Sergeant Thomas Dowling

SERGEANT THOMAS DOWLING

4033 – 2nd Tunnelling Company / Aust Electrical & Mechanical Mining & Boring Company

Thomas Dowling was registered under the name Edward Thomas Dowling who was born in 1869 in Bathurst, New South Wales the son of William and Annie Dowling.

Although not stated when enlisting, he later stated that his military history comprised of:

1892-1897 Soldier in New South Wales Permanent Forces.

1897 Served in the Mashonaland Matrell Rebellion and wore the medal received.

1899-1902 B.S.A. Police at 7th Hussars. I was serving in Boer War with the NSW Imperial

Bushmen and wore both medals. With Lord Errol and Lord Methuen’s staff as

a Staff Sergeant from June 1900 to 16 February 1902. Went back to Australia.

1906 Served with the South African Light Horse in the Natal Rebellion (medal) and

returned to Australia.

He also stated that his wife had died before he went to the Natal Rebellion.

There is only one Edward Thomas Dowling who served with the 3rd NSW Mounted Rifles and was assigned as Trooper with the regimental number 1735. Details on enlistment state he was a miner born in 1870 in Bathurst, NSW with his next-of-kin at George’s Plains, NSW. Under ‘Soldiers’ of the Queen’ there are two entries:

Dowling, Edward Thomas 1735 3 NSW Mounted Rifles

Dowling, Thomas 74 Company 8th Battalion Imperial Yeomanry

News of his return from the Boer War was printed in the:

Information stated by him said he enlisted with the Light Horse in Sydney, NSW on September 26, 1915 and from there was transferred to Melbourne, Victoria.

There on April 5, 1916 he attested to the following details on passing the medical examination. His birthplace was given as Wellington, New Zealand, and deleting a few birthdays calculated forty-two and a half years his age. Enlistment description of the labourer was 179cms (5ft 10½ins) tall, measured weight was 69kgs (152lbs) with a chest expansion of 84-2cms (33-36ins). Complexion was medium with grey eyes and had dark grey hair. Religious denomination was Roman Catholic. Distinctive marks were two vaccination places on his left arm; the little finger on his right hand was bent, a mole above his right buttock and a scar in the small of his back. Next-of-kin was his brother John Dowling of Cuba Street, Wellington, N.Z. He took and signed the ‘Oath on Enlistment’ the same day.

Basic training was with No.5 Tunnelling Company in the rank of Sapper with the regimental number 4033 until April 30, 1916. The next day he was promoted to the rank of 2nd Corporal.

The No.5 Company was recruited from Victoria, South Aust. & Tasmania and made up of Headquarters and 2 Sections (8 officers & 173 men) (3 M.D.). 1 Section from Tasmania (3 officers & 76 O.Rs); also 1st Reinforcements for No.5 Company (17 men from Vic. & 8 men Tas.)

Early in May 1916 No.4 company recruits embarked from Brisbane, Qld aboard HMAT A69 Warilda for Sydney, NSW. Six officers and 152 other ranks together with the 1st Reinforcements of fifteen other ranks made up the two sections. At Rosebery Park, Sydney, NSW they joined their Headquarters and two sections (8 officers & 153 O.Rs.) plus 1st Reinforcements consisting of one officer and seventeen other ranks for final training.

The 7713-ton transport Warilda sailed from Sydney, NSW on May 22, 1916 and collected in Melbourne, Vic the No.5 company departing on May 25, 1916 for Adelaide, S.A. to collect one Section of 3 officers & 76 O.Rs with 1st Reinforcements of 8 O.Rs.

Docking at Fremantle, W.A. on June 1, 1916 added No.6 Company recruited from W.A. of 14 officers and 325 O.Rs along with 1st Reinforcements of 1 Officer & 32 O.Rs, set forth on their voyage the same day.

Durban, South Africa was reached on June 16, 1916 and Cape Town on June 21, 1916 while St Vincent completed the African ports of call on July 7, 1916. Discipline was fairly good except at intermediate ports where Away without Leave caused concern. The fifty-eight day voyage experienced remarkable pleasant weather terminating at Plymouth, England on July 18, 1916. Four, Five and Six Companies comprising of 1064 officers and other ranks were detrained to Amesbury and Tidworth to begin training for the front at Perham Down’s camp.

