Thomas Son Healy 1027

SAPPER THOMAS SON HEALY

1027 – 3rd Tunnelling Company

St Kilda, Melbourne, Victoria was the birthplace of Thomas Son Healy in 1889 the son of William and Margaret (nee Smyth) Healy. He followed the mining to the goldfields of Western Australia.

At the recruiting depot in Kalgoorlie, W.A. on September 29, 1915 the twenty-three year old miner applied to enlist for active service abroad. Passing the medical examination Attestation Forms were completed which describe him as 173cms (5ft 8ins) tall, weighing 55.4kgs (122lbs) with a chest expansion of 84-89cms (33-35ins). Complexion was dark with his blue eyes testing to good vision and had dark brown hair. Roman Catholic was his religious faith. Next-of-kin initially was his nearest friend Mr J. Sinclair, care of McPherson Blacksmith, Brookhaven Street, Kalgoorlie, W.A. and later changed to his cousin Miss Annie Ross, “Aghada”, Service Street, Hampton, Victoria. He was sworn in at Blackboy Hill camp, near Perth on October 7, 1915.

Acknowledgement to the departing volunteers was published in the:

Basic training commenced on October 6, 1915 with the 32nd Depot Battalion in the rank of Private.

Recruiting for the Miners’ Corps officially began on December 1st, 1915 therefore Private Healy was placed for basic training at the Helena Vale camp at Blackboy Hill, W.A. with the newly forming Corps on December 3rd. 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. Healy was assigned the regimental number 1027 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 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’.

Four sections of the No. 3 Company were dispersed to various sectors for instructional training.

He attended the Listener’s Course at the First Army Mine School in August, 1916.

The following is the extract from the Unit Diary of the 3rd Tunnelling Company which states:

He commenced work as a Listener about August 25, 1916.

On October 16, 1916 he was attached for duty with the 254th Tunnelling Company, Royal Engineers and was noted to be still with this company on January 15, 1917. He also served with the 350th Mining Company, R.E. leaving to rejoin the 3rd Tunnelling Company as the No. 3 Company was officially transferred to them on December 18, 1916.

He took ill on January 3, 1918 being sent to the 1st Casualty Clearing Station with Rheumatic Fever and conveyed on Ambulance train No. 28 to Boulogne entering the 7th Stationary Hospital on January 6. Three days later he was invalided to England on the hospital ship St Denis and admitted to the Whipps Cross affiliated with the General Military Hospital, Colchester in Leytonstone for treatment of V.D.H. (Valvular Disease of Heart).

On January 30, 1918 was transferred to the 3rd Aust Auxiliary Hospital in Dartford. Base Records advised his next-of-kin that he had been admitted to hospital.

Discharged to furlough on February 8, 1918, he reported to the No. 2 Command Depot in Weymouth on February 22.

His father wrote from the Broken Hill Public Hospital, in Broken Hill on February 19, 1918 as he had received letters from France but with no brigade number. His son had written to allot military pay but had no official communication. Could they direct him in what to do? Base Records replied on February 25, 1918 that his son had been admitted to Whipps Cross Hospital, England on January 9, 1918 suffering valvular disease of the heart. This information was duly transmitted to next-of-kin Miss A. Ross (cousin) resident in Hampton, Vic. His address for communication was enclosed. In regards to financial matters he should contact the District Paymaster, Defence Department in Perth, W.A. and forward to him the letter in which his son wishes to appoint him allottee.

Sapper Healy embarked for Australia on the H.T. Carpentaria on August 8, 1918 due to sub-acute Rheumatism and deficiency in hearing. Base Records advised his next-of-kin that he was returning home. He is listed in the roll of returning soldiers published in the:

Military Discharge was issued in Melbourne (3rd Military District) on October 19, 1918.

For serving his country Sapper 1027 Thomas Son Healy, 3rd Tunnelling Company was issued with the British War Medal (35199) and the Victory Medal (34944).

The Victory Medal was unclaimed at the designated barracks and returned to Base Records on May 10, 1923.

Base Records wrote to the 5th Military District in regards to the ex-soldier’s current address. They replied that he resided at 284 Hannan Street, Kalgoorlie. In reply to their request about his medal this was forwarded to the 5th Military District by registered post (no. 5007) on June 7, 1923.

Meanwhile he was out of the district as one of a prospecting party whose 1922 expedition was reported in the:

He married in 1924 to Emily Ann Wright in Kalgoorlie, W.A. The following year their residence was 102 Dugan Street, Kalgoorlie working as a miner. A Statement of his Service was requested by the Perth branch of the Repatriation Commission from Base Records and forwarded to them on March 28, 1927.

His mining pursuits were reported in the:

In 1931 his address was 113 Dugan Street, Kalgoorlie with the same occupation. His residence was 28 Bourke Street, Kalgoorlie in 1937.

Thomas Son Healy passed away on January 19, 1938 aged 48 years at Beaconsfield, W.A.. Family arrangements were reported in the:

His grave is located in the Presbyterian portion of the Kalgoorlie Cemetery.

Probate and Estate affairs were advertised in the:

Mrs Emily Ann Healy, late of Mt Hawthorn died on January 9, 1977 aged 81 years. Her grave is located in the Anglican Lawn portion 7 of Karrakatta Cemetery, Perth in grave no. 137.