SERGEANT WALLACE ALLAN WARBURTON
3537 - Aust. Electrical & Mechanical Mining & Boring Company
Born on 3 December 1889 at Millthorpe, New South Wales (NSW), Wallace was the eldest son of Thomas and Isabella (nee Mockett) Warburton.
His siblings were Carl William born 1893; Thomas Elwyn born 1895 and Aileen A. born 1901.
In 1913 Wallace was living at the Tattersalls Hotel, Longreach, Queensland, and on 31 October that year received his Certificate of Competency as a Third Class Engine Driver.
A medical examination at the Rosebery Camp, Sydney, on 22 March 1916 recorded that he was 26 years and 3 months of age. He was 6ft tall and weighed 143 lbs. He had a sallow complexion, grey eyes and black hair. Wallace was of the Methodist faith.
He signed the ‘Attestation Paper of Persons Enlisted for Service Abroad’, and the Oath to ‘well and truly serve’, at Sydney on 28 March 1916.
He stated he was a well-borer by trade and had served 3 years with the Cadets in the Orange District.
He named as his Next-of-Kin his father Mr. Thomas Warburton of Millthorpe, NSW.
On 14 April he was appointed to the 4th Company, Tunnelling Corps. On 22 May 1916 Wallace embarked at Sydney on board Warilda as a member of the 4th Tunnelling Company, Australian Mining Corps.
Two Sections of the Northern recruits to form the No.4 Company had embarked from Brisbane, Queensland early in May, 1916 aboard HMAT A69 Warilda for Sydney, NSW. Six officers and 152 other ranks together with the 1st Reinforcements of fifteen other ranks made up the two sections.
At Rosebery Park, Sydney, NSW they joined their Headquarters and two sections (8 officers & 153 O.Rs.) plus 1st Reinforcements consisting of one officer and seventeen other ranks for final training.
The 7713-ton transport departed Sydney, NSW on May 22, 1916 and collected in Melbourne, Victoria the No 5 Company recruited from Victoria, South Australia & Tasmania consisting of a Headquarters and 2 Sections (8 officers & 173 men) (3 M.D.). 1 Section from Tasmania (3 officers & 76 O.Rs); also 1st Reinforcements for No 5 Company (17 men from Vic. & 8 men Tas.) The ship departed on May 25, 1916 for Adelaide, S.A. to collect one Section of 3 officers & 76 O.Rs with 1st Reinforcements of 8 O.Rs. Docking at Fremantle, W.A. on June 1, 1916 No 6 Company recruited from W.A. of 14 officers and 325 O.Rs along with 1st Reinforcements of 1 Officer & 32 O.Rs embarked and Warilda departed the same day for the European theatre.
Durban, South Africa was reached on June 16, 1916 and Cape Town on June 21, 1916 while St Vincent completed the African ports of call on July 7, 1916. Discipline was fairly good except at intermediate ports where soldiers going Absent Without Leave caused concern. The fifty-eight day voyage experienced remarkable pleasant weather and terminated at Plymouth, England on July 18, 1916. Four, Five and Six Companies comprising of 1064 officers and other ranks were detrained to Amesbury and Tidworth to begin training for the front.
Wallace proceeded overseas to France on 29 August 1916 and marched in to the 2nd Australian Divisional Base Depot on 30 August. He was taken on Strength of the 1st Australian Tunnelling Company on 31 August.
On 27 September Wallace was transferred to the Australian Electrical and Mechanical Mining and Boring Company (AEMMBC) and was taken on strength on 3 October.
He was promoted to Temporary Corporal on 1 August 1917, vice 784 Corporal William Hanlon who had been medically evacuated to England. He was promoted to Lance Corporal on 11 August 1917, and when it was decided that Hanlon was to return to Australia, Wallace was promoted to Corporal on 1 November 1917 to replace him.
His Blue Chevrons were due about this time. Each blue Service chevron denoted one year’s service from 1 January 1915. A Red chevron denoted service before 31 December 1914.
Wallace enjoyed some leave in December 1917.
Wallace proceeded on leave on 15 December 1918, rejoining his unit on 29 December. He was promoted to Temporary Sergeant on 1 January 1919. On 24 February he proceeded on leave to Paris, rejoining his unit on 6 March. He reverted to Corporal rank on 24 April 1919 and proceeded on leave prior returning to Australia. He marched out to England on 28 May 1919 and marched into No.1 Group, R.B.A.A. at Heytesbury on 29 May. He marched out of Heytesbury on 23 June and marched in to No.1 Group at Longbridge-Deverill on 2 July.
