TREBILCOCK Harold Lt

LIEUTENANT HAROLD TREBILCOCK

3rd Tunnelling Company

Harold Trebilcock was born 12 August 1878 in Bedfordshire, England, the son of John and Charlotte Trebilcock.

Harold completed and signed the ‘Attestation Paper of Persons Enlisted for Service Abroad’ on 20 April 1916 in Perth, Western Australia, stating that he was 37 years and 8 months of age, and a Miner/Underground Foreman by Trade.

He was 5ft 10ins tall, weighed 170lbs, had a dark complexion, brown eyes and greyish black hair.

He named as his Next of Kin his wife Anna Cecelia Trebilcock of Kanowna Street, Kalgoorlie. This was later amended to Annie Trebilcock of Jenkins Street, Fremantle.

Harold recorded previous service as 2 years in the Permanent Artillery, Albany and that between 23 November 1899 and 27 February 1902 he had served 1 year 123 days in South Africa with the Western Australia Mounted Infantry, and 310 days with 6th Mounted Infantry, earning the Queens Medal and the Kings Medal for South Africa, and 5 clasps. The AWM Boer War Nominal Roll lists two soldiers of interest: 120 Private Henry Trebilcock - 1 (MNTD INF) CNTGNT [Murray 402] and 380 Sergeant Henry Trebilcock - 6 (MNTD INF) CNTGNT [Murray Page 430].

He was medically examined at 22 Depot, Blackboy Hill, found to be fit for active service, and signed the Oath to ‘well and truly serve’ on 22 April.

He applied for a Commission in the Australian Military Forces on 1 October and his documents bear the stamp of the Engineer Officers Training School.

Harold was assigned to the Miners Reinforcements at Seymour, Victoria on 20 September 1916 as a 2nd Lieutenant. On 15 October 1916 he was appointed a 2nd Lieutenant in the Tunnelling Coys.

He embarked on 25 October 1916 from Melbourne, Victoria on board HMAT A38 Ulysses with the October Officer Reinforcements. The 516 reinforcements for the Tunnelling Companies disembarked at Plymouth, England on 28 December 1916.

After training at Perham Downs, Harold proceeded overseas to France on 28 January 1917 and marched in to Australian General base Depot (AGBD) at Etaples on 30 January.

On 6 February he reported with a draft of 95 O.R. as reinforcement for the 3rd Australian Tunnelling Company. On 4 March 17 he was transferred from AGBD and was attached to No 3 Section of the 3rd Tunnelling Company.

Harold and 5119 Spr Ernest Hooper Popham, were wounded near Lievin Station Yard by a shell on 27 April.

Harold suffered multiple gun shot wounds to his left leg (compound fracture) and abdomen and was treated at the 7th Casualty Clearing Station on that day. He was transferred to the 7th Stationary Hospital at Boulogne on 8 May and on 2 June 1917 he was transferred to England and admitted to the 3rd London General Hospital at Wandsworth where his left leg and thigh were amputated.

He was transferred to Cobham Hall on 29 October where he convalesced until 21 December when he was returned to No.6 Australian Auxiliary Hospital.

Harold continued to convalesce until 3 June 1918 when he appeared before a medical board at A.I.F. Headquarters, London and it was decided to return him to Australia.

Harold embarked for Australia on the City of Karachi, leaving London on 28 August and disembarked 24 October 1918 at Melbourne. He then travelled overland to Perth, Western Australia.

His appointment as an Officer in the A.I.F. was terminated on 29 November 1918.

Harold did not collect his British War Medal (15116) and Victory Medal (14790) and they were returned to Depot in September 1924.

The Institution of Mining and Metallurgy (British) recorded that in 1925 Harold was living at Mount Mardon, Victoria. He made arrangements and received his medals on 7 May 1932 at North Carlton.

The Register of Tunnellers in 1934 listed his address as 104 Rowan Street, Melbourne and was updated to 1 Brunswick Road, Brunswick at a later date. Circulars continued to be sent and the 1964 letter was returned unclaimed on April 14.

Harold Trebilcock died at Heidelberg, Victoria 21 June 1949, aged 70. The Argus (Melbourne) on Thursday June 23, 1949 published the following notices:

His Military Medical documents were sent to the Repatriation Commission, Melbourne in July 1949.

Harold’s sister served as a nurse in WW1. A detailed article on her service titled “The Adventures of an Australian nurse, from the Western Front in 1914 to the Balkans in 1915, to the High Seas 1916 to 1919: Edith Amy Trebilcock, AVH, BRC, QAIMNSR, AANS” by Heather (Frev) Ford, Montrose, is featured in the Magazine of the Families and Friends of the First AIF Inc. of June 2012 – ‘Digger’ No. 39.

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