SAPPER LYLE RANGER
5605 – 1st Tunnelling Company
Lyle J. Ranger was born in 1898 at Boolaroo, New South Wales the son of George and Sarah Jane (nee Shute) Ranger. He was educated at Boolaroo Public School and military experience was through one year’s training with the Senior Cadets at Teralba, NSW. He said no equipment was returned as none was issued. He was an apprentice tailor.
At the Recruiting Depot at West Wallsend, Newcastle, NSW on May 17, 1916 the almost eighteen-year-old wheeler applied to enlist for active service abroad. Passing the medical examination personal particulars taken show he was unmarried and residing at Young Wallsend, NSW and a had the certified approval of both his parents for his application to enlist as he was under twenty-one years of age. He was 173cms (5ft 8ins) tall with a chest measurement of 87cms (34ins) and was declared fit for service at Newcastle.
Attestation Forms were completed describing him further as weighing 54kgs (120lbs) with a chest expansion of 82-87cms (32-34ins) and a medium complexion, brown hair and his hazel eyes tested to good vision. Distinctive marks were scars on both shins. Religion was Church of England. Next-of-kin nominated was his father initially of Young Wallsend, NSW and later changed to his mother at the same address. He signed at took the ‘Enlistment Oath’ the same day.
Basic training commenced on May 31, 1916 with ‘D Coy’ Newcastle Depot Battalion in the rank of Private. The evening before he departed on transfer to the Miners’ Reinforcements training camp at Seymour, Victoria a farewell was given to the volunteers. This was reported in the:
At Seymour camp he was assigned to the October, 1916 Reinforcement to the Tunnelling Companies in the rank of Sapper with the regimental number 5605.
The 516 Reinforcements departed Melbourne, Victoria on October 25, 1916 at 1.30pm aboard the transport HMAT A38 Ulysses. The Australian coastline disappeared from view on October 30, 1916 with the port of Durban reached at 11.30am on November 13, 1916. Windy weather was experienced going around the Cape and arrived at Cape Town at 7am on November 19. Sierra Leone was the next port of call but their departure was delayed until December 14, 1916 as it was not safe to proceed further. Arrived at Plymouth, England on December 28, 1916 after 65 days at sea, with the troops disembarking at 1.30pm and detrained to the station at Tidworth. They marched into the Aust Details camp at Perham Downs the following day for further training for the front.
5798 Sapper George Oxman, (later of the 3rd Australian Tunnelling Company) recorded the voyage in his Diary:
Dec 5. It took 1½ hours to take 1000 men ashore for the afternoon. We have to pay 6d each for the loan of the punts. We were fastened with ropes with one punt to the other coming back, the rope broke and we were drifting out pretty quick but the tug boat soon had us back again. Not too clean of a place. The women stand in a stream and wet their clothes they are washing and place them on a flat stone and then belt into them with a flat piece of wood like a bat.
Dec 9. Had to get some coal and fresh water. The officers went ashore to buy some fruit to sell to us they wouldn’t let us buy off the natives so when they came back with the fruit - none of us would buy it off them.
Dec13. 29 Big boats in here now.
Dec 14. Left for England with four other transport auxiliary cruiser escorting us.
Dec 25. On the sea between Gibraltar and England it has been very foggy. We had roast pork for Christmas dinner and some baked scones. They were as hard as rock.
Dec 26. Very foggy torpedo boats came to escort us in the rest of the way. Got our kit bags out of the holds.
Dec 28. We had nothing to eat from 7.30am to 3.30pm. We had to buy some cakes during the last week on the boat. We held the Dead March on a roast they gave us (250 of us) for our dinner. We marched up to the top deck with it, all the rest of the men were watching us and laughing. We got roared up a bit after it but we didn’t care.
Got on the train at 4pm. Got to Perham Downs camp at 11pm. Nothing to eat from the military until 8 or 9 the next morning. Then we had two tablespoons of boiled salmon and spuds and a mug of tea. Mud from 1-6 inches deep.