While in camp there he was promoted to 1st Corporal on July 31, 1916. The Reinforcements proceeded to France on August 28, 1916 marching into the 2nd Aust Divisional Base Depot two days later.

On September 29, 1916 Corporal Dowling was taken on strength with the 2nd Tunnelling Company. Three days later he was transferred to the Aust Electrical & Mechanical Mining & Boring Company and taken on strength on October 2, 1916.

The appointment of Lance Sergeant was issued on November 13, 1916 with the Company and service continued without incident or injury. He was promoted to the rank of Temporary Sergeant for duty as Orderly Room and Pay Sergeant on August 3, 1917.

On October 12, 1917 he proceeded to England for instruction in pay duties at Tidworth. He was reported Away without Leave until October 23 when he reported there. He failed to report to the London Headquarters, 1st A.A.P.C. remaining A.W.L. until apprehended at a house in Coldharbour Lane, Brixton on December 18 and taken into custody. He proceeded under escort to France from Longbridge Deverill on December 27, 1917 from custody. Arrived at the A.G.B.D. in Rouelles the next day and marched out to his unit under arrest on December 30, 1917. On New Year’s Day, 1918 he returned to his unit still under arrest.

Sergeant E.G. (Hughie) Dodd was also in the Company and kept a diary of his work on the front and mentions the following about the incident:

January 4 [1918]

Went to Noeux this morning. Viv Downie came out to relieve me to go on leave, but had to refuse. He was in Scotland. He had a good time while there. Harry Curtis our erstwhile S.M. was caught in Poperinghe. Tom Dowling came back from Blighty. Downie tells me he had all the swank and bounce in the world. Jimmy Franklyn is concerned in it. Curtis and Jimmy got away with £150. Dowling has been faking the acquittance rolls. Been putting 10 franks in pay book and 40 in roll. Caught in Blighty with three passes from such a date to (no date at all). Put up for desertion and very nearly got away with it. Court Martials come up tomorrow. They should get lively time of it.

A month later on February 1, 1918 Temporary Sergeant went sick to the 64th Casualty Clearing Station admitted with Rheumatism. On entering hospital he reverted to the rank of Lance Sergeant on evacuation being sick.

A notation was made on April 1, 1918 that he was still under arrest awaiting Field General Court Martial which was held up due to arrival of witnesses from England.

On April 26, 1918 he was admitted to the 7th Stationary Hospital in Boulogne with Piles and two days later discharged to duty.

The Field General Court Martial under Lieutenant-Colonel H.B. Rice at the Commanding Base in Boulogne was convened on April 30, 1918 where the following charges were laid against T/Sergeant Dowling:

(1) A.W.L. when due to report to Paymaster A.I.F. London on 14/10/17 and did not do so and

remained A.W.L. until reporting there on 23/10/17. Pleaded Not Guilty.

(2) A.W.L. in that he failed to report to Headquarters 1st A.A.P.C. London on 2/11/17 and remained absent until apprehended at Brixton, on 18/12/17. Pleaded Not Guilty.

(3) Striking a soldier in that he in the Field on 5/4/18 struck No. 493599 Pte de Moulpied C.V. R.A.M.C. 2nd 1st Home Country Field Ambulance. Pleaded Not Guilty.

Evidence given by Major R.V. Morse, the Officer Commanding A.E.M.M.B.C stated that he had given instructions at Hazebrouck to the accused to report to the A.I.F. Paymaster in London with a letter dated 12/10/17 and not 22/10/17; plus a Duty Warrant dated the same to sail to England. He should have reported to the A.I.F. on the 13th or 14th October at the latest. Other witnesses such as the arresting officer and staff from the A.I.F. London also gave evidence.

In his Defence the accused stated that he sent a letter to Major Morse which he posted from London, but was not received by the Major and accused produced his copy. He stated he reported on 23/10/17 and on 1 or 2/11/17. He got hopelessly drunk before he boarded the Steamer to England and remembered nothing more until 22/10/17 when he found himself short £40. He thought he spent some of it and had some stolen by some woman. He put forward three medical certificates as further evidence.

