SAPPER THOMAS HALE KENSIT
5355 – 1st Tunnelling Company
On 12 June 1916 Thomas was appointed to the Engineers with the rank of Driver. He was transferred to the Miners Reinforcements at their Seymour, Victoria camp on1 July. On 30 September 1916 he embarked at Melbourne on board Suffolk.
HMAT A23 Suffolkdeparted Melbourne, Victoria on 30 September 1916 with 166 members of the September 1916 Reinforcements to the Mining Corps. She arrivedat Fremantle, Western Australia on 10 October and departed the same day. Arriving atCapetown, South Africa on 30 October Suffolk departedthere 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.
Thomas proceeded overseas to France on 1 January 1917 and marched in to the Australian General Base Depot (AGBD) on 2 January. He was attached to the 1st Anzac Entrenching Battalion on 12 January
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.
Thomas was attached to the 1st Australian Tunnelling Company (1ATC) on 14 March 1917.
He reported sick on 27 March and was admitted to the 133th Field Ambulance the same day. He was transferred to the 134th Field Ambulance, 39th Divisional Rest Station (DRS) the next day with conjunctivitisand was discharged to duty on 6 April. He re-joined his unit in the Field on 8 April 1917.
He again reported sick on 6 September and was admitted to the 98th Field Ambulance, 30th DRS with dental caries, re-joininghis unit on 7 September.
Thomas was wounded in action (gassed) on 31 October 1917 when the Company was in the Busigny area. On 1 November he was admitted to the 3rd Australian Field Ambulance before being transferred to the 10th Casualty Clearing Station. On the same day he was transferred to the 2nd Canadian General Hospital at Treport. He was transferred on 9 November to the 3rd Convalescent Depot where he was admitted with Pediculosis (Infested with lice).
On 22 November he was discharged to the AGBD at Rouelles, marching out to re-join his unit in the Field on 15 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.
Thomas was taken on strength of 1ATC on 1 February 1918.
He againreported sick on 12 Marchand was treated at the 14th Field Ambulance, the 21st Casualty Clearing Station and the 2nd Casualty Clearing Station before being transferred by Ambulance Train 12 to the 39th General Hospital at Havre, where he was admitted on 21 March. He was discharged from hospital to the AGBD, Rouelles, on 19 June and marched out on 5 July to re-join his unit in the Field on 7 July.
Reporting sick on 6 August 1918 he was admitted to the 11th Australian Field Ambulance on 7 August with debility. On 8 August Ambulance Train 34 transported him to the 16th General Hospital, le Treport, where he was admitted on 9 August. On 15 August he was transferred to the 1st Australian Convalescent Depot at Havre and was discharged to the AGBD on 14 September. He marched out of the AGBD on 17 September and re-joined his unit on 19 September.
Thomas enjoyed some leave from France from 5 February until 19 February 1919, re-joining his unit in France on 22 February.
On 26 March 1919 Thomas marched out of 1ATC for non-military employment in England prior to his return to Australia.
He had been a member of 1ATC from March 1917 until his return to Australia. 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.
Thomas marched in to the Australian Infantry Base Depot and embarked for England on 8 April. He marched in to No.2 Command Depot, Sutton Veny on 9 April. He was to report to No.6 Camp, Sutton Veny to attend the A.I.F. Education Centre.
On 21 July 1919 Thomas Hale Kensit married Emma Gray at Sutton Veny, Wiltshire, England.
He marched out of No.2 Group on 27 August on indefinite leave awaiting a family ship.
Thomas and his wife embarked for Australia on 21 December 1919 on board Port Napier. The couple disembarked at Fremantle on 2 February 1920. Discharged from the A.I.F. in Perth on 21 March 1920, he was entitled to wear the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.
Thomas and Emma had a daughter, Eileen Edna, born at Canning, WA in 1920, and a son, Frederick Henry, born in 1925 at Perth, WA. Elaine married Reuben Claffey Ring in 1938 at Northam, WA.
The medical and service records of Thomas Hale Kensit were provided to the Repatriation Commission, Perth in June 1934.
The Electoral Roll of 1943 records Emma Kensitliving at Marchagee, WA.
© Donna Baldey 2018
with the assistance ofthe Carnamah Historical Society & Museum and North Midlands Project -
Addendum