Wallace was granted Non-military Employment (NME) leave from 10 July to 10 September 1919, with pay and subsistence, to study Mining at Andrew Kyle Ltd., Airyknoll Galston, Ayrshire.
On 9 September he applied for discharge in England stating his reasons as: “To obtain first hand information re drilling oil wells, inspecting same, formation & geology of strata of petroleum bearing country, method of conveying crude oils (transport) refining of same, & works connected therewith, also different types of plants & tools used for drilling. Can obtain this information in the U.S.A. & it will be beneficial to me on my return to Aust.”
His application was accompanied by a letter from Lucey Manufacturing Corporation.
His NME leave was cancelled on 9 September 1919. He was granted leave from 17 September, due to report on 24 September, pending discharge. He was granted further leave from 27 September until 14 October. This leave was extended to 21 October, and then 28 October.
A medical report was prepared on 17 November 1919, which stated that he was suffering ‘Nil’ disabilities and that he was ‘fit for General Service’. Wallace signed his ‘Proceedings on Discharge’ paper on 17 November 1919, notating on it ‘I reserve all my Active and Deferred pay over and above the sum of eighty five pounds (£85) Sterling received by me this seventeenth day of November nineteen hundred and nineteen’. He received a Railway Warrant and Parchment Certificate of Discharge.
A note on his file reads:
“Embarked for New York on S.S. Mauritania which sailed from Southampton on 18/11/19, and has made arrangements for his journey from Vancouver to Sydney by S.S. Niagara due to sail on 17 .3.20 (Letter A.I.F. Hd Qrs. Dtd London 27.11.19)”
On 21 November 1919 his postal address was recorded by the A.I.F. as: Lucey Manufacturing Company, Houston Works, Texas, U.S.A.
Administrative Headquarters, A.I.F. wrote to Wallace on 9 January 1920 at his Houston Works, Texas, U.S.A. address advising that issue of Brass Discharge Badge issued by the Commonwealth Government of Australia was now available for issue. On 2 February 1920, Wallace responded from Eastland, Texas advising the Officer I.C Records, H.F. Rd. to ‘kindly forward that bit of brass to Mrs. Thos. Warburton, Millthorpe, W. Line, N.S. Wales, Australlia’.
Wallace Allan Warburton was discharged from the A.I.F. in England on 28 February 1920, entitled to wear the British War Medal and the Victory Medal. He had served in the A.I.F. for 3 years, 345 days; 3 years, 283 days of which had been ‘Service Abroad’.
The full Discharge Certificate No.3537 was never collected, or forwarded to him after his official discharge in 1920, and remains in his file at the National Archives.
On 27 September 1922, Wallace signed a Declaration of Intention to ‘renounce forever all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty, and particularly to George V, King of Great Britain and Ireland’. He stated that he had arrived at San Francisco on 27 August 1921 on board the vessel Tahiti.
On 3 May 1930, Wallace married Marie Margaret Compton at Los Angeles, California, USA. A son, Lawson Allen Warburton, and a daughter, Lorraine Alice Warburton were born at Bakersfield, Kern County, California on 15 July 1934.
In the U.S. Census of 1935 the family were living at Bakersfield, Kern County, California.
The 16th Census of the United States conducted at Bakersfield, Kern County, California in 1940 recorded:
Warburton Wallace A., head of house, age 48; Warburton Marie M., wife, age 43; Warburton Lawson A., son, age 5; Warburton Lorraine A., daughter, age 5.
In the U.S. District Court, San Francisco, California on 17 November 1942, Wallace Allan Warburton was naturalised as a U.S. citizen. His address at that time was Box 57-B, Rt. 1, Pine Lane, Los Altos, California.
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. Wallace first appears on the list in 1968 giving his address as 23690 Topar Avenue, Los Altos, California USA. The Association newsletter of September 1963, compiled and distributed by John MacDiarmid Royle includes: “WALLACE WARBURTON still keeps in touch from California.” The June 1967 newsletter includes his name and address at Los Altos from the mailing list. His death in February 1973 is notated in the Associations records, and the following letter was in their files:
[tunnellers.net Note: Johnny Royle – Lt. John McDiarmid Royle, 1ATC & AEMMBC. Profiled on this website. John Royle probably worked with Wallace in Western Queensland 1912/1914 when both we water boring in the Longreach area. In common with Wallace, John Royle was also a member of the 4th Tunnelling and also sailed on Warilda.]
