SAPPER JOHN JACOB RAMM

7516 – Tunnelling Reinforcements

John Jacob Ramm stated he was born in Rockhampton, Queensland in 1877. He was registered as Jacob Ramm in 1867 the son of Daniel and Ann (nee Daniels) Ramm. His siblings were Lawson Daniel, Lettitia Catherine, Miriam and Millicent Ramm. In 1887 Lettitia married John Reid and in 1912 remarried Joseph Henry Bollman. Miriam became the wife of Ezra Thomas Shorley. In 1903 Jacob and his sister Millicent were in Chillagoe, Qld where he was a miner. In 1913 he was a miner at Friezland, near Cloncurry, Qld.

He had previously applied to enlist but was rejected in September 1916 due to varicose veins.

At the Recruiting Office in Emerald, Qld on June 1, 1917 he deleted a decade of birthdays when applying as a forty-year old miner for service abroad. Passing the preliminary medical examination, personal particulars taken show he was single, stood 191cms (6ft 3ins) tall and weighed 82.7kgs (182lbs) with a chest measurement of 99cms (39ins). Postal address was care of his brother-in-law E.T. Shorley, Talford Street, Rockhampton which he classed as his usual place of residence. His eye test showed good vision. A notation by the medical officer stated ‘varicose veins but really think had enough to reject scar over part right tibia.’ The recruiting officer accepted his application as fit for active service.

The following day at the Central Queensland Recruiting Depot in Rockhampton was declared ‘fit’ in his medical examination by the medic in Rockhampton. Attestation forms were completed adding further information of his complexion being fresh with blue eyes and brown hair. A distinctive mark was a scar on his right shin. Baptist was his religious denomination and next-of-kin was initially nominated as his Brother-in-law, Ezra Thomas Shorley of Talford Street, Rockhampton but later changed to his sister Lettia Bolman of 100 Bolsover Street, Rockhampton, Qld. He was sworn in the same day.

Acknowledgement to the volunteers was published in the Rockhampton Morning Bulletin Monday June 11, 1917:

On arrival at Enoggera Camp, Brisbane, Qld he was assigned to the Unallotted Group as a private then trained with the Pioneer Reinforcements until June 26, 1917. Home Leave was taken from July 1 to July 8, 1917 and returned to the Miners’ Depot (1st Military District) for further instruction concluding on July 17, 1917. Supplementary training took place at the Miners’ Training Camp at Seymour, Vic where he was allotted to train with ‘B Coy’ of Tunnellers’ Reinforcements from July 18 until August 5, 1917. In preparation for departure abroad he made a Will and a copy was sent to his sister and the other filed with Records Office. Assigned the regimental number 7516 in the rank of Sapper he joined the April 1917 Reinforcements to the Tunnelling Companies.

The April Reinforcements consisted of 168 members who embarked on the troopship HMAT A68 Anchises on August 8, 1917 from Sydney, NSW. Colds and influenza were prevalent at the commencement of the voyage. Crossing the Pacific Ocean the vessel arrived at Colon, Panama on September 2, 1917 departing six days later. Halifax, Nova Scotia was reached on the 18th and after three days in port departed on September 21, 1917. The final journey to England was completed after a 55 day voyage when they docked at Liverpool on October 2, 1917. The troops were detrained to Tidworth. The following day they arrived at No. 1 and 3 Details Camps at Parkhouse for further training for the front.

On November 14, 1917 the Reinforcements proceeded overseas from Southampton to France arriving at the Aust General Base Depot in Rouelles the next day. Four days later on November 20 he 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, would accustom the reinforcements to war conditions before being assigned to a company in the field.

About fourteen days later Sapper Ramm was admitted sick on December 4, 1917 to the 8th Field Ambulance with Diarrhoea and sent to the 2nd Aust Casualty Clearing Station the next day. On December 7 was conveyed on the Ambulance train to Boulogne and admitted to the 53rd General Hospital diagnosed with Diarrhoea.

On December 12, 1917 he was invalided to England on the hospital ship St Denis entering the following day to the Royal Herbert Hospital in Woolwich with Bronchitis. After eleven days was transferred to the 1st Aust Auxiliary Hospital at Harefield, Middlesex on December 21, 1917 where he remained for ten days including Christmas. A Kit Inspection took place at No. 1 A.A.H. on December 22.

While in the Auxiliary Hospital he appeared before a medical board on December 29, 1917 and his Statement of Case is as follows:

Age last birthday:48 years

Disability:Overage and Emphysema

Date of disability:Three years ago

Place of disability:Australia

Essential facts:Patient had a cold before he left England and had it all the time he was in France—became worse at the beginning of December, headaches and general shooting pains—pains in shins plus diarrhoea.

Cause of disability:Overage

Present condition:Has a good deal of night cough and has wheezy breathing, has slight expectoration. Suffers from pains in left knee, but no swelling in the joint.

Heart sounds clear regular & good tone. A.B. normal. Lungs hyper resonant on percussion – emphysematous patient is a little short of breath.

Disability:Not due to injury

Aggravated by:Active Service.

Finding:Disability Class: CII

Recommendation:Permanently unfit for General Service and Temporarily unfit for Home Service. 17/1/1918. Littlemoor camp.

On December 31 he was discharged to furlough and to report to the No. 2 Command Depot at Weymouth on January 14, 1918. At Littlemoor Camp another Kit Inspection occurred on arrival from hospital. On January 18 he was issued with the following items on discharge from hospital following overseas service.

Brushes: hair, shaving, tooth, comb, drawers, fork, knife & spoon, holdall, housewife, razor & case, flannel shirt, singlet, woollen socks, towels, boot laces, sea kit bag, comforter cap and identity disc with cord.

Prior to embarkation another Kit Inspection took place at Verne camp on January 29 and these items were withdrawn:

Fork, knife & spoon.

Sapper Ramm boarded the H.T. Argyllshire on January 31, 1918 and the vessel left Plymouth on February 1, 1918 to return home for discharge due to overage and emphysema. His berth during the voyage was a hammock and was transhipped to the H.T. Osterley in Capetown on March 25, 1918. His sister was advised on April 4, 1918 that he was on his way home to Australia. The ship arrived in Sydney, NSW (2nd M.D.) on April 15, 1918 and Sapper departed for Brisbane (1st M.D.) soon after.

He entered the 6th Aust General Hospital at Kangaroo Point, Brisbane on April 16, 1918 for treatment of Bronchitis and Defective Vision. On May 4, had an appointment with Dr J. Lockhart Gibson, an Eye, Ear, Throat & Nose specialist, who prescribed spectacles for main work. He was discharged from hospital on May 10, 1918 due to overage. Medical board findings were overage and chronic bronchitis and recommended discharge. His incapacity was classed at one quarter percent (¼%) to be discharged on a pension.

Military discharge due to Overage was issued in Brisbane (1st M.D.) on May 23, 1918.

For his service abroad Sapper 7516 John Jacob Ramm, Tunnelling Reinforcements received the British War Medal (31312) and the Victory Medal (29592).

© Donna Baldey 2010