SAPPER JOHN LING
5771 – 3rd Tunnelling Company
John ‘Jack’ Ling was born in 1881 at Ellalong, New South Wales the son of Jacob and Elizabeth (nee Jarrett) Ling with his birth registered at Wollombi, NSW.
He applied for a Crown Land lease in Ellalong and the application notice appeared in the:
At the recruiting depot at West Maitland, NSW on May 9, 1916 the thirty-four year old labourer applied to enlist for active service abroad and passed the medical examination. Particulars taken show his postal address was care of the Post Office, Congewai and was single. Declared fit his application was accepted by the recruiting officer at Cessnock. The following day Attestation Forms were completed and describe him further as weighing 65.4kgs (144lbs) with a fair complexion, blue eyes and fair hair. Church of England was given as his religious faith. Next-of-kin nominated was his father Jacob Ling of Congewai via Cessnock, NSW and later changed to his mother Elizabeth Ling at the same address. He signed and took the ‘Oath of Allegiance’ the same day.
Basic training commenced as a Private until May 29, 1916 when he was allotted to ‘D Coy’ Newcastle Depot Battalion. Selected to go for further training with the Reinforcements to the Mining Corps at their training camp at Seymour, Victoria he arrived there on July 5, 1916. He was allotted to the November, 1916 Reinforcements with the regimental number 5771 in the rank of Sapper.
The 516 Reinforcements departed Melbourne, Victoria on October 25, 1916 at 1.30pm aboard the transport HMAT A38 Ulysses. The Australian coastline disappeared from view on October 30, 1916 with the port of Durban reached at 11.30am on November 13, 1916. Windy weather was experienced going around the Cape and arrived at Cape Town at 7am on November 19. Sierra Leone was the next port of call but their departure was delayed until December 14, 1916 as it was not safe to proceed further. Arrived at Plymouth, England on December 28, 1916 after 65 days at sea, with the troops disembarking at 1.30pm and detrained to the station at Tidworth. They marched in for further training for the front to the Aust Details camp at Perham Downs the following day.
After training the Reinforcement proceeded to France from Folkstone on board S.S. Onward on January 27, 1917 arriving at the Aust General Base Depot a day later. Sapper Ling was taken on strength with the 3rd Tunnelling Company in the field from February 6, 1917.
The Company’s Unit Diary stated the following during February, 1917:
“The mining work began in February with water troubles. The pumps working 18 hours in 24 held the water to a level of 99.00 feet above ordinance datum. (R.L.99)
“On 6/2/17 2/Lt Trebilcock reported with a draft of 95 O.R. as reinforcements.
“During February the Company drove 2287 feet 6’ x 3’ mining galleries in hard chalk averaging 82 feet per day.
“Several charges approximating 21,000 lbs ammonal were laid and tamped, ready for firing.”
After only eighteen days in the field he was taken sick on February 24, 1917 to the 50th Field Ambulance and diagnosed with Laryngitis leaving two days later for West Riding Casualty Clearing Station. He was conveyed on Ambulance Train 17 for treatment at the 11th General Hospital at Camiers on February 28.
On March 23, 1917 he was invalided to England from Calais on the hospital ship H.S. Brighton and admitted the following day to the Northampton War Hospital with Laryngitis. He was discharged on July 19 to the 1st Aust Auxiliary Hospital in Harefield. The remarks on his case read:
February 1917France General Debility
Invalided from France February, 1917 which had been occurring for about one month. He gradually lost his voice in which he attributes to gas-shell Attacks about once a week. He did not lose consciousness but had to go to bed for two days as a result – no headache.
19/7/17 Heart sounds clear. AB in 5th space in nipple line
2/8/17 Heart beat is more with in nipple line. Heart R. Apex poor with bronchial breathing VR7. Larynx can only speak in a whisper. Vocal cords do not quite approximate during phonation and there is some inflammation in surrounding tissue.
He appeared before the medical board there and his statement of case reads:
Disability:General Debility Stamped Tubercular
Place of disability:France
Date of disability:February, 1917
Essential facts:As per above case remarks
Present condition:As per above remarks
Disability caused by:Active service
Debility for work:Total
Duration:6 months
Finding:75% unfit for General Service for more than 6 months
75% for Home Service
Approved:14/8/17
After twenty days he was discharged on August 8, 1917 and to report to the No.2 Command Depot at Weymouth.
On August 12, 1917 he was medically assessed at the depot by Colonel Maudsley and his brief report stated:
Gassed 6/12 ago, Aphonia, Fibrosis, Emphysema, Neurosis
Permanently unfit for general service & home service in England
Sapper Ling embarked from Devonport on August 27, 1917 on board the New Zealand H.T. No.82 Pakeha. Medical notes during the voyage were:
General improvement on voyage; Laryngitis has not improved; has cough; no ? on
Voyage
Base Records advised his parents on September 12, 1917 that he was returning home. The ship docked in Melbourne (3rd Military District) on October 24, 1917 then transferred to Sydney (2nd M.D.)
