Sapper John Passmore

SAPPER JOHN PASSMORE

228 – 1st Tunnelling Company

Mount Morgan was the birthplace of John Passmore on May 30, 1892, the son of John and Julia (nee Crieg) Passmore. At twenty-three years of age he decided to enlist following a recruiting drive in the district.

At the Rockhampton Recruiting Depot on October 25, 1915 the single Farm Labourer passed the medical examination. A few days later on November 1, 1915 he returned to complete Forms of Attestation. These reveal he was 170cms (5ft 7ins) tall and weighed 60kg (132lbs) with a chest measurement of 87cms (34ins). His complexion was dark with brown eyes and dark brown hair. Methodist was his religion. He nominated his mother Mrs Julia Passmore of The Caves, North Coast Line as next-of-kin. When completed he signed the ‘Oath of Allegiance’.

He was sent to the Miners’ Training Camp at Casula, near Liverpool, NSW for basic training and assigned to the No 1 Company with the regimental number 228 in the rank of Sapper.

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 Passmore was one of 1,248 members of the Corps who 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’.

On October 7, 1916 Sapper Passmore was admitted to the 12th Field Ambulance suffering from a Social Disease. He was transferred to the 2nd Casualty Clearing Station then conveyed on A.T. 25 to the 1st Conv. Depot at Boulogne. On October 10 he was taken to the 18th General Hospital then sent to the 51st General Hospital on November 23, 1916. He was absent from duty for 78 days.

He was discharged to Base on December 23, 1916 and marched in to the Aust. General Base Depot at Etaples. On Christmas Eve, 1916 he was attached to the 1st Tunnelling Company.

Three days later on December 26 he returned to the 51st General Hospital and remained under treatment for a further 57 days for a Social Disease. He arrived back at the A.G.D.B. on February 20 and joined his unit on March 2, 1917.

Sapper Passmore was wounded in action on October 20, 1917 and taken to the 1st Aust Divisional Rest Station and admitted with contusion to left arm. He returned to Reinforcements Camp on November 4, 1917 and rejoined his unit.

Base Records advised his mother with the following Telegram:

On December 3, 1917 Mrs J. Passmore wrote to Base Records saying she received their wire a month ago telling her that her son had been wounded. Since then she had no further information and would be obliged to hear anything further as they were anxious about it.

Base Records on December 10, 1917 replied that since the cable message intimating the wounding of her son, nothing further had come to hand. His wound was not stated to be serious and in the absence of further reports favourable progress can be assumed. Authorities notify this Department of any material change in condition. Any later cabled reports will be promptly transmitted. His address to contact him was given.

Central Queensland soldiers on the Front were in contact with Mrs H.G. Wheeler working in London co-ordinating the Central Queensland Comfort Fund and each week sent report-letters naming those men she had been in contact with during the week. These were published in the Rockhampton newspapers to give relatives reliable news of their men abroad. Her address was care of the Agent-General, Queensland Office, London.

The following are extracts from her letters home published about six weeks after mailing in the Rockhampton Morning Bulletin in which she imparts news of Sapper Passmore:

No further incidents occurred and he was still with his unit when audited on July 17, 1918.

On October 17, 1918 he was granted leave to England and returned the day after Armistice was declared.

After Peace was confirmed Tunnelling Companies remained on the Front as part of the Army of Occupation assisting with rehabilitation work in repairing roads and bridges. On February 12, 1919 his unit was recalled to the A.G.B.D. to prepare for return to England. They left France and crossed the English Channel on February 24 arriving at No 3 Camp, Parkhouse the next day.

A Kit Inventory was taken while at Parkhouse on February 27, 1919 and for the deficiencies he received:

Hat Badge, Singlets, Towel, 2 Collar Badges, and 2 Australia Titles.

His unserviceable items were returned and replaced:

Boots, Khaki Hat, Woollen Breeches and Jacket.

He also appeared before the Final Medical Board before Embarkation on February 27 in which he agreed with the Board he had no disability.

On March 20, 1919 he marched out to the R.B.A.A. Camp at Heytesbury.

Further information was printed in the Rockhampton newspaper from Mrs Wheeler:

While at R.B.A.A. Camp another Kit Inspection took place and he was issued before departure with:

1 Housewife and Khaki Drill.

The H.T. Boonah departed London on April 20, 1919 with Sapper Passmore on board. The passengers were transhipped probably at the Suez to the Sardinia which brought them home to Australia. His mother was advised on May 22, 1919 that her son was due home shortly.

News in the Rockhampton Morning Bulletin on Thursday May 29, 1919 of his time after the Armistice:

The Sardinia arrived in Melbourne, Vic on June 8, 1919 then departed for Sydney, NSW (2nd M.D.) docking on June 11, 1919. Soon after he left for Brisbane, Qld (1st M.D.)

At the 6th Aust. General Hospital at Kangaroo Point, Brisbane on June 14, 1919 his Report on an Invalid reads as follows:

Gunshot wound left arm. No disability now.

J. Passmore.

Recommended: Demobilisation.

He also had a dental check as well.

The last news from Mrs Wheeler was written on February 25, 1919:

He received his Military Discharge in Brisbane, Qld (1st M.D.) on July 29, 1919. For his active service abroad Sapper 228 John Passmore, 1st Tunnelling Company was awarded to wear the British War Medal (12194) and the Victory Medal (12035).

In 1921 he married Florence Maud Hart in Queensland. They lived at Hartmore, Bouldercombe, Queensland situated between Rockhampton and Mount Morgan and he was a dairyman. Around 1954 they moved to Morgan Street, Mount Morgan.

John Passmore died about 26 December, 1968 aged 76 years. He was interred the following day in the Mt Morgan Cemetery in Section 6, Row MM, Grave No. 31. In 2009 his grave remained unmarked. Other notation in the Register is he was Methodist.