Sapper Patrick Hoolihan

SAPPER PATRICK HOOLIHAN

1029 – 3rd Tunnelling Company

The parents of Patrick Hoolihan married in Queensland on January 2, 1866. They were Patrick Hoolihan and Alicia Kelly who had the following children:

Michael Hoolihan born Maryborough, Qld on October 22, 1866

John James Hoolihan born Maryborough, Qld on October 1, 1870

Patrick William Hoolihan born Maryborough, Qld on January 9, 1873

Charles Joseph Hoolihan born Maryborough, Qld on December 9, 1874

Catherine Hoolihan born on September 30, 1877

Dalton James Hoolihan born Townsville, Qld on October 19, 1880

In 1903 his parents were residing at Mitchell Street, North Ward, Townsville and his father’s occupation was a carrier.

In the Coolgardie district of Modyella, W.A. in 1906 was a miner named Patrick Hoolihan.

Patrick applied to enlist for overseas service on November 22, 1915 at Roebourne, Western Australia passing the medical examination and accepted five days later. Attestation forms were completed and the forty-two year old miner was sworn in on November 29, 1915 at Blackboy Hill, W.A. These forms reveal his height of 182cms (5ft 11¾ins), weight 68.6kgs (151lbs) and a chest measuring 97cms (38ins). Complexion was fresh with blue eyes and grey hair. The middle finger on his right hand was noted to be missing. Roman Catholic was his faith. Next-of-kin was given as his brother Michael Hoolihan of Warburton Street, Townsville, Qld. Swearing in took place at Blackboy Hill camp on November 29, 1915

Basic training in the rank of Private commenced immediately with the 37th Depot Battalion.

Recruiting for West Australian miners to join the Mining Corps began on December 1, 1915 and seventeen days later Patrick was assigned a member of the Unit comprised of 1 officer and 274 other ranks that embarked from Fremantle, W.A. on the SS Indarra for Sydney, NSW.

On December 18, 1915 the company sailed for Sydney, NSW on board the troopship SS Indarra. His name appears on the passenger list which was published in:

On Boxing Day (Dec 26th), 1915 the Unit arrived in Sydney and marched into Casula Camp, near Liverpool, NSW to complete training in squad and company drills, plus military techniques of trench making and use of boring machines. They were joined by the 4th Section of the Tasmanian Miners, bringing the establishment strength up to 15 officers and 349 Other Ranks under the command of 2nd Lieutenant L.J. Coulter.

Sapper was allotted on December 28, 1915 with the No. 3 Company of the Mining Corps and his regimental number became 1029.

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.

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.

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’.

At the A.S.C. Corps Base on June 21, 1916 Sapper was attached for Ration Details and returned to his unit at Rouen, France on July 2, 1916.

Attachment to the 3rd Tunnelling Company took place on December 18, 1916. Five days afterwards was taken to 73 Field Ambulance sick transferring on New Years Day, 1917 to 1 Casualty Clearing Station suffering from NYD (not yet diagnosed) Pyrexia (Fever).

Three days later was temporarily admitted for several days before being conveyed by A.T. 31 to Calais.

The hospital ship Brighton conveyed him to England on January 31, 1917 diagnosed with Pleurisy upon admission to Chatham Military Hospital the next day.

His next-of-kin was notified by the following telegram:

Discharged to furlough on March 3, 1917 and had to report on March 19 to Perham Downs. Three days later was assessed by the Medical Board at No 1 Command Depot.

Sapper returned to Australia on H.T. Runic which left Devonport, England on May 4, 1917, his berth for the voyage was a hammock.

Next-of-kin were advised of his impending return on June 1, 1917. In reply to this correspondence his father advised on June 25, 1917 that he had just received news owing to the letter going to the wrong address. He also advised that he had two more sons serving abroad and could they note his Mitchell Street address for those sons also.

Base Records replied on July 5, 1917 advising that his son Michael Hoolihan of Warburton Street, Townsville, Qld had been named next-of-kin for Patrick and Dalton Hoolihan had nominated his wife at their Cairns, Qld address and Charles Hoolihan had given his mother for notification purposes.

Sapper Hoolihan disembarked in the 5 Military District (WA) on June 26, 1917 and went to the 8 Aust General Hospital at Fremantle, WA. During the overnight evaluation of case number 793, treatment for his disease of Senility and operation for Haemorrhoids was proposed. He declined the operation and was sent to Details Camp at Karrakatta, WA and paperwork sent to Perth, WA for processing.

A Discharge as Medically Unfit took place in Perth on July 13, 1917.

For serving his country Sapper 1029 Patrick Hoolihan, 3rd Tunnelling Company was awarded the British War Medal (8150) and the Victory Medal (8096).

These medals were sent care of his brother Michael at the Warburton Street address but were returned unclaimed on October 24, 1924. They were redirected to his father on January 28, 1925.

In the 1930’s at Pine Creek, Northern Territory was a miner named Patrick Hoolihan. News of this man’s demise was reported in the:

The verdict of the inquest was published in the:

A transcript of the Northern Territory Death Certificate gives the following information:

First Name: Patrick Last Name: Hoolihan

Gender: Male Age at Death: 61 years

Death year: 1936 Death Date: Price’s Creek, miles from Willeroo Station N.T.

Cemetery: Price’s Creek Yards, N.T. Australia

Record: Northern Territory District.

It appears that burial took place near the outstation cattle yards at Price’s Creek on Willeroo Station, situated on the Victoria Highway, west of Katherine, N.T.

His brothers also served.

HOOLIHAN BROTHERS

Dalton James Hoolihan was a horse driver when he enlisted at 35 years of age in Cairns, Qld on February 1, 1916. His wife Mrs Margaret Hoolihan of White Rock was nominated as next-of-kin. Private Hoolihan was allotted to 19th Reinforcements to the 9th Battalion at Chermside, Qld on July 31, 1917. Regimental number was 6036.

Wounded in action in Belgium on September 20, 1917 receiving a gunshot wound to his right elbow and returned to Australia on November 1, 1917.

Charles Joseph Hoolihan enlisted in Townsville, Qld on June 29, 1916 at the age of 40 leaving his occupation of Labourer. His mother Mrs Alice Hoolihan of Mitchell Street, Townsville, Qld was named as next-of-kin. Assigned to the 4th Reinforcements 41st Battalion with the regimental number 2322 at Bells Paddock, Enoggera, Qld.

On June 11, 1917 was wounded in action when buried by an explosion and gassed suffering Hematuria and returned to Australia on October 24, 1917.

Michael Hoolihan enlisted as a 43 year old miner on January 6, 1917 in Townsville, Qld submitting his wife Mrs Mary Bridget Hoolihan of Fourth Street, Railway Estate, Townsville, as next-of-kin. His number was Q16744 at the 11 Depot Battalion, Enoggera, Qld and was unallotted to any reinforcements during basic training. Although he passed the Townsville medical examination and proceeded to Fraser’s Hill Camp, Enoggera, upon arrival it was seen clearly and visibly that he had deformed hands and appeared to be older than the 43 years he attested to.

The Commanding Officer of the 11 Depot Battalion recommended that he be prosecuted for making a false declaration as an example to other men who deliberately want a free trip to Brisbane at Government expense. The C.O. also directed criticism at the Recruiting Officers in Townsville for allowing this to occur.

Michael Hoolihan failed to report as a recruit and was also was fined $4 (£2) for a false declaration and was discharged medically unfit and not due to misconduct on January 18, 1917.