SAPPER WALTER ROBERT MENZIES
1079 – 3rd Tunnelling Company
Walter Robert Menzies was born in New Norfolk, Tasmania on September 18, 1886 the son of Robert Lyell and Matilda Alice (nee Jones) Menzies. He served an apprenticeship for two years at the Zeehan Tas-Spray Mine and followed the gold mining rush to Western Australia. In 1906 was possibly mining at Balagundi and from 1910 to 1912 working at Nanine, W.A. as a miner. He married in 1914 to Constance Amy McClelland with their marriage registered at East Coolgardie, W.A. He made his Will in favour of his wife on November 25, 1915.
At the recruiting depot in Kalgoorlie, W.A. on November 26, 1915 the twenty-seven year old married miner applied to enlist for active service abroad. Passing the medical examination Attestation forms were completed which describe him as 170cms (5ft 7ins) tall, weighing 63.6kgs (140lbs) with a chest expansion of 86-94cms (34-37ins). Complexion was medium with his hazel eyes testing to good vision and had brown hair. Methodist was his religion. Next-of-kin nominated was his wife Constance Amy Menzies, care of Mrs Johnson, York Street, Boulder and later of 1495 Carrington Street, Kalgoorlie, W.A. and allotted three-fifths of his pay in support of her and their children. He was sworn in at Blackboy Hill camp, near Perth on November 29, 1915.
Basic training commenced with the Miners’ Unit in the rank of Private on November 27, 1915.
Recruiting for the Miners’ Corps had begun on December 1st, 1915 therefore Private Menzies was placed for basic training at the Helena Vale camp at Blackboy Hill, W.A. with the newly forming Corps. The Unit’s title was the No. 3 Company with a major portion of No. 3 Company recruited by 2nd Lt. L.J. Coulter, A.I.F. who was sent from N.S.W. to W.A. for that purpose. They were made up to strength with 1 Officer and 274 Other Ranks and embarked from Fremantle, W.A.
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. 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.
Mining Corps Units from all Military districts came together at Casula camp, near Liverpool, NSW to complete training as a Corps. Menzies was assigned the regimental number 1079 in the rank of Sapper and remained in No. 3 Company.
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’.
Four sections of the No. 3 Company were dispersed to various sectors for instructional training.
On November 17, 1916 he went sick to the 72nd Field Ambulance with Orchitis (inflammation of testicles) and on November 22 moved to the 1st Corps Rest Station then rejoined his unit on December 3.
The No. 3 Company was officially transferred to the 3rd Tunnelling Company in the field on December 18, 1916.
His service continued without illness or injury and was issued with three Blue Chevrons to wear on his uniform for serving two years abroad.
He received gifts from the Kalgoorlie Comforts Fund and a thank-you letter was signed from all members and reprinted in the:
He was paid in France on May 30, 1918.
An injury occurred on July 27, 1918, when he suffered accidentally a fractured right humerus and taken to the 34th Field Ambulance then transferred to the 22nd Casualty Clearing Station. On August 2, 1918 was transported on Ambulance Train No.24 to Camiers entering the 18th General Hospital the next day. On August 16 was moved to the 6th Convalescent Depot at Etaples and to the 1st Aust Convalescent Depot on August 24 in Havre where he remained hospitalised.
On October 14, 1918 Sapper was transferred to the 2nd General Hospital suffering Influenza and he died three days later on October 17 from complications of Bronchial-pneumonia. Burial took place in Ste Marie Cemetery, Le Havre, France.
The following is the extract from the Unit Diary of the 3rd Tunnelling Company on Sapper Menzies:
“On 17.10.18, 1079 Spr Menzies, W.R. died at No. 2 G.H. Havre.”
His widow was notified which was announced in the:
A copy of his service was made for War Pensions on November 2, 1918.
The A.I.F. Kit Store in London received his personal effects from the field on November 5, 1918 and packed these into one sealed parcel containing:
Leather purse, 2 Razors, Razor Strop, Knife, Pipe, Shaving brush, Letters and Photos.
