LIEUTENANT WILLIAM THOMAS ANDERSON
1st Tunnelling Company & Australian Electrical & Mechanical Mining & Boring Company
Born on 15 June 1886 at Summer Hill, Sydney, New South Wales, the son of William and Elizabeth Anderson.
William Thomas Anderson, a single Mining Engineer, first completed the ‘Attestation Paper of Persons Enlisted for Service Abroad’, and the Oath to ‘well and truly serve’, at the Engineer Depot, Moore Park, Sydney on 14 December 1914 with a view to joining the 1st Field Company Engineers (Reinforcements). He was discharged on 7 February 1915 on completion of a course of instruction as a candidate for a Commission at the Moore Park Depot for Engineer Officers.
He again completed the ‘Attestation Paper of Persons Enlisted for Service Abroad’, and the Oath to ‘well and truly serve’, on 23 August 1915 and was assigned the Service number 2609. At a medical examination on 14 August he had been considered ‘fit for active service’. The examination recorded that he was 29 years and 2 months of age, stood 5ft 4¾ins tall and weighed 142 lbs. He had a dark complexion, brown eyes and dark hair.
On his Application for a Commission in the Mining Corps A.I.F. he recorded his educational qualifications a Bachelor of Engineering at Sydney University, with Honours in Mining and Metallurgy, and an Honours Diploma in Military Science, achieved in 1910.
He had completed 2½ years of an Engineer apprenticeship in Sydney with Chapman Company and was a graduate of Sydney University. Previous military experience included 3 years with the Sydney University Scouts, including the 7-week Officers Training Course at No.17 Light Horse School (Dec 1914-Jan 1915).
He named as his Next-of-Kin his father Mr. William Anderson of ‘Clifton’, 64 Ben Boyd Road, Neutral Bay, Sydney, New South Wales who was the Mayor of the Municipality of North Sydney in 1916.
William embarked for the European theatre on Ulysses on 20 Feb 1916.
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.
Following the farewell parade in the Domain, Sydney, the Australian Mining Corps embarked from Sydney, New South Wales on 20 February 1916 on board HMAT A38 Ulysses. 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.
Ulysses arrived in Melbourne, Victoria on 22 February and the Miners were camped at Broadmeadows while additional stores and equipment were loaded onto Ulysses. 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.
Departing Melbourne on 1 March, Ulysses sailed to Fremantle, Western Australia where a further 53 members of the Corps were embarked. 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. After a delay of about a month for repairs, The Mining Corps sailed for the European Theatre on 1 April 1916.
The ship arrived at Suez, Egypt on 22 April, departing for Port Said the next day; then on to Alexandria. 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 Mining Corps was transhipped to B1 Ansonia for the final legs to Marseilles, France via Valetta, Malta. Arriving at Marseilles on 5 May, most of the men entrained for Hazebrouck where they arrived to set up their first camp on 8 May 1916.
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’.
As a member of No.1 Company, Australian Mining Corps, William became by default a member of the 1st Australian Tunnelling Company. He was promoted to rank of Lieutenant on 15 June 1916. While the unit was working at Ploegsteert, William was admitted to the 1st Australian Field Ambulance with gas shell poisoning on 2 July 1916, rejoining his unit the next day. Between 28 October and 7 November 1916 William enjoyed some ordinary leave in France.
William was a member of 1ATC from May 1916 until 17 May 1917 when he was attached for duty to the Australian Electrical and Mechanical Mining and Boring Company (AEMMBC). During his time with 1ATC he would have worked at Hill 60 in the preparations for the Battle of Messines Ridge. He may have been involved with the Easter Raid of April 1917 and the accidental explosion of 25 April 1917, which killed 10 members of his unit.
In January 1918 the AEMMBC organisation chart lists Lt Anderson MC assigned to 2nd Army North.
William Thomas Anderson was awarded the Military Cross in January 1918.
The recommendation written by Major Morse, O.C. AEMMBC, and forwarded to the Inspector of Mines, read:
“For gallantry and great devotion to duty. He has been in charge of the erection and maintenance of machinery for the electric lighting, ventilating and pumping of forward battle dugout systems during the recent operation at Wytschaete (9/4/17), the whole 5th Army front for the 31st July operations, and the further 2nd Army operations on this portion of the front 20th Sept. 17., during which time great difficulties were experienced, due to enemy shell fire, all his work was finished on time.”
The award was mentioned in the War Diary of his old unit, 1ATC, and appeared in the Sydney Morning Herald of 5 January 1918 under the heading: ‘Military Crosses – Australians Honoured’.
From 16 to 29 June 1918 William again enjoyed some leave.
On 1 September 1918 he was officially transferred to AEMMBC, and was taken on strength the same day.
William left France on 26 December 1918 for England and was granted leave from 28 December 1918 until 28 June 1919 to undertake Non-military Employment to study metallurgy of iron at John Lysaught & Sons, Lincoln.
He was granted an extension of leave from 29 June until 28 September 1919 to gain practical experience in the metallurgy of iron and steel at the Central School of Science and Technology, Stoke-on-Trent. His leave was again extended until 7 October 1919 and he attended Dalzeil Steel Works, Motherwell, Scotland.
William left London on 10 November 1919 on board HMAT A71 Nestor for return to Australia, disembarking on 12 December 1919.
His appointment as an Officer in the A.I.F. was terminated on 21 February 1920. He was entitled to wear the Military Cross; British War Medal and the Victory Medal.
The Register of Tunnelling Company Officers – February 1925; concerning Royal Engineers; Canadian Engineers; Australian Engineers and New Zealand Engineers, records William as living Neutral Bay, Sydney, New South Wales.
Reunions
Past members of the Australian Electrical & Mechanical Mining & Boring Company and Tunnelling Companies gathered on or about Anzac Day for a reunion luncheon. We have had access to some of their records, which were very well kept and are quite detailed.
William Anderson first appears on the list in 1928 giving his address as "Clifton", Ben Boyd Road, Neutral Bay. In 1934, and in 1968 when he is marked as attending the Reunion, his address is 48 Nelson Road, Lindfield.
In November 1957 his military records were forwarded to the Repatriation Commission, Sydney.
William Thomas Anderson died on 16 August 1968 aged 81.
© Donna Baldey 2013