Sapper Patrick Peter Lyons

LYONS BROTHERS

SAPPER PATRICK PETER LYONS

633 – 2nd Tunnelling Company

Patrick John Lyons was born in Mt Gambier, S.A. the son of James Clifford and Ellen (nee English) Lyons on November 29, 1885.

At the Recruiting Depot in Adelaide, S.A. on October 20, 1915 the thirty year old fireman applied to enlist for service abroad under the name of Patrick Peter Lyons accompanied by his younger brother John. After passing as medically fit his enlistment details show he was 178cms (5ft 10ins) tall, weighed 80.4kgs (177lbs) with a chest expansion of 89-103cms (38½-40½ins). Complexion was fair with blue eyes and dark brown hair. Eyesight tested to good in his right eye and fair in his left one. Distinctive marks were four vaccination scars on his right arm and three on his left arm. Roman Catholic was his religion. Next-of-kin was his mother Mrs Ellen Lyons of Grote Street, Adelaide, S.A. Swearing in took place the same day.

Basic training commenced with “B Coy” 2nd Depot Battalion from October 20 until October 31, 1915 and on November 1 sent to train for the newly forming Mining Corps. At Casula camp near Liverpool, Sydney, NSW he was assigned to the No. 2 Company of the Corps in the rank of Sapper with the regimental number 633.

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.

At Blackboy Hill near Perth, W.A. on March 14, 1916 Sapper Lyons was ‘absent without leave’ for six days and received 7 days detention for his misconduct. On April 1 the day of departure he received 7 days detention for being AWL whilst on Cook’s fatigue.

Departing Fremantle that day, 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.

While in Alexandria on April 23, 1916 Sapper was again AWL from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. and received 15 hours detention and severely reprimanded.

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’.

On June 6, 1916 he was caught drunk along with two other sappers having stolen a rum jar from the Quartermaster’s store in Sailly, and left it in the corner of their billets. On June 10 they were charged with the following:

1st Charge:Stealing goods the property of the public to wit one jar of rum

2nd Charge:Drunkenness

A Field General Court Martial was held at Sailly, France on June 16, 1916 held before Major T.F. Ulrick, 6th Battalion presiding as president. Sapper Lyons pleased not guilty to both charges.

Finding:(1) Not guilty

(2) Guilty

Sentence:The Court sentenced the accused 42 days F. P. No. 2.

On September 15, 1916 the following occurred:

Whilst on active service Absent from Trench Parade

Award:20 days Field Punishment No. 1 by Mjr E.N. Mulligan

Sapper Lyons was transferred from the field to A.I.F. Headquarters London on November 8, 1916 as unfit to become Tunnellers’ mates and marched in on November 15 to the Depot classified A. From Headquarters he was to report to the No. 1 Command Depot, Perham Downs on November 30.

He left Perham Down’s on December 26, 1916 to return to Australia for discharge as ‘undesirable’ services no longer required.

The transport H.T. Nestor departed Plymouth and docked in Adelaide, S.A. (4th M.D.) on March 9, 1917.

Military Discharge was issued in Adelaide, S.A. on March 14, 1917 as Services were No Longer Required. He served one year and 146 days of which one year and 19 days duty was abroad and his character was rated as ‘Bad’.

Full Reasons for R.T.A. were sent in a file to the Secretary of Defence in March, 1917 but Central Administration was then unable to locate the file in December, 1922.

Eleven months after his return The Advertiser on Saturday February 2, 1918 reported the following:

A retrial was ordered when the jury failed to reach a verdict and subsequently was found guilty of robbery with violence. During the hearing for sentencing the following was reported.

A précis of his service was sent to the Medal Distribution Board for consideration as Case 109 for War Medals on July 20, 1922. Their verdict remained ‘automatically forfeits’.

A Statement of Service was issued to the District Finance Officer, Keswick Barracks, Adelaide on December 11, 1922 in connection with his claim for War Gratuity. War Service Medals for Sapper 633 Patrick Peter Lyons, 2nd Tunnelling Company were deemed forfeited by the authorities.

In an undated letter but about July, 1945 an infirm Patrick Lyons wrote requesting a copy of his military discharge as his original was destroyed along with other belongings in a bush fire and he required one to apply for a service pension. Base Records replied to his address care of Mrs E. Lyons, 30 Sturt Street, Adelaide to complete a Statutory Declaration and consideration would be made.

A Statement of Service was sent to the Repatriation Commission in Adelaide on October 19, 1951.

Patrick Lyons passed away on March 1, 1964 aged 79 years. Interment took place in the Adelaide War Cemetery.

Photos of headstone & Adelaide Cemetery courtesy Heather Pearce, Adelaide.

SAPPER JOHN HENRY JOSEPH LYONS

632 – 2nd Tunnelling Company

Also born into the family at Mt Gambier, S.A. was John Henry Joseph Lyons on January 6, 1891. He became a labourer.

