SAPPER JAMES THOMPSON
397 – 1st Tunnelling Company
Golden Square, Bendigo, Victoria was the birthplace of James Thompson in 1887, the son of James and Mary Ann (nee Carson) Thompson. They also had a daughter Maud Elizabeth Thompson born in 1890. Their mother Mary Ann Thompson died in 1903 aged 44. Maud married Allan Murray Savige in 1915.
The exact location of where James applied to enlist for active service abroad is not recorded but Re-Attestation took place at Casula Camp near Liverpool, NSW on February 10, 1916, ten days before departure. As a result there is no physical description of him or whereabouts he was sworn in. Attestation Forms taken at Casula reveal he was a single, 28 year old miner and had been examined by the Corps Medical Officer. James would state later in a letter to his sister that he had been sick for 8 weeks and perhaps during this time his previous records were lost. Roman Catholic was given as his religion and his sister Mrs Maud Savige of State School, Mount Evelyn, Melbourne, Vic was nominated as his next-of-kin.
In preparation for departure he was assigned to the No 1 Company, Mining Corps in the rank of Sapper with the Regimental Number 397.
At a civic parade in the Domain, Sydney on Saturday February 19, 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’, and on the left rank upon rank, the Miners’ Battalion.
Sapper Thompson was a member of the Corps who boarded Ulysses in Sydney, NSW on February 20 and sailed for the European theatre. Arriving in Melbourne, Victoria on 22 February 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.
The following is a letter written to his sister Mrs Maude Savige during their Melbourne port of call:
The left hand page edge is worn away and there is a piece missing from the bottom of the letter.
On back of the letter this continues:
He wrote again on the voyage between Melbourne, Vic and Fremantle, W.A.:
Leaving Melbourne on 1 March, 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.
Finally departing Fremantle on April 1, Ulysses voyaged via Suez, Port Said and docked at 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.
His next letter was probably written the day before the Ulysses docked about 6 p.m. on April 22, 1916 just before travelling through the Suez Canal.
On April 25, 1916, the first Anniversary of Anzac Day, Sapper Thompson left Ulysses and was admitted to 17th General Hospital in Alexandria for treatment of a social disease. Meanwhile 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.
Soon after arrival in France, the Australian Mining Corps ceased to exist as a whole and was redesignated into three Tunnelling Companies which were dispersed where the British Armies required them immediately.
Meanwhile, on May 2, 1916 Sapper Thompson was transferred to the 1st Aust. Dermat Hospital at Abbassia for further treatment.
On June 8, 1916 he was discharged from hospital to Details Camp and remained until July 29 when he embarked for England with a Pioneer Battalion aboard the troopship Arcadian.
Arriving in England Sapper marched into No 2 Camp at Parkhouse on August 23, 1916 for further training for the front. He proceeded overseas to France on October 15 and marched into the Aust. General Base Depot four days later. By October 26 he was stationed at the Segregation Camp at Etaples where the following took place.
Crime:When on active service Drunkenness, when under arms.
Award:Released for period of segregation, to be disposed of by his O.C. 30/10/16
21 days F.P. [Field Punishment] No 2. by C.O.
The first page of his Christmas Greetings letter is missing therefore the actual date it was written is unknown but contains greetings to his sister for Christmas 1916. Second page continues:
On December 8, 1916 misconduct again was dealt with at the Segregation Camp:
Crime:While on A/S [Active service]
(1)breaking out of segregation camp contrary to standing orders
(2)out of bounds, contrary to E.A.O. circular memo 1863 23/4/16
Award:Forfeits 28 days pay under A.A.46 (3) b, by O.C. Camp.
Sapper marched out of the Camp to the A.G.B.D. on December 9 and three days later was attached to the 1st Anzac Entrenching Battalion until the end of the month. He was then attached for duty with the 1st Tunnelling Company and taken on strength on December 31, 1916 from their Reinforcements.
He wrote again in February, 1917 and his final two letters are reproduced here:
In March 1, 1917 Sapper Thompson was killed in action in the field. At that time the 1st Tunnelling Company Headquarters was located at Poperinghe, Belgium. The following is the extract from their Unit Diary for the day.
Mar 1. 7 am Noises distant only at 15 & 24 LPs. [Listening Posts] 1 man killed.