Witness for the Striking Charge, Pte. de Moulpied, a ward orderly in ward No. 7 Casualty Clearing Station said the accused asked for aspirin but he told him they were only usually issued by the Medical Officer. The accused cussed him in a loud voice and he retaliated saying the accused was the same. Adopting a threatening attitude accused advanced to the Dispensary and struck Moulpied on both sides of his face with a closed fist. Sapper Dovall intervened and witness left the ward. Sapper Dovall stated that he heard them arguing with his fist raised but did not see the striking and separated them. Matron-in-Charge Gwendoline Keen saw the accused strike the witness. The accused had been admitted before 5/4/18 and a daily dose of aspirin had been given. He had been admitted for Rheumatism but was suffering from Haemorrhoids. The accused said Moulpied was telling a lie, Dovall probably saw him with his fist raised and the Matron was telling a lie. He said he had an excitable sort of nature and very often suffered excessive pain from Haemorrhoids and Rheumatism and high temperatures. He could see no other reason for less than friendly arguments but he was refused aspirin and raised his fist. Major Morse produced a clean sheet in favour of the T/Sergeant and he had been with the company for eighteen months and performed duties of Sergeant Clerk and later Pay Clerk satisfactorily.

The proceedings gave their verdict as:

(1) Guilty

(2) Guilty

(3) Guilty and to be reduced in the ranks and to undergo imprisonment without hard labour for

six calendar months. Confirmed by H. Plumer, Commanding Officer 2nd Army 2/5/18.

Sapper Dowling was admitted to No.5 Military Prison at Les Attaques on May 8, 1918 and went before a medical board on May 14 classified with B2 debility. He appeared before another medical board on September 30, 1918 with the debility classification of B1.

On October 7, 1918 he was released from the Military Prison on remission following a review of sentence and the unexpired portion of his sentence remitted. He was detrained to the A.G.B.D. in Rouelles the next day. Following a Medical Board was classed with B3 suffering Rheumatism and Haemorrhoids. With his age given as 53 years was sent to England on October 31, 1918.

He arrived at the No. 2 Command Depot at Weymouth on November 1, 1918 and was there when Peace was announced.

Departure from England took place as an invalid on December 4, 1918 on the H.T. Somerset for discharge in Australia due to premature senility. Base Records advised on December 20, 1918 his brother, listed in New Zealand that he was on his way home. The ship arrived in Melbourne, Vic (3rd M.D.) on January 15, 1919. He was noted in the medical list.

The advice from Base Records was unclaimed in Wellington, N.Z. on January 13 and returned to their Headquarters in Melbourne. A search through the pay office for next-of-kin noted that there was no Allottee listed.

Military Discharge was issued in Melbourne (3rd M.D.) on February 22, 1919 due to being medically unfit.

His Will was sent to the Assistant Adjutant General’s Office (3rd M.D.) on May 22, 1919.

Forfeited pay for 100 days was remitted to Thomas Dowling on July 8, 1919.

The Court Martial documents were forwarded to the Attorney General’s Office on August 20, 1920.

For serving his country L/Sergeant 4033 Thomas Dowling, Aust Electrical & Mechanical Mining & Boring Company received the British War medal (45402) and the Victory Medal (44630).

Delivery slips for the War and Victory medals were dated October 16, 1922 and witnessed by the Governor Maitland Goal.

Thomas Dowling wrote to the Repatriation Department in Melbourne, Vic from 160 Redfern Street, Redfern on June 22, 1925 advising that his Military Discharge had been lost in a boarding-house fire along with his pay book and the brass medal. He requested a copy as soon as possible as he required it as a reference. The Queensland Repatriation Department made a notation that they had no record of a pension to him and referred the matter by mail to the Paymaster, 3rd Military District for attention on July 4, 1925.

A Statement of Service was forwarded by Base Records on July 15, 1925 to Mr Dowling. Two years later a Statement of Service was sent to the Sydney Department of Repatriation on November 16, 1927.

From 1930 onwards he was a farmer at George’s Plains.

His brother John Dowling who was probably the next-of-kin named as a ruse as living in New Zealand was a grazier and farmer at George’s Plains near Bathurst. Family notices of his death appeared in the:

Edward Thomas Dowling died on July 16, 1948 aged about 79 years. He is buried at George’s Plains Cemetery, New South Wales.