SERGEANT HARRY HENRIKSEN

1271 – 3rd Tunnelling Company

Fredrikstad, Norway was the birthplace of Harry Henriksen on July 13, 1876 the son of Olaf and Helene Henriksen. He had a brother Olaf who came to Sydney, New South Wales. Harry stated he arrived at Fremantle, Western Australia in July, 1896 on the barque Perrine (possibly the Peregrine which arrived mid-July) and had come from Vancouver, British Columbia as a sailor. He married in 1897 to Alice Edwards with their union registered in Perth and they had a son, Harry who died at six months of age in 1898.

After living in Western Australia for sixteen years Harry applied for Naturalization on July 7, 1913 with the Sergeant of Water Police, William J. Hopkins. He gave his residence as 12 Essex Street Fremantle with the occupation of fisherman and was thirty-seven years of age, married with his wife residing at the same address and had no children. Ten days later he wrote on stationary from the Fremantle Lumpers Union at the Trades Hall, Fremantle asking if the Naturalization Certificate could be forwarded to care of the Trades Hall as he was removing from Essex Street, Fremantle.

In 1915 and 1916 he was living at Kambellie, care of the Post Office, Fimiston, W.A. working as a labourer.

On November 20, 1915 at the recruiting depot in Kalgoorlie, W.A. the thirty-nine year old single sailor applied to enlist for active service abroad and passed the medical examination. Attestation papers describe him as 170cms (5ft 7ins) tall, weighing 79kgs (174lbs) with a chest expansion of 94-102cms (37-40ins). Fair was his complexion with his blue eyes testing to good vision in his left eye and fair in the right one and had fair hair. Religion was given as Anglican. Distinctive marks were vaccination scars on both arms and a tattoo of a full rigged ship on his left forearm. Next-of-kin nominated was his brother Olaf Henriksen of Rocky Point Road, Kogarah, N.S.W. Allotment to wife/children was crossed out. He was sworn in the same day.

Acknowledgement to the departing volunteers was published in the:

Basic training commenced on November 24, 1915 with the Miners’ Unit.

Recruiting for the Miners’ Corps officially began on December 1st, 1915 therefore Private Henriksen 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. Henriksen was assigned the regimental number 1271 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. Sapper Henriksen was assigned to No. 4 Section and attached for duty with the 254th Tunnelling Company, Royal Engineers.

The No. 3 Company was officially transferred to the 3rd Tunnelling Company in the field on December 18, 1916.

He went sick to the 73rd Field Ambulance on March 4, 1917 with a slight case of mumps and was transferred to the 7th General Hospital in St Omer and discharged to duty on March 25. His unit was rejoined the next day.

He was appointed to be Lance Corporal on June 12, 1917.

Service continued without incident and further promoted to Temporary Second Corporal on January 6, 1918 due to 2nd Corporal Monaghan being promoted to Temporary Corporal.

Three Blue Chevrons were issued to wear on his uniform for serving two years of overseas service on February 20, 1918.

On March 16, 1918 he went sick to the 2nd Canadian Field Ambulance with pleurisy and transferred to the 6th Casualty Clearing Station but reverted to Lance Corporal on being evacuated sick.

Soldier was conveyed on March 27 by A.T.24 to Boulogne entering the 13th General Hospital with lobar pneumonia.

Evacuation to England on the hospital ship Cambria followed on March 30 then admitted to the Horton County of London War Hospital in Epsom with lobar pneumonia (severe).

Base Records advised his brother on April 12, 1918 that he had been admitted to hospital in England on March 30 suffering from Lobar Pneumonia (severe) and gave his postal address for correspondence.

Meanwhile in Kalgoorlie a thank-you letter signed by recipients receiving their Comfort Fund gifts in France was published in the:

He was transferred to the 3rd Aust Auxiliary Hospital in Dartford on April 19, 1918 and discharged to the No. 2 Command Depot at Weymouth on May7. He marched out on May 18 to the No. 4 Command Depot at Hurdcott.

On May 23, 1918 Base Records further advised his brother that the Corporal’s condition was stationary and again on May 28 was now convalescent.

Left for the Overseas Training Brigade at Deverill on July 5, 1918 and proceeded to France from Southampton on July 27 arriving at the Aust General Base Depot in Rouelles the next day and returned to his unit on July 30.

He was promoted to Corporal on October 26, 1918 when Corporal Forstun was to be Sergeant. On November 1, 1918 was promoted to the rank of Temporary Sergeant when Sergeant Fullwood transferred to Base.

He was with his unit when Peace was declared and the Tunnelling Companies remained on the front as part of the Army of Occupation assisting with rehabilitation of their district by clearing roads and bridges of booby traps left by the enemy.

On January 18, 1919 he was to be Sergeant when Sgt Fullwood returned to Australia.

Orders were received on March 10, 1919 to return to Base and prepare for demobilisation. They left the Aust Infantry Base Depot on March 17 crossing the English Channel and arriving at the 2nd Training Brigade camp the following day.

After demobilisation Sergeant Henriksen embarked for Australia on May 11, 1919 aboard H.T. Zealandia. Base Records advised his next-of-kin on June 4, 1919 that he was on his way home. The ship docked at Albany, W.A. on June 22, 1919. News of this arrival was published in the:

At the Disembarkation Medical Board at No. 8 Aust General Hospital, Fremantle on June 23, 1919 his records note he had no wounds or injury and illness was pleurisy in March 1918 being in hospital four months. Present condition was good. Recommendation for discharge was dated June 24, 1919.

Military Discharge was issued in Perth (5th Military District) on August 15, 1919 on termination of his period of enlistment.

Sergeant 1271 Harry Henriksen, 3rd Tunnelling Company was issued with the British War Medal (8124) and the Victory Medal (8090) for serving his country.

In May 1924 the War Service Homes Commission in Sydney requested a Statement of Service as the ex-soldier had requested assistance under the War Service Homes Act there. This was forwarded from Base Records on February 6, 1924.

His brother Olaf Henriksen died at Sydney Hospital in 1927 aged 59 years.

Harry’s address was 115 Princes Highway, Kogarah in 1930 working as a carpenter’s labourer. This changed in 1936 to 133 Princes Highway, Kogarah with the same occupation.

Harry Henrikson passed away about August 24, 1948 aged 72 years. Family arrangements were published in the:

REUNIONS

Former members of the (Alphabet Company) Aust Electrical & Mechanical Mining & Boring Company and Tunnellers’ in Sydney would meet to march in the Anzac Day parade then attend their annual luncheon. Roll Registers for newsletters of this annual event were kept and his name appears as follows:

1934 Henriksen, H.W. 115 Princes Highway, Kogarah

1960-68 Henricksen, H.W. 115 Princes Highway, Kogarah

© Donna Baldey 2016

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