On January 29, 1917 the Reinforcement proceeded to France from Folkstone on board S.S. Onward and after arrival marched in to the Aust General Base Depot.
He was attached Supernumerary to the 1st Tunnelling Company in the field on February 6, 1917 and taken on strength with the company on March 23, 1917. Due to his age it is likely he was assigned as a Batman to one of the officers.
A month later Sapper Ranger was killed by an accidental explosion on April 25, 1917 at the age of nineteen years.
Three officers and seven men were killed and four officers and about a dozen men badly gassed. The accidental explosion occurred when a mine charge was being set up in the sandy layer of “D” Gallery at Hill 60. The two officers preparing the charge were killed instantly. The possible explanation came from an Officer who escaped the explosion because he came back to the Headquarters Dugout to obtain a measuring tape, retold he remembered hearing “We did not test the detonators for continuity” as the 50 pound box of Guncotton, the primer for the charge was being arranged. It was concluded by those experienced in these situations that the disaster was caused by the circuit receiving the test current during checking of the detonators, still assembled in the primer, a “supersensitive” detonator had exploded during the test. Other probable errors were, they hadn’t put the detonator under a sandbag whilst running the current from the battery to the detonator’s filament or did not use enough current to reach the filament. Comments at the time described it as a thousand-to-one chance.
Commanding Officer of the 1st Tunnelling Company, Major J. Douglas Henry’s report states that “during a heavy enemy bombardment a minenwerfer exploded in the Officers’ Mess” and Lt Robert Adam Clinton, Proto Officer in charge of the rescue squad in his commentary also said “enemy bombardment, a minenwerfer or heavy shell pierced the Officers’ Dugout Quarters, exploding therein”. Whether it was human error or enemy gunfire that caused the explosion, the loss of life and destruction were the same.
The layout of the Dugout system was extremely defenceless to an unfortunate situation such as this with the corridors, quarters and common rooms underground, poisonous gasses permeated anywhere it could by the pressure of the discharge.
Lt Clinton’s assessment of the blast’s destruction was localised to the O.C. Advance Mica’s Office, Mess Room and the flight of stairs which led to the Dugout System of Larchwood and Major Henry’s report stated the Officer’s Mess, the kitchen and adjoining sleeping room were completely wrecked and the Batmen’s dugout damaged. Timbers were driven thirty to thirty-five feet into the Berlin section by the detonation.
Lieutenants John Edward Armstrong and Paul Jones, the Proto-men and Non-Commissioned Officers and Sappers from the vicinity went quickly into action to rescue those gassed or buried by the blast. An immediate attempt was made to prise an access for releasing those trapped but the poisonous vapours were too lethal to allow a quick penetration.
The Batman’s Quarters which were at the other end of the system but closest to the detonation point therefore had high levels of toxic gasses and fumes and were isolated from the structure except for one opening which allowed Proto-man Corporal John William Saxton to enter wearing his Proto apparatus and make a quick inspection of this area, but the collective concentration of gas haze made visibility difficult and he could not instantly see any men alive in their quarters. Corporal Robert James Treacy then followed further to inspect the situation and to give a report in which “all bodies appeared to be lifeless” but during his inspection sand from above dislodged by the blast now began pouring in from where he had entered forcing him to squeeze back through the small opening, not only was it difficult to do this wearing his breathing apparatus but his feet also got caught in electrical cabling as he made his hurried escape as well.
As soon as the dangerous gasses had dissipated the rescue and relief teams went into action and eventually found the bodies amongst the collapsed timber and sand. The “rescue” room was cleared first then the sand from the dugouts had to be removed and sieved and it was not until 28th April that all the bodies of those killed were retrieved and placed in blankets, with Capt Avery and Lt Tandy buried at Poperinghe New Military Cemetery and the others in the Railway Dugouts Burial Ground by Chaplain A.E.N. Hitchcock, C.F. of the 70th Battalion. The repairs to the Dugouts were well underway when the section was relieved that same day.