Accompanying his brother on October 20, 1915 to the Adelaide Recruiting Depot passed the medical examination for service abroad. Forms of Attestation show the twenty-four year old was 170cms (5ft 7ins) tall, weighed 72.7kgs (138lbs) with the chest expansion of 87-92cms (34-36ins). Fair was his complexion with grey eyes testing to good vision and light brown hair. Roman Catholic was his faith. A distinctive mark was one vaccination scar on his left arm. His mother Mrs Ellen Lyons, “Maryvale”, Burton Avenue, off Grote Street, Adelaide, S.A. was nominated as next-of-kin. He signed and took the ‘Oath of Allegiance’ the same day.

The Lyons brothers were allotted to ‘B Coy’, 2nd Depot Battalion on enlistment for basic training until October 31, 1915 when they were transferred the following day as Sappers for the Mining Corps. John’s regimental number was 632 with the No. 2 Company of the Corps and completed training at Casula camp near Sydney at Liverpool, NSW.

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.

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.

On October 4, 1916 the following misconduct was dealt with by Major Mulligan O.C. 2nd Tunnelling Company:

Crime:Absent from billet from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. 3/10/16

Award:14 days F.P. No. 2 [Field Punishment]

Total forfeiture:15 days pay.

Sapper Lyons was transferred to the 2nd Tunnelling Company in the field on December 29, 1916.

He went sick on January 22, 1917 to the 10th Aust Field Ambulance suffering Influenza and returned to duty several days later.

Further disciplinary action was administered on June 23, 1917 for the following:

Offence:W.O.A.S. [While on Active Service] A.W.L. from 3.30 p.m. 19/6/17

to 5 p.m. 23/6/17

Award:20 days F.P. No. 1

Forfeiture:£6

While on leave in London, England he was admitted to 1st Aust. Dermatological Hospital at Bulford for treatment of a social disease on September 27, 1917 and after 55 days curative care released on November 20. He reported to the No. 1 Command Depot at Sutton Veny. Six days later he moved to the Overseas Training Brigade at Deverill.

He left Longbridge, Deverill from Southampton dock on January 12, 1918 arriving at the Aust General Base Depot at Rouelles and marched out to join his unit on January 17 and arrived the following day.

He was issued with Blue Chevrons to wear on his uniform for twelve months service.

His mother advised Base Records on June 22, 1917 her address was now 162 Grote Street, Adelaide, S.A.

On January 20, 1918 he went to the 57th Aust Field Ambulance for treatment of Scabies. He was transferred to the 56th Casualty Clearing Station on February 15 for further treatment of an auxiliary abscess. Sapper was transferred on A.T.34 to Abbeville entering the 3rd Aust General Hospital on February 17 with P.U.O. (Pyrexia (Fever) of Uncertain Origin).

He departed for England on the hospital ship Cambria on March 15, 1918 and admitted to the Horton County of London War Hospital at Epsom, Surry with Trench Fever. His mother was advised by Base Records on March 21, 1918 that her son had been admitted to hospital.

On April 5, 1918 he went to the 3rd Aust Auxiliary Hospital at Dartford and by the end of the month sent to the No. 3 Command Depot at Hurdcott.

He returned to the Overseas Training Brigade on June 8, 1918 and proceeded from Longbridge, Deverill via Southampton to France on June 22, 1918 and returned to the A.G.B.D. leaving to rejoin his unit on June 29, 1918.

He was with his unit when Peace was declared and the Tunnelling Companies remained as part of the Army of Occupation assisting with the rehabilitation of their area by clearing roads and bridges and defusing delayed-action mines and booby traps.

On December 16, 1918 it appears Sapper Lyons refused to remove a mine according to instructions. He was charged with a crime ‘conduct to the prejudice of good order and military discipline’ and was awarded 20 days Field Punishment and forfeit 20 days pay. This punishment went before the Deputy Assistant Adjutant General and the crime was dismissed under his order and deleted from his service record.

On March 30, 1919 the unit was ordered to leave for the Base Depot to prepare to return to England and departed on April 4 crossing the English Channel disembarking at Southampton on April 9, 1919 then on to No. 2 Camp at Sutton Veny.

Sapper John Lyons embarked from Liverpool, England on May 30, 1919 on board the H.T. Nestor for the return voyage to Australia. His next-of-kin was advised on June 18 of his impending return. The ship docked in Adelaide, S.A. (4th M.D.) on June 29, 1919.

Military Discharge was issued in Adelaide, S.A. (4th M.D) on August 22, 1919 on termination of his period of enlistment.

The British War Medal (10081) and the Victory Medal (10017) were issued to Sapper 632 John Henry Joseph Lyons, 2nd Tunnelling Company for serving his country.

On July 10, 1937 he married Edith Eliza May Whiley in South Australia.

While residing at 27 Little Gilbert Street, Adelaide, S.A. he completed a Statutory Declaration for a replacement copy of his Military Discharge Certificate. He declared that his original was destroyed when the camp caught fire while working at Meningee in 1924 while working for the P.M.G. Department. A Statement of Service was forwarded on November 7, 1939.

Another Declaration was sent from 30 Sturt Street, Adelaide, S.A. dated 9th August, 1946 requesting a Discharge Certificate as the ‘tent in which his belongings were kept and caught fire and everything got burnt including his Military Discharge.’ A Statement of Service dated August 12, 1946 was posted to him and an advice of delivery receipted two days later.

A Statement of Service was forwarded to the Repatriation Commission in Adelaide, S.A. on October 26, 1951.