A copy of his Will was certified to be in their files on May 28, 1919.
The District Paymaster, 2nd Military District, Victoria Barracks, Sydney wrote on August 13, 1919 to Base Records requesting the district of enlistment, casualty number and any other particulars of the deceased soldier. Their reply included his enlistment in the 5th Military District on November 29, 1915 and reported to have died on 17/10/18 of influenza and Broncho-pneumonia at the 2nd General Hospital, Havre and was listed in Casualty List No.447. The Commandant of the 5th M.D. was advised on October 21, 1918.
Base Records wrote to Mrs Menzies on October 7, 1919 on the regrettable loss of her husband and were now in receipt of further information including the date and place of burial.
They went on to advise that the utmost care and attention was devoted to the graves of our soldiers and photographs were being taken as soon as possible for transmission to next-of-kin. These additional details were being furnished by direction of policy of the Department to forward all information received in connection with deaths of members of the Aust Imperial Forces.
In the After War Report of the 3rd Tunnelling Company the following was recorded:
“No. / Rank / Name / Nature of Sickness / Death / Locality Buried at1079 / Spr / Menzies, W.R. / Broncho Pneum / 17/10/18 / No.2 G.H. Havre”
His personal effects returned to Australia on the troopship Barambah to Base Records and the parcel was released to his widow by Parcel Post and was advised of it consignment on May 21, 1919.
The Circular and Booklet with reference to Australian graves was despatched to his widow on January 5, 1920. A chaser was issued on October 24, 1921 and the final notice was redirected on January 20, 1922.
Constance Menzies re-married in 1920 in Perth, W.A. to Ormond A. Burns.
On January 21, 1920 photographs of his grave in triplicate were transmitted to his widow.
For his supreme sacrifice Sapper 1079 Walter Robert Menzies, 3rd Tunnelling Company was issued with the British War Medal (32101) and the Victory Medal (31878).
The War Medal was forwarded to the Commandant 5th Military District on November 18, 1921 for distribution to his widow. The Victory Medal was posted on September 25, 1923 by registered post no. 8086.
Base Records wrote to the Headquarters, 5th Military District on November 23, 1921 inquiring if later addresses were available of the next-of-kin of the deceased soldier listed. Their reply dated January 21, 1922 advised that his widow had re-married and was now Mrs O. Burns of 120 Stirling Street, Perth, W.A.
The Memorial Scroll (3535605) was to be posted under separate cover on December 5, 1922 but their letter of notice was returned unclaimed and re-directed to Mrs O. Burns at 120 Stirling Street, Perth on September 13, 1923. The Memorial Plaque (353605) advice was sent out on November 24, 1922 and readdressed and forwarded there also. Receipted delivery slip was dated 25th September, 1923 and items collected by M. McClelland who had been authorized by Mrs O. Burns.
Mrs O. Burns further changed her address to 7 Aberdeen Street, Perth.
His name was to be included on the State War Memorial and was listed in:
On October 10 and 14th , 1949 Mrs Dorothy Smith of 94 Noone Street, Clifton Hill, Victoria wrote to Base Records seeking assistance with information about her brother Walter Menzies, born Zeehan, Tasmania and believed to have enlisted in the Tunnelling Corps either in Western Australia or Broken Hill, NSW. She would be pleased of any information as to his returning to Australia or not.
Base Records replied on October 20, 1949 acknowledging receipt of her two letters relative to the whereabouts of one Walter Menzie and replied that records were held for Sapper 1079 Walter Robert Menzies, 3rd Tunnelling Company, whom it was thought to be identical with the name she sought. The writer regretted to advise that he died in France on 17th October, 1918, from “Bronchial Pneumonia.”
His name is commemorated in the Australian War Memorial on panel No. 27 in the Commemorative Area.
LEST WE FORGET
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