Wallace Allan Warburton died in America in 1973.
His brother Carl also served in WW1.
LIEUTENANT CARL WILLIAM WARBURTON
2924 – 5th Field Ambulance / 17th Infantry Battalion
Carl enlisted in the A.I.F. on 15 February 1915. A Clerk by trade, he had served 5 years in the Junior and Senior Cadets. Hen named his father Mr. Thomas Warburton of Millthorpe, NSW as his Next-of-Kin.
He signed the Attestation Paper and the Oath to ‘well and truly serve’ at Liverpool, NSW on 4 March 1915.
A medical examination in Sydney on 5 February 1915 had recorded that he was 22 years and 2 months of age. He was 5ft 8ins tall, weighed 126 lbs, had a dark complexion, brown eyes and dark hair and was of the Methodist faith.
At Queen’s Park, Waverly on 1 April he was appointed to the 5th Field Ambulance. He was promoted to Driver on 31 May and embarked at Sydney on 31 May 1915 on board HMAT A31 Ajana.
He proceeded to join the M.E.F. at Gallipoli on 16 August 1915. On 22 August 1915 he was transferred from Transport to Bearer sub-division at Anzac.
He was evacuated from Gallipoli on board Hospital Ship Gloucester Castle on 29 November 1915 and admitted to St Ignatius Hospital at Malta with rheumatism. He was transferred to St Barnabas Hospital on 15 January 1916 and on 11 February he was discharged to active service.
Carl was transferred to Alexandria on 17 February and admitted to the Overseas Base at Giza on 18 February.
Carl rejoined his unit at Moascar on 6 March 1916. On 17 March he embarked for overseas on Crispan, disembarking at Marseilles on 24 March.
He was appointed Lance Corporal on 31 August 1916. His blue chevrons were due on 31 May 1917. Each blue Service chevron denoted one year’s service from 1 January 1915. A Red chevron denoted service before 31 December 1914.
On 22 July 1917 he was transferred from 5th Field Ambulance to the 17th Infantry Battalion and taken on strength of that unit. Carl was promoted to Corporal on 15 October 1917
On 5 November 1917 he was placed on the Supernumerary strength of the Battalion as he was proceeding to join the Cadet Training Battalion in England.
He reported to No.4 Officers Cadet Battalion, Oxford on 9 November and was appointed to the rank of Cadet. On 30 April 1918 he qualified for a Commission in the Infantry and was to retain the rank of Cadet until Commissioned. He was transferred to the 5th Training Battalion at Fovant on 10 May.
On 1 June 1918 he was appointed a 2nd Lieutenant and posted to General Reinforcements. He proceeded overseas to France on 11 June. He marched in to the Australian Infantry Base Depot at Havre on 13 June and marched out to his unit on 16 June and was taken on strength on 17 June.
Carl was wounded in action on 17 July 1918 and was admitted to the 47th Casualty Clearing Station with gunshot wounds to the head and side.
He was transferred to the 1st U.S.A. General Hospital on 29 July and evacuated to England on board Warilda the same day. He was admitted to the 3rd London General Hospital on 30 July and transferred to Cobham Hall on 30 August.
He was promoted to Lieutenant on 1 September and was discharged from Cobham Hall on 1 November to report to the Overseas Training Battalion.
He proceeded overseas to France on 16 November 1918 and marched in to the Australian General Base Depot at Havre on 19 November.
On 27 November he marched out to the 2nd Australian Division.
On 24 January 1919 he proceeded to England to begin his return to Australia.
Carl left London on 7 April 1919 on board Trazos-Montes, disembarking at Melbourne on 22 May.
His appointment as an officer in the A.I.F. was terminated on 25 July 1919.
He was entitled to wear the 1914/15 Star, British War Medal and the Victory Medal.
The 1922 Electoral Roll for Batchelor, Northern Territory records: Carl William Warburton – Ponrook, Pine Creek, pastoralist.
The 1925 Electoral Roll for Ayr, Queensland records: Carl William Warburton – Home Hill, cane farmer.
On 12 April 1928 married Hazel Mary Pirey Evans in Queensland. Hazel was born 5 December 1906 in Queensland, the daughter of Henry Evans & Clara, nee Cowper.