Sapper Roy Charles Nilsson

SAPPER ROY CHARLES NILSSON

823 – 2nd Tunnelling Company &

Australian Electrical & Mechanical Mining & Boring Company

Roy Nilsson was born at Botany, Sydney, New South Wales, and, stating his age as 21 years and 4 months, signed the Attestation Paper of Persons Enlisted for Service Abroad on 11th October 1915. Roy listed his father, John Nilsson of 78 Liverpool Road, Summer Hill, Sydney, as his next of Kin. He recorded his trade as ‘Electric Mechanic’.

A dutiful son, Roy wrote to his mother on YMCA stationary, posting the following letter on the 12th of October:

“Dear Mother,

Nothing like getting in easy. I hope you have not been wondering where I got to but suppose Vida told you where I was.

I rang up at the camp at Holdsworthy and told her to tell you. I have got good mates up here and the authorities show you every consideration. I wouldn’t mind if you would send us up a few bob because we don’t get paid till the 30th of the month. You don’t want to worry about me. I am as right as rain. There are a lot of Botany Boys up here.

Well I will have to leave you now. I am putting my address underneath.

I remain

Your loving soldier

Roy

Private Roy C Nilsson

D Company

6th Battalion

Holdsworthy

ps – I will try an get down for the week end. If I can get leave.”

On 22nd October 1915, D Company 11th Depot Battalion, issued a Discharge certificate for Roy Charles Nilsson at ‘Parents Request (underage)’. Length of time in camp – twelve days. An exceedingly short military career.

On 31st January 1916, Roy Charles Nilsson again signed the Attestation Paper, listing his age as 18 years 7 months, but with a letter signed by both parents on 14th January giving permission for him to enlist in the Australian Imperial Expeditionary Forces. He was assigned to the No. 2 Company of the Mining Corps with the regimental number 823

At a civic parade in the Domain, Sydney on Saturday February 19, 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.

Sapper was one of 1,248 members of the Corps who 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.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.Soon after arrival, the Australian Mining Corps ceased to exist as a whole and was redesignated into three Tunnelling Companies which were dispersed where the British Armies required them immediately. Sapper Nilsson was assigned to the 2nd Tunnelling Company.

While a member of 2ATC he was briefly hospitalised in mid July before being attached for temporary duty to 2nd Cornwall Army Troops Company, RE, at the 2nd Army Workshops, rejoining 2ATC in mid August 1916.

In October 1916, Roy was transferred to the AEMMBC. His records record nothing more until mid March 1918 when Roy is hospitalised on and off over a couple of weeks before being transferred to England and admitted to Brook War Hospital at Dartford with neurasthenia. By May it had been decided that Roy should return to Australia and 1st August Roy was back on Australian soil per an ocean voyage on HMAT Essex.

Roy was discharged in 2MD medically unfit on 3rd October 1918, entitled to wear the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.

Roy Nilsson was Honorary Secretary of the A.E.M.M. and B. Coy and Tunnelling Company 1st A.I.F. and often carried the ‘Corps Engrs, ROD, Tunnellers’ sign on Anzac Day marches.

He was a member of the Reunion Committee from the early 1920s. His records of the members’ names and addresses of the Association were kept from about 1920 until the late 1970’s when age disbanded the group. Correspondence regarding the Annual Dinner held in Sydney around June 7 each year and Anzac Day Luncheon after their march in parade in Sydney plus other activities and business notices were issued through him as Secretary.

Nilsson and John McDairmid Royle were the stalwarts of the officers and men of these companies who kept Association members informed during their lifetime. Their achievements and commitment were gratefully rewarded by their former A.I.F. company members.

His location in 1928 was 181 Federal Street, Ashfield, NSW and 1930 he was registered at 165 Philip Street, Sydney, NSW and his occupation was Electrical Engineer. Later that year it changed to Shellcore Road, Sydney. His address was also given as 154 Castlereagh Street, Bayview. In 1936 and until 1954 his residence was listed as 786 New South Head Road, Rose Bay and he was a contractor. After that it was 5 Dumaresque Road, Rose Bay and lastly at Hunters Hill.

He was awarded the Order of the British Empire (OBE) on 1 June 1953 for work with the electrical industry.

The Sydney Morning Herald on November 12, 1957 published the following advertisement in regard to C. Roy Nilsson Pty Ltd:

In 1976 an article titled “Underground Wars” and written by Roy was published in the April edition of ‘Club World’. The article was reproduced in the Waterloo 76 edition of the SAPPER, The Magazine of the Royal Australian Engineers. The article is again reproduced in the ‘Potted History’ page of this website.

Roy Charles Nilsson passed away on October 24, 1982. Announcements were published in the Sydney Morning Herald in the following issues:

photo of Anzac Day March courtesy Anne Mayoh