26 days pay.

On 26 September 1917 he was transferred to the Anzac Provost Corps, Tidworth from the 4th Tunnelling Company. On 2 January 1918 he marched out to the Anzac Provost Corps, London, returning to the Tidworth Provost Company on 15 January.

On 7 February 1918 James went AWL from 9.31 am until apprehended at 7.15 am on 9 February. On 11 February he was sentenced to 168 hours detention, having been in custody awaiting trial for 2 days. He also forfeited 12 days pay.

James was transferred from the Anzac Provost Corps overseas to the 1st Tunnelling Company on 16 February 1918. On the same day he was admitted to the 1st Australian Dermatological Hospital at Bulford. Discharged to duty on 3 April 1918, he was re-admitted to hospital the same day.

On 12 April 1918 he was found guilty of being absent without leave from 2400 hours 10 April to 1200 hours 11 April and forfeited one days pay.

He marched out to the Training Depot at Parkhouse on 17 April.

At Parkhouse, he was found to be absent from the Training Depot from the 1-30 pm muster parade on 6 May, he was sentenced to 3 days Field Punishment No.2.

On 3 June he was declared an illegal absentee, having been absent without leave since 9 May. He was apprehended on 5 August and pleaded guilty to being AWL at a District Court Martial held on 20 August 1918. He was sentenced to 120 days detention and forfeiture of 220 days pay.

James was admitted to Lewes Detention Barracks on 28 August. Discharged from the Lewes Detention Barracks on 11 November 1918, he was to report to the Overseas Training Brigade at Longbridge Deverill.

At Longbridge Deverill at 0900 o’clock on 13 November 1918 James absented himself without leave from the Overseas Training Brigade. He surrendered himself into custody at London at 2220 o’clock on 11 July 1919. At a District Court Martial held at Sutton Veny on 4 August 1919, he pleaded guilty, was found guilty and sentenced to 9 months detention. The unexpired portion of the above sentence was remitted as from 8 September.

James was discharged from the Lewes Detention Barracks on 7 September and left London on 8 September 1919 on board Raranga for demobilisation. On the voyage home, James again went AWL at Durban, South Africa, from 2200hours 3 October to 2359 hours 6 October. He was awarded 14 days forfeiture of pay.

Arriving in Sydney, Australia on 29 October, James Edward Devine was discharged from the A.I.F. on 30 November 1919. In March 1931, his military documents were forwarded to the Department of Repatriation, Sydney.

In June 1935, James wrote to Base Records from his address at 26 Ruthven Street, Waverly, applying for a copy of his military discharge, stating it had been lost in his travels and would help him in securing employment. He also requested his service medals, which he received by Registered Post on 6 July 1935.

James Devine and his wife Matilda are probably more notoriously known as ‘Big Jim’ Devine and Tilly Devine of the Woolloomooloo area of Sydney in the 1920s and 30s. Their exploits are well recorded in newspapers of the period.

Tilly filed for divorce from her husband Jim in 1942 after years of physical abuse. Their opposite personalities and hedonistic lifestyle finally took a toll on their relationship. Tilly went on to marry seaman Eric Parsons in 1945. James Edward Devine returned to Melbourne and died at Heidelberg, Melbourne in 1966, aged 73.

Matilda Mary Parsons died 24 November 1970.

From the BDMs we know James Edward Devine had at least 2 brothers; Frank William, also a Tunneller [profiled below], and Sydney Vincent.

From newspaper articles we know that when Sydney Vincent was in a bit of trouble he threatened to get

his brother 'Big Jim' to handle it.

A detailed article on his service titled “Sapper 4868 James Edward Devine, 4th & 1stAustralian Tunnelling Companies” by Daryl Barker, Wasleys, is featured in the Magazine of the Families and Friends of the First AIF Inc. of March 2012 – ‘Digger’ No. 38.

See -

The images on the following page have been taken from and are

SAPPER FRANK WILLIAM DEVINE

4867 - 1st Tunnelling Company

Born in Sale, Victoria in 22 August 1892, Frank was 22 and 8 months of age when he signed the ‘Attestation Paper of Persons Enlisted for Service Abroad’ and the Oath to ‘well and truly serve’ on 16 February 1917 at Brisbane, Queensland.

A Shearer by trade, James was 5ft 7ins tall and weighed 142 lbs. He had a dark complexion, brown eyes and brown hair. His stated religion was Roman Catholic. He named as his Next-of-Kin his mother Mrs Theresa Devine of Lamrock Avenue, Bondi, New South Wales

Franks’ early service mirrored that of his brother James up to 30 September 1916 when the brothers were taken on strength of the 1st Tunnelling Company.

He reported sick on 17 December 1916 and was admitted to the 6th London Field Ambulance with pyrexia, rejoining his unit and returning to duty on 23 December 1916.

He again reported sick on 30 December 1916 and was admitted to the 2nd Canadian Casualty Clearing Station with pyrexia. Ambulance Train 18 transferred him on 7 January 1917 to the 2nd Canadian Stationary Hospital. On 28 January he was transferred to the 7th Convalescent Depot at Boulogne to recover from Trench Fever.

He was discharged to the Australian General Base Depot (AGBD) at Etaples on 8 February. On 3 March he was admitted to 26th General Hospital, NYD (not yet diagnosed). On 8 March he was transferred to Convalescent Depot at Boulogne.

He returned to the AGBD on 29 April and on 18 April was transferred to England for Permanent Base Duties. Frank marched in to the No.2 Command Depot, Weymouth on 19 May and was transferred to the No.1 Command Depot at Perham Downs on 9 July. He marched out to the Overseas Training Depot at Longbridge Deverill on 17 July.

Frank went AWL from midnight 2 October until he surrendered at 10.25 pm on 15 October. He was admonished and forfeited 4 days pay.

He reported sick to the Brigade Hospital on 17 October, being discharged on 19 January 1918 to No.2 Command Depot at Sutton Veny.

He left London on 10 March 1918 on board Durham Castle for demobilisation, arriving in Australia on 12 May 1918. He was discharged from the A.I.F. in Sydney on 4 October 1918.

In November 1935 his medical documents were forwarded to the Repatriation Commission, Sydney.