News of his demise was cabled to Base Records, Melbourne and the message confirmed on May 7. The medical officer’s report was dated May 8, 1917, the Field Service Report was dated May 16 and a copy made for the War Pension Department on May 17.
News of his death was reported in the:
The Grand Secretary of the Manchester Unity Independent Order of Oddfellows’ Friendly Society wrote on May 26, 1917 to Base Records requesting a confirming report of the soldier as they had an application for benefits payable and required the Certificate to pay the amount due. Acknowledgement to their letter was sent from Base Records on May 31 that the report had not come to hand.
The Grand Secretary wrote again on July 3, 1917 inquiring whether any information had been received and a Certificate was issued on July 10, 1917.
Mr Bernard M. Devlin care of E. Ranger, Eden Street, Kilham Estate, Toowoomba, Queensland wrote to Base Records on June 26, 1917 anxious to ask for information on a name the same as his brother-in-law which was reported about a month ago as killed in action. His service number was 1346 with the 5th Light Horse but transferred to the Infantry last July, twelve months ago. His address they used for correspondence was Gunner B.H. Ranger, 5th Division of Artillery, Trench Mortar Brigade, Heavy Battery. If he was killed a month ago they were anxious to hear information from them.
Base Records replied stating that the soldier whose name appeared in the Casualty List was 5605 Sapper L. Ranger, 1st Tunnelling Company and not identical with the subject of his inquiry.
The Honorary Secretary, W.G. Witt of the Win-the-War-League, Wallsend Branch, Murnain Street, Wallsend wrote to Base Records on November 14, 1917 as Mrs S. Ranger, mother of the Sapper Ranger had called that day asking if he could take the necessary steps to have Deferred Pay due for her late son paid at their earliest convenience. She had pointed out it was eight months since he was killed and as six months generally suffices the necessary information from London she feared that her case has been overlooked. The writer also asked if his property that might come to hand be forwarded to her by rail and gave the address or by post, her postal address.
Records replied on November 22, 1917 advising that all matters regarding the soldier’s military financial matters would be dealt with by the Paymaster, Victoria Barracks, Paddington, NSW and to communicate directly with their officer. In regards to the soldier’s personal effects nothing had come to hand but parcels received would be dealt with and promptly dispatched to the next-of-kin. The lack of shipping accommodation had delayed having belongings of deceased members of the A.I.F. returned to Australia.
The Roll of Honour for the district was unveiled and news of this commemoration was published in the:
The A.I.F. Kit Store in London prepared an Inventory of the late soldier’s effects which were dispatched on the transport Marathon as follows:
Wallet, Testament, canvas belt, handkerchief, 2 discs, key, metal watch, damaged, 18 coins, comb and cards.
Base Records advised Mrs Ranger on March 8, 1918 that a package containing the above items had been forwarded by registered post (3794) to her.
On April 6, 1918 W.C. Witt of the War Service Committee wrote again to Base Records after being handed their form dated March 8 addressed to Mrs S. Ranger with her request to follow the matter up. The package was said to have been forwarded by separate post containing the effects of her son and not been received at Young Wallsend Post Office. His inquiry was if the parcel had been posted would they oblige with the Postal Registration Receipt and take this up with the Postal Authorities.
Correspondence returned from Base Records dated April 13, 1918 stating that the packet bearing Registration (3794) from G.P.O. Melbourne was forwarded to Mrs Ranger on March 8, 1918. If in the meantime it has not come to hand suggested he to make enquiries at the local Post Office and if still untraceable the matter should be referred to the Deputy-Postmaster General, Melbourne.
W.C. Witt wrote again to Records on April 16, 1918 further to his letter above and begged to advise that the same were received yesterday April 15th. This should clearly constitute a record, one month and seven day’s it took to cover a two day journey. Of course he presumed they had been sent by them on the advised date of March 8.