SAPPER AMOS FLEGELTAUB
1002 – 3rd Tunnelling Company
Pleasant Creek, near Stawell, Victoria was the birthplace of Amos Frederick Flegeltaub on December 2, 1874 the son of Aaron and Ellen Rachael (nee Nicholson) Flegeltaub. His father had been a student of the School of Photography and Amos became a photographer too. His mother died in 1888 and they went to the goldfields of Western Australia.
When he was aged twenty-four his name appeared with a group of men giving a public character reference published in:
In 1906 he was at Black Range Township in the Coolgardie district. In 1937 and 1939 two reminiscences of this era by a former resident mentions his photographic studio which was printed in the:
The partnership between Flegeltaub and O’Malley dissolved in 1907 as advertised in:
In 1912 Amos was residing at 113 Barrack Street, Perth working as a photographer then in 1915 was at Santa Claus Mine, Randalls giving his occupation as rabbiter.
At the Boulder Recruiting Depot on September 13, 1915 the forty-one year old prospector applied to enlist for active service abroad. Passing the preliminary medical examination personal particulars taken show his postal address was care of the Post Office, Boulder and was 169cms (5ft 6½ins) tall, single with a chest expansion of 89cms (35ins). Declared fit his application was accepted by the recruiting officer.
At Blackboy Hill camp, near Perth W.A. on September 20, 1915 he passed the medical examination and Attestation Forms were completed which describe the miner as being only 163cms (5ft 4ins) tall, weighing 65.9gs (145lbs) with a chest expansion of 82-87cms (32-34ins). Complexion was fair with blue eyes and light brown hair. Religion was Jewish. Distinctive marks were a bunion on his right toe and slight varicose veins. Next-of-kin nominated was his father Aaron Flegeltaub of 12 Gooch Street, Northcote, Victoria. He signed and took the ‘Enlistment Oath’ the same day.
Acknowledgement to the departing volunteers was published in the:
Basic training commenced the same day being allotted to the 30th Depot Battalion in the rank of Private for seven days then moved to ‘D Coy’, 3rd Depot Battalion. On November 1st was assigned to the 13th Reinforcement to the 16th Battalion until December 3 when he was transferred to the Mining Corps.
Recruiting for the Miners’ Corps officially began on December 1st, 1915 therefore Private Flegeltaub 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. Flegeltaub was assigned the regimental number 1002 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 October 26, 1916 Sapper went sick to the 2/3 London Field Ambulance with N.Y.D. (not yet diagnosed) and returned to duty on November 1, 1916.
The No. 3 Company was officially transferred to the 3rd Tunnelling Company in the field on December 18, 1916.
On January 8, 1917 disciplinary action was taken for the following:
Crime:Stealing public goods 3/1/17
Award:29 days F.P. No. 2 [Field punishment]
Service continued without further illness or injury and was issued on February 20, 1918 with three Blue Chevrons to wear on his uniform for serving two years abroad.
Leave from France commenced on February 2, 1918 and rejoined from Base on February 23.
In a Thank-you letter for the Comfort Fund gifts his name was listed and details were reprinted in the:
He was paid in France on May 30, 1918.
When Peace was declared he was with his unit and the Tunnelling Companies remained on the front as part of the Army of Occupation assisting with rehabilitation of their district by clearing roads and bridges of booby traps left by the enemy.
In an audit of the company he was marked on December 16, 1918 to be with his unit.
Leave from France was again taken from January 7, 1919 and returned on January 27.
The following day marched out to the Base Depot to prepare for demobilisation. On February 3 the men departed France and crossed the English Channel arriving the next day at the No. 1 Command Depot at Sutton Veny. He left No. 1 Group camp for the Clearing hospital on February 5 with Influenza and was discharged with only symptoms of Catarrh on February 14 and returned to camp the next day.
On March 3, 1919 the transport H.T. Euripides embarked from Portland, England with Sapper Flegeltaub returning to Australia. Base Records advised his father on March 19, 1919 that he was on his way home. The ship docked in Fremantle (5th Military District) on April 10, 1919. News of their arrival was published in:
Military Discharge was issued in Perth, (5th M.D.) on June 6, 1919 on termination of his period of enlistment.
Amos and former Tunneller, James Bougher applied for Gold Mining Leases which was reported in the:
A dispute over G.M. Leases was published in the:
Results of the Warden’s Court was reported in the:
His father died in 1921 at Pleasant Creek, Victoria.
Further applications for Mining Leases were published in the:
For serving his country Sapper 1002 Amos Flegeltaub, 3rd Tunnelling Company was issued with the British War Medal (8110) and the Victory Medal (8076).
In 1922 he was a prospector residing at 216 McDonald Street, Kalgoorlie and in 1925 was still prospecting and living at 38 Piccadilly Street, Kalgoorlie.
Amos married on November 4, 1927 in South Australia to Ellen Florence Martin (nee Buckley) with their marriage reported in the:
A Statement of his Service was requested by the Perth Branch of the Repatriation Commission from Base Records and forwarded on November 20, 1928.
They placed an In Memoriam notice in the:
Their address remained in 1931 at 279 Hannan Street, Kalgoorlie.
Later that year the following application was published in the:
Further dispute in the Warden’s Court was reported in the:
The following was advertised in the:
Their residence in 1937 was Rydal Street, Kalgoorlie,
His wife Ellen died on October 10, 1937 aged 70 years. Funeral arrangements were published in:
Amos Flegeltaub, late of Kalgoorlie, passed away aged 64 years on July 9, 1938. There were no family notices published. Burial took place in the Church of England portion of Fremantle Cemetery within the monumental section AA in gravesite no. 591 with his wife.
Tender for his former dwelling was advertised in the:
Two brothers also served in WW1:
1539 Bertram Flegeltaub enlisted in November 1914 and saw service at Gallipoli and the Middle East with the 11th Battalion, the Camel Corps and the 14th Light Horse Regiment, returning to Australia in August 1919.
2881 Travers Flegeltaub enlisted in August 1915, embarked with the 17th Battalion and served in the Middle East with the 55th Battalion and in France with 14th Field Ambulance, returning to Australia in July 1919.
© Donna Baldey 2016