LANCE CORPORAL IAN ALISTER McDONALD WILSON

739 – Australian Electrical and Mechanical Mining and Boring Company

Ian was born at Sandhurst, Victoria, in 1885, the son of John McDonald Wilson and Marion (nee Sutherland). In 1914, Ian was a painter living at Wonthaggi, Victoria

A medical examination at Wonthaggi, Victoria on 29 August 1915 recorded that he was 30 years and 8 months of age and that he was 5ft 7½ins tall and weighed 11 stone 6 pound. He had a sallow complexion, brown eyes and dark hair. Vaccination marks and small scars were recorded as distinguishing marks. He was of the Presbyterian faith.

Ian signed the ‘Attestation Paper of Persons Enlisted for Service Abroad’, and the Oath to ‘well and truly serve’ on 31 August 1915 at Melbourne, Victoria, stating that he was not married and a Drill Employee by trade. He gave his address as Merrin Crescent, Wonthaggi.

He named as his Next-of-Kin his aunt Mrs. Bessie Sutherland of Riddle, Victoria. This was later changed to his sister Mrs. Lydia Ledingham of Coburg, Victoria.

His training began at the 22nd Depot Battalion. He may have been allocated to the 8th Reinforcements, 23 Infantry Battalion for a while before being appointed to the newly formed Mining Corps on 10 November 1915.

Prior to embarkation, Ian made an allotment from his pay of 4 shillings per day to be paid to Miss Eunice Smith, Hunter Street, Wonthaggi.

Ian embarked at Sydney with No.2 Company of the Mining Corps on board Ulysses.

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.

Following the farewell parade in the Domain, Sydney, the Australian Mining Corps embarked from Sydney, New South Wales on 20 February 1916 on board HMAT A38 Ulysses.

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.

Ulysses arrived in Melbourne, Victoria on 22 February and the Miners were camped at Broadmeadows while additional stores and equipment were loaded onto Ulysses. 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.

Departing Melbourne on 1 March, Ulysses sailed to Fremantle, Western Australia where a further 53 members of the Corps were embarked. 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. After a delay of about a month for repairs, The Mining Corps sailed for the European Theatre on 1 April 1916.

The ship arrived at Suez, Egypt on 22 April, departing for Port Said the next day; then on to Alexandria. 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 Mining Corps was transhipped to B1 Ansonia for the final legs to Marseilles, France via Valetta, Malta. Arriving at Marseilles on 5 May, most of the men entrained for Hazebrouck where they arrived to set up their first camp on 8 May 1916.

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’.

Ian became a member of the 2nd Australian Tunnelling Company (2ATC). He was transferred to the AEMMBC and was taken on strength of that unit on 30 September 1916. On 25 October he was promoted to Lance Corporal

The AEMMBC, with a strength of little more than 300 men, was employed along the entire Western Front providing lighting and ventilation to dugouts and boring for water supplies where needed. They worked with all 5 Armies of the British Expeditionary Force.

On 4 February 1918 Ian was attached for duty to the New Zealand Tunnelling Company, returning to his unit on 7 March.

Ian enjoyed some leave in Paris from 27 December 1918 until 3 January 1919. He was promoted to temporary 2nd Corporal on 1 January 1919. He was again granted leave in France from 30 April until 9 May 1919.

On 10 May 1919 he reverted to Lance Corporal rank and marched out of the AEMMBC to the Base Depot for return to Australia. He was transferred to England on 23 May and marched in to No.3 Group the next day. He was transferred to No.2 Group at Sutton Veny on 5 June.

Ian was granted leave with pay only for Non-Military Employment (NME) from 30 July until 30 October 1919, Reason: Farming; attending Mr. A McDonald, Whitchidlock, Craigellachie, Scotland.

He was again granted leave, this time without pay, for Non-Military Employment (NME) from 31 October 1919 until 28 February 1920 - reason: Business. His address was to be ‘c/o Mr. Phillips, Dandeleith, Craigellachie, Scotland’. An NME certificate was forwarded to his Next-of-Kin in April 1920.

On 6 March he was granted ‘troopship leave’ without pay or allowance pending embarkation.

Ian left London on 17 April 1920 on board Bahia Castillo, disembarking in Melbourne on 19 June 1920. He was discharged from the A.I.F. on 15 March 1921, entitled to wear the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.

The 1919 Electoral Roll records Ian still at Wonthaggi. In 1924, Eunice May Wilson is recorded living at 84 Shaftesbury Street, Coburg, with sister-in-law Lydia and her husband Henry Ledingham.

Between his return to Australia in June 1920 and 1924, Ian married Eunice May Smith, born at Ballarat, Victoria, 1898, the daughter of John Smith and Emily nee Basing (Bassing). Ian had made an allotment from his military pay to Eunice in 1916.

The 1931 and 1936 the Electoral Roll records Ian as a farmer living at Yatpool, Victoria. Eunice is recorded at Wandaleith, Yatpool. ‘Wandaleith’ may have been the name of the farm.

From 1937 Ian and Eunice were farming at Riddells Creek, Victoria.

In February 1943 a Nearest Female Relative’ badge was issued on his behalf.

In July 1969, the Repatriation Department, Melbourne was considering an application for benefits and requested Ians’ military records from the Central Army Records Office.

Ian Alister McDonald Wilson died at Gisborne, Victoria in 1972 at age 87.

Eunice May nee Smith died at Carr in 1978, age 80.

© Donna Baldey 2013

ADDENDUM

Siblings of Ian Alister McDonald Wilson:

William Douglas Leslie born 1880 died 1880

Lydia Anne McKenzie born 1881 (died 1978 age 97 at Coburg) married Henry Ledingham (died 1953 age 79 at Coburg) at Bendigo in 1909. Henry was born in Scotland – issue Henry Alexander McDonald Ledingham born 1910 at Coburg (died 1985 at Brunswick) and Margaret Lydia born 1913 at Coburg

Margaret Leslie born 1882

Siblings of Emily May Smith:

Jessie Mabel Smith born Ballarat, Victoria in 1899.

Agnes Emily Smith born Beaufort, Victoria in 1901.

Walter Alexander Gordon Smith born Beaufort, Victoria 22 September 1902.

WW2 V360466 Pte. 21 Battalion, VDC, NOK: Ada Smith.

David Charles Smith born Beaufort, Victoria 20 September 1906.

WW2 VX32851 WO2, 13 Aust. Small Ships Company, NOK: Ida Smith.