SAPPER THOMAS JOHNSTON BOYD GALT
1017 – 3rd Tunnelling Company
Anderston, Glasgow, Scotland was the birthplace of Thomas Johnston Boyd Galt on October 9, 1869 the son of Walter and Jane (nee Boyd) Galt. In 1871 the family were residing at 498 St Vincent Road, Anderston and the residents were Walter (39) shirt manufacturer, wife Jane (39) and children Walter (11), Alexander (9), John (7), William (5) and Thomas (1) with servant Sarah Thomson (21).
Ten years later in 1881 the family were still living at 498 St Vincent Road and citizens of the household were Walter (49) shirt manufacturer, Jane (49), Walter (21) student of Theology, Glasgow Uni., Alexander Robert (19) clerk, John Ames (17) clerk, William Archibald (15) stationer’s warehouseman, Thomas Johnson (11) scholar.
Thomas stated he served a five-year apprenticeship with R. Murray, Engineers of Glasgow. His arrival in Australia was on the Orotava which left London under Master of the Ship Captain C. Collins and arrived at Fremantle, W.A. on March 29, 1906. Passenger Thomas Galt, a Scotch miner joined the ship in Marseilles. News of the Royal Mail Ship was published in:
In 1913 Thomas was a woodcutter at Greenbushes, W.A.
At the recruiting depot in Perth on December 4, 1915 the single forty-six year old miner applied to enlist for active service abroad. Passing the preliminary medical examination personal particulars taken show his postal address at Post Office, Greenbushes, W.A. and was 174cms (5ft 8½ins) in height with a chest measurement of 94cms (37ins). Declared fit his application was accepted by the recruiting officer.
Attestation papers were completed and these forms reveal further details of his weight of 60kgs (132lbs) with a chest expansion of 87-94cms (34-37ins). Complexion was dark with brown eyes and had black hair. Distinctive marks were two vaccination scars on his left arm and a scar on the left forehead. Presbyterian was his religion. Next-of-kin was his mother Jane Galt of 44 Argyle Road, Ilford, London, England. He was sworn in the same day.
Recruiting for the Miners’ Corps had begun on December 1st, 1915 therefore Sapper Galt was placed for basic training at the Helena Vale camp at Blackboy Hill, W.A. with the newly forming Corps. The Unit’s title was the No. 3 Company with a major portion of No. 3 Company recruited by 2nd Lt. L.J. Coulter, A.I.F. who was sent from N.S.W. to W.A. for that purpose. They were made up to strength with 1 Officer and 274 Other Ranks and embarked from Fremantle, W.A.
On December 18, 1915 the company sailed for Sydney, NSW on board the troopship SS Indarra. His name appears on the passenger list which was published in:
On Boxing Day (Dec 26th), 1915 the Unit arrived in Sydney and marched into Casula Camp, near Liverpool, NSW. They were joined by the 4th Section of the Tasmanian Miners, bringing the establishment strength up to 15 officers and 349 Other Ranks under the command of 2nd Lieutenant L.J. Coulter.
Mining Corps Units from all Military districts came together at Casula camp, near Liverpool, NSW to complete training as a Corps. Galt was assigned the regimental number 1017 in the rank of Sapper and remained in No. 3 Company.
At a civic parade in the Domain, Sydney on Saturday February 19, 1916, 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’ on the left, rank upon rank, the Miners’ Battalion.
The Corps 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 ship was reluctant to 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’.
Four sections of the No. 3 Company were dispersed to various sectors for instructional training. On May 13, 1916 Sapper Galt was assigned to No. 4 Section and attached for duty with the 254th Tunnelling Company, Royal Engineers.
Disciplinary action was taken for the following:
Offence:Being in an Estaminet during prohibited hours
Award:7 days C.B. [confined to barracks] 27/9/16
The No. 3 Company was officially transferred to the 3rd Tunnelling Company in the field on December 18, 1916.
Leave from France was granted from October 27 to November 2, 1917.
His service continued without illness or injury and was issued with three Blue Chevrons to wear on his uniform for serving two years abroad on February 20, 1918.
In an audit of the Company on April 26, 1918 he was still serving with his unit.
He proceeded on leave on October 26, 1918 and while away Peace was declared and returned to duty on November 15. The Tunnelling Companies remained on the front as part of the Army of Occupation assisting with rehabilitation of their area by clearing roads and bridges of booby traps left by the enemy.
Orders were received to prepare for demobilisation on January 27, 1919 and reported to the Base Depot on February 1. Sapper left the Aust Infantry Base Depot on February 3 crossing the English Channel arriving at the Overseas Training Brigade at Sutton Veny the following day.
On February 5, 1919 at the I.C. Depot, Sutton Veny he went before the Medical Board. His age was recorded as 49 years with no disability and heart and lungs clear and dentally fit and classed as A3 and fit for general service.
Further punishment was issued at the camp as follows:
Crime:Sutton Veny 22/2/19 A.W.L. from 23.59 hrs to 21.00 hrs 24/2/19
Award:Forfeits 2 day’s pay 11/3/19
Total forfeiture:4 day’s pay
Sapper Galt embarked as an invalid on March 31, 1919 on the H.T. Khyber for the voyage to Australia. The ship arrived at Fremantle (5th Military District) and went into quarantine. News of an incident was reported in:
Sapper Galt is recorded as returned on May 23, 1919 and details of disembarkation was reported in:
He appeared before the Disembarkation Medical Board at No. 8 Aust General Hospital in Fremantle on May 23 and found to have no wounds, injury or any illness on service with his present condition as fit. Heart and lungs were clear and passed the hearing and other tests. Approval for discharge was recommended on May 26, 1919 in Perth.
Less than a month later he had applied for assistance to go prospecting again with the results published in the:
Military Discharge was issued in Perth (5th M.D.) on July 7, 1919 on termination of his period of enlistment.
Sapper 1017 Thomas Johnson Boyd Galt, 3rd Tunnelling Company was issued with the British War Medal (8115) and the Victory Medal (8081) for serving his country.
From 1922 onwards he was a miner or prospector at Tuckamurra in the Mt Leonora district of W.A.
Thomas J.B. Galt died on May 17, 1953 aged 87 years. Burial took place in the Church of England portion of the Cue and Day Dawn General Cemetery in grave no. 1010. A family announcement was published in:
There is no headstone.
© Donna Baldey 2016