He was buried at Transport Farm referred to as Railway Dugouts Burial Ground, which was situated near Zillebeke, 1 mile S.S.W of Ypres, Belgium. A Report was given by Rev. J. Thom C.F. who was attached to 116th Infantry Brigade at the time.
This is a copy of the Telegram received by his sister Mrs Savige from Colonel Hawker announcing he had been killed in action.
The wording on the back of the Telegram reads:
On back continued
“& convey sympathy of King & Queen & Commonwealth & Wise R.P.
Colonel Hawker.”
Mrs Savige acknowledged their Wire on March 19, 1917 but noted that there were a few ‘irregularities’ in the Telegram, such as her brother was a Sapper and spelt his name Thompson. She requested (a) assurance that identification was certain; or (b) whether there maybe doubt of identity; adding if (a) was the case what steps should she take as to recover his personal effects.
Base Records regrettably replied on March 23, 1917 that the information communicated to her pertained to No 397 Sapper James Thompson of the Mining Corps. Any slight discrepancies they thought were the result of telegraphic mutilation during the transmission of the message. The Officer also stated if his personal effects were recovered they would be forwarded to Base Records for return to the registered next-of-kin and confirmed her address.
On August 20, 1917 the A.I.F. Kit Store compiled an inventory of the late Sapper Thompson’s effects which comprised of:
Identity disc, Badges, Tin Box.
These were consigned in a package by the ship Wiltshire to Base Records and then forwarded by Registered Mail (3601) from Melbourne Post Office to Mrs Savige and receipted on September 15, 1917.
In November, 1921 the A.I.F. Circular of the ‘Deceased Soldiers Estate Act 1918’ was sent to his sister, showing the list of eligible next-of-kin for disposal of War Medals. She replied that both parents were dead and they had no brothers – she was his only sister residing at State School, Dollar, Gippsland, Victoria.
Three photographic images of Sapper Thompson’s grave at Railway Dugouts Cemetery in plot 7, row J, grave 19 were sent and duly receipted by his sister, Maud Savige on December 9, 1921.
Receiving no further communication Mrs Savige wrote from State School, Dollar, via Stony Creek, South Gippsland on March 7, 1922 stating she had made two applications since 1917 for a Next-of-kin Badge. She would also like to apply for her brother’s British War Medal and any medals due to him.
Base Records forwarded on March 17, 1922 extracts from her letter to the D.F.O. 2nd Military District for favour of attention and reply to her direct. The Officer replied to her stating the Sapper Thompson’s British War Medal (32138) had been forwarded to Headquarters at Victoria Barracks, Melbourne who would arrange transmission to her. The Victory Medal and other items would follow when available. The Next-of-kin Badge and War Gratuity had been referred to Headquarters 2nd District Base and District Finance Officer in Sydney, NSW for attention and replies redirected to her.
On March 30, 1922 a letter was sent declaring again she was his only sister as their mother died in 1904. She stated it was now five years since her brother had died and she had not received medals or anything else except for balance of pay and personal effects. She had given her name and address and had been writing to the Department about once a week on these matters. If her claims could not be adjusted without further correspondence she would make complaint elsewhere.
Base Records replied on April 22, 1922 re-advising that the Medals had been passed to the Victorian Military authorities. However, the Officer had withdrawn them from that office and forwarded under separate registered post (1280) one British War Medal and one Victory Medal. Mrs Savige receipted and returned the consignment vouchers for the Medals on June 22, 1922. Another voucher for receipt of Medals along with the Memorial Scroll was signed on August 18, 1922 after a request from Base Records, as the original had been mislaid. She received the Memorial Plaque and King’s Message on August 19, 1922.
An application for the booklet ‘Graves of the Fallen’ was sent and dispatched to her on August, 26, 1922.
From her address at Rosedale, Mrs Savige returned an undated request for information for the official ‘Roll of Honour’. She also stated that she had already filled in a similar paper about three years ago.
His only surviving next-of-kin Mrs Maud E. Savige died on at Warrnambool, Victoria in 1978 aged 88 years.
For his supreme sacrifice, Sapper 397 James Thompson, 1st Tunnelling Company received the British War Medal (32138) and the Victory Medal (31915).
LEST WE FORGET
© Donna Baldey 2009
With assistance and copies of letters from Mrs R. Williams.