SAPPER JOSEPH NORTON
5389 – 1st Tunnelling Company
Joseph Norton enlisted at Brisbane, Queensland and signed the Oath to ‘well and truly serve’ on 28 October 1915.
He stated he was born in Onehunga, New Zealand, that he was a single Miner by trade and gave his address as Winton, Queensland. He named as his Next-of-Kin his sister, Miss Elizabeth Norton, of Lyttelton, New Zealand.
A medical examination on the same day at Brisbane recorded that he was 44 years and 11 months of age, 5ft 8ins tall, weighed 12 stone, 12 pounds, had a dark complexion, brown hair and brown eyes. He was of the Church of England faith.
Regimental number 629 Private Norton, Joseph embarked on 20 November 1915 at Sydney on board HMAT Te Anau with the 4th Infantry Battalion, Naval and Military Expeditionary Force (Tropical Unit) – “A” Company.
[629 (NAA records as 635) Private Norton, Arthur Richard embarked 19 August 1914 at Sydney on board HMAT A35 Berrima with the Naval and Military Expeditionary Force (Tropical Unit) “G” Company. Single Carter age 23 of Sydney, NSW – NOK Mrs A. Norton care of Mrs. I Humphreys of 306 Cleveland Street, Sydney, NSW. A document in Joseph Nortons’ file records that ‘629 Pte Norton AR J’ was invalided to Australia on board Morinda on 29 November 1914. It is assumed that the ‘629’ is a mis-entry.]
629 Private Joseph Norton arrived at Rabual on 20 November 1915 and was taken on strength of “A” Company, 4th Battalion on 6 January 1916.
He embarked at Rabaul on 17 April 1916 for return to Australia (at his own expense) on board the S.S. Morinda. He was struck off the strength of the Battalion on 20 April 1916 and was discharged in Brisbane on 8 May 1916.
He was awarded the British War Medal (9679) for his service with the AN&MEF.
At Brisbane on 9 May 1916 Joseph signed the ‘Attestation Paper of Persons Enlisted for Service Abroad’ and the Oath to ‘well and truly serve’, stating he was a Soldier by calling and recording as previous service ‘ten months tropical Force New Guinea Expedition. Returned to join the A.I.F.’. He again named his sister as his Next-of-Kin.
His training began at the 11th Depot Battalion on 7 June. On 22 August he was transferred to the Miners Reinforcements at their training camp at Seymour, Victoria.
He embarked at Melbourne on 30 September 1916 on board Suffolk, appointed to Lance Corporal rank for the voyage only.
HMAT A23 Suffolk departed Melbourne, Victoria on 30 September 1916 with 166 members of the September 1916 Reinforcements to the Mining Corps. She arrived at Fremantle, Western Australia on 10 October and departed the same day. Arriving at Capetown, South Africa on 30 October Suffolk departed the next day and voyaged on to Dakar in West Africa, arriving on 15 November. After a delay of 5 days, she sailed for Plymouth, England on 20 November, and after a voyage lasting 64 days, the Tunnellers disembarked on 2 December.
He proceeded overseas to France on 1 January 1917 and marched into the Australian General Base Depot. On 12 January he was attached to the 1st Anzac Entrenching Battalion.
The 1st Anzac Entrenching Battalion was an advanced section of the Base Depot. Formed at La Motte, France on June 6, 1916 with Captain N. Macrae being seconded from the Mining Corps as Adjutant and Quartermaster, the Battalion had an initial strength of 21 Officers and 1003 Other Ranks, mainly Infantry. The Battalion organised works near the lines and through duties would accustom the reinforcements to war conditions before being assigned to a company in the field.
For a time, all infantry reinforcements were drawn from this unit. Heavy losses at Pozieres in July through September 1916 caused all infantry to be directly absorbed into their fighting units.
The Battalion continued to be a transit unit for tunnelling reinforcements and in October 1916 there were 9 officers and 203 men in the Battalion which now served as a tunnelling company, working with the 1st Canadian Tunnelling Company at St Eloi, The Bluff and the Ravine (near Ypres). On 5 November 1917 the 1st Anzac Entrenching Battalion was abolished.
Joseph was transferred to the 1st Australian Tunnelling Company (1ATC) where he was taken on strength on 27 January 1917.
He reported sick on 29 March and was admitted to the 47th Divisional Rest Station at St Omer on 30 March before being transferred the same day to the 7th General Hospital. He re-joined his unit on 17 April.
He reported sick to hospital on 17 August 1917 but re-joined his unit the same day.
He was admitted to the 98th Field Ambulance on 9 November 1917 with dental caries, re-joining his unit the next day.
On 11 November he was admitted to the 2nd Casualty Clearing Station with dental caries and was transferred to the New Zealand Stationary Hospital on 12 November. The same day he was transferred to the 50th Casualty Clearing Station with scabies. He re-joined his unit on 17 December 1917.
He was due his Blue Chevrons. Each blue Service Chevron denoted one year’s service from 1 January 1915. A red Chevron denoted service before 31 December 1914.
Joseph proceeded on leave on 16 March 1918, re-joining his unit on 14 April 1918.
He was admitted to the 8th Australian Field Ambulance on 8 July 1918 with influenza, re-joining his unit on 13 July.
He again reported sick on 28 October 1918 and was admitted to the 61st Casualty Clearing Station with tachycardia (rapid heart rate). Transferred to Ambulance Train 33 on 31 October, on 1 November he was admitted to the 10th General Hospital at Rouen with DAH (disordered action of heart). The next day he was transferred to the 2nd Convalescent Depot.
He was transferred to the 6th General Hospital on 14 November with DAH with his age also noted. On 30 November he was transferred to England on Hospital Ship St Andrew and admitted to Bermondsey Military Hospital at Lewisham on1 December 1918.
On 13 December he was transferred to the 1st Auxiliary Hospital, Harefield and was discharged to furlough on 18 December, to report to No.2 Command Depot, Weymouth, on 2 January 1919.
Joseph Norton was a member of 1ATC from January 1917 until his return to Australia in April 1919.
In that period he would have worked at Hill 60 in the preparations for the Battle of Messines Ridge. He also most likely worked on the digging of the Catacombs at Hill 63.
He may have been involved with the Easter Raid of April 1917 and the accidental explosion of 25 April 1917 which killed 10 members of his unit.
He may have also been involved with operations on the Hindenberg Line in September 1918 when 20 members of 1 & 2ATCs where decorated. He may also have worked on the construction of the Hooge Crater dugouts.
Joseph left England on 25 March 1919 as an invalid on board Hospital Transport Port Denison for return to Australia
Port Denison arrived at Melbourne on 10 May 1919 and Joseph disembarked at Brisbane on 19 May. He was discharged from the A.I.F. as medically unfit on 26 June 1919, entitled to wear the British War Medal (22507) and the Victory Medal (21843).
The British War Medal (9679) awarded for his service with the AN&MEF was recalled on 14 March 1921 and was returned by Joseph on 30 April 1921.
His military and medical records were provided to the Repatriation Commission, Sydney in March 1936.
© Donna Baldey 2017
www.tunnellers.net
A Joseph Norton, father John, died at Cessnock, NSW in 1943. On 20 January 1943 the R.S.&S.&A.& I.L.A. Cessnock sub-branch advised members of the funeral to be held that day. Burial was at Aberdare, NSW.