He entered No. 4 Aust General Hospital at Randwick with general debility on November 6 and remained under treatment until he appeared before the medical board on November 28 for discharge review. His details were:
6/11/17 Gassed last February. Has Aphonia and also vascular emphysema in chest on back. Received treatment
12/11/17 Cords approximate poorly, view is largely hidden by epiglottis. Cords functional.
26/11/17 Aphonia still present, feels otherwise well. Notes: discharge.
Permanent debility, ¼ incapacity, improving
Discharge on a pension was recommended that day and confirmed on November 30, 1917. Military Discharge was issued in Sydney (2nd M.D.) on December 13, 1917.
The following day he was granted a pension of fifteen shillings per fortnight to be collected at Ellalong.
For serving his country Sapper 5771 John Ling, 3rd Tunnelling Company was issued with the British War Medal (61904) and the Victory Medal (59891).
He married Marjorie McLennan at St Thomas, Ellalong, on 21 December 1917, their union registered at Wollombi, NSW in 1918.
Marjorie (Marjory / Mary Jane) was born in Northampton, England, the daughter of John Kenneth and Susannah Maria (nee Paxton) McLennan.
While employed with the Cessnock Shire Council the following appeared newspaper a year later:
A son, Claude, was born in November 1924.
Claude Ling sadly died on 25 July 1925.
In 1930 their residence was at Mount View Road, Cessnock and he worked as a labourer for the Cessnock Shire Council.
He was a witness to an explosive fire which was reported in:
He signed a Statutory Declaration on June 26, 1936 in which he declared he had lost his Defence Discharge papers and requested a duplicate copy. This was forwarded to Base Records on his behalf by the R.S.S.A.I.L.A. Cessnock Sub-branch on August 11, 1936. A Statement of his Service was forwarded to him on August 17, 1936.
His name was among hospital patients who were listed in:
His son, Percy Ling wrote to Base Records on April 19, 1962 from 40 Coronation Street, Kurri Kurri inquiring about replacement ribbons for his father’s Great War service medals as they were in shreds and he would like to polish up his medals for him as he was now 80 years old and stopping with him. Base Records replied on May 8, 1962 advising that replacement of ribbons was not a function of their Office and must be purchased from a retailer authorised under the Defence Act. The writer listed two authorised suppliers from whom ribbons could be supplied. They also attached a memo of authority for entitlement to the awards named therein.
A yellowing newspaper clipping is held by Elizabeth and Paul Jenkins. The date and name of the newspaper is not known, although it apparently appeared in during Jack’s 85th year (1966):
John and Marjorie Ling lived at their 17 Mount View Road address throughout their lives. Marjorie did not appear on the Electoral Rolls after 1958.
Mary Jane Ling, daughter of John Kennedy and Susan, died in 1960.
John ‘Jack’ Ling passed away on August 18, 1967 aged 86 years.
Their son Percy (born 22/1/1923 at Cessnock) served during World War II enlisting at Gympie, Qld on July 10, 1942 with the Australian Army. Next-of-kin nominated was John Ling. Percy served with the 2/16 Infantry Battalion as a Private with the service no. NX124011 (N8233) and received his discharge on June 13, 1946.
Additional information supplied by E & P Jenkins:
Jack was a keen runner and boxer in which he could have turned professional therefore his son’s enjoyed sport. Mary Jane's brother, Robert Duncan McLennan [WW11 AIF NX92836] also lived at Cessnock. He married there in 1924. He and his wife Lavie had the most contact with Mary Jane and Jack Ling. Mary Jane Ling had another brother, Percy Edward McLennan (born 10/5/1904 at Leichardt, Sydney) who also served during World War II (NX27186 AIF) and lived at Umina Beach on the central coast of NSW.
See also on this site Jack Ling’s brother-in-law – John Kenneth McLENNAN.
Jacks brother also served in WW1:
PRIVALE HAROLD BLISS LING
775 – 4th Infantry Battalion
Enlisted on 29 August 1914.
The 4th Battalion landed at Gallipoli on 25 April 1915, the first tow boat leaving the transport Lake Michigan at 6.45 AM.
On 23 July 1915 it was recorded that Harold was buried at Shrapnel Gully Cemetery, Plot A, Row 3, Grave 3, about 400 yards S.E. of Anzac Cove, Gallipoli.
Harold Bliss Ling's name is located at panel 41 in the Commemorative Area at the Australian War Memorial.
© Donna Baldey 2014
with assistance from relatives Elizabeth & Paul Jenkins
& the assistance of Neville Ling, son of 5771 Spr John ‘Jack’ Ling