SAPPER WILLIAM BIRCH
945 – 3rd Tunnelling Company
Born on 9 April 1865 at Launceston, Tasmania, William was the son of Alexander and Mary (nee Nagle) Birch. Alexander Birch had been sent to Van Diemans Land as a 14-year-old convict sentenced to 14 years for stealing 7 silk handkerchiefs.
William Birch married Fanny Downing Hills at Landfall, Tasmania.
Three daughters joined the Birch family; Leah Bridget Mary in 1892; Ruth Lavinia in 1898 and Maud Emily in 1903.
The Electoral Roll for 1914 records William Birch, a labourer, and Fanny Downing Birch, home duties, living at the corner of Adams and Shaw Streets, Zeehan. Their daughter Leah Mary Birch, dressmaker, was living at Tarleton Street, Zeehan.
Known as Billy Birch, he stated he was 49 years and 8 months of age when he completed an ‘Application to Enlist in the Australian Imperial Force’ at Zeehan, Tasmania on 5 November 1915.
A miner by trade, a preliminary medical examination found him to be ‘Fit for Active Service in Mining Corps only’. He was considered to be ‘Unfit for military infantry service – tachycardia – perhaps due to excessive smoking’. It was noted the while his sight was good, there was a problem with his right cornea.
William signed the ‘Attestation Paper of Persons Enlisted for Service Abroad’, and the Oath to ‘well and truly serve’ on 12 November 1915 at Ross, Tasmania.
He named as his Next-of-Kin his wife Fanny Downing Birch of 297 Main Street, Zeehan, Tasmania. He stated he had 3 children, 1 of whom was a dependant. William allotted three-fifths of his pay for the support of his wife and children.
On 15 November 1915 at Ross, Tasmania, a medical examination recorded that he was 49 years and 7 months of age. He was 5ft 5ins tall and weighed 10stone 7pounds. He had a fair complexion, blue eyes and brown hair. His sight was recorded as R D18 – L D6, confirming the cornea problem previously identified. A scar running from middle of toe of left foot and a scar on left eye were recorded as distinguishing marks. William was of the Church of England faith.
On 16 December 1915 at Claremont William was appointed to the 3rd Company Miners and left Tasmania on 18 December for the Casula Camp near Liverpool, New South Wales where the 1st Mining Corps was forming-up and training.
William embarked at Sydney with No.3 Company of the Mining Corps.
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’.
No.3 Company became the 3rd Australian Tunnelling Company (3ATC).
William reported sick on 9 August 1917 and was admitted to the 11th Canadian Field Ambulance with chronic bronchitis. He was discharged to duty on 14 August and rejoined his unit the same day.
He again reported sick on 26 September 1917 and was admitted to the 16th Field Ambulance with myalgia (muscular pain caused by strain, inflammation or heavy exertion). On 27 September he was transferred to the Corps Rest Station and the same day was admitted to the 18th Field Ambulance. Discharged to duty he rejoined his unit on 14 October 1917
William again reported sick on 22 October 1917 and was admitted to the 18th Casualty Clearing Station with rheumatism. He was transferred to Ambulance Train 31 on 23 October and transported him to the 14th General Hospital at Wimereux where he was admitted on 24 October. The next day he was transferred to the 1st Convalescent Depot, Boulogne. On 26 October he was transferred to the Australian General Base Depot (AGBD), Rouelles and on 31 October William it was decided to evacuate William to England for ‘permanent base duties’ due to age and rheumatism, ending his service with 3ATC.
William had been a member of 3ATC from May 1916 until his return to Australiain January 1918. 3ATC first saw action at Boars Head in the lead up the Fromelles diversion ‘stunt’ of July 1916. The Company was allocated to the First Army and were engaged variously at Laventie-Fauquissart, Givenchy, Loos, Lens, Double Crassiers and Vermelles and other places on the Western Front.
On 27 November 1916 at the ‘Black Watch Sap’, Hill 70, and enemy camouflet (or a premature explosion, depending on different accounts) killed 20 members of the company. The next day 2 more members were killed in the same area by an enemy camouflet. The 22 members of 3ATC were buried in 14 adjacent graves at the Hersin Communal Cemetery Extension.
The Companies major effort was at Hill 70 where they constructed the extensive Hythe Tunnel system.
William marched in to No.2 Command Depot, Weymouth on 13 November 1917. A Medical Report of 14 November recorded ‘was in France 18 months, practically all of which time he was in the trenches. Towards the last he began to experience pains in shoulders and legs, also shortness of breath on exertion’ and ‘He is 52 years old and clearly too old to for active service in France’. He was deemed to be permanently unfit for all military service. His degree of disability was assessed at 30%.
In December 1917, his wife wrote to the Secretary regarding a letter she had read in the paper written by a soldier in France on 20 September saying that he husband was ill in hospital. She asked if it was true.
Base Records replied on 2 January 1918 stating that no official advice had been received that her husband had been admitted to hospital, adding that not all cases were reported by cable but that if a cabled report were received she would be informed immediately.
William left Plymouth on 12 January 1918 on board Hospital Transport SS Port Darwin for return to Australia due to senility and rheumatism. On 24 January his Next-of-Kin was advised of his returning.
Disembarking at Melbourne on 4 March 1918, William then travelled by steamer to Hobart. His condition was confirmed at the 12 General Hospital, Launceston on 5 March 1918. On 21 March the Medical Board confirmed his Permanent Military Incapacity and assessed his Temporary Military Incapacity at one-half (½) for 6 months.
William was discharged from the A.I.F. in Tasmania on 4 April 1918, entitled to wear the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.
He was granted a War Pension of 30 shillings per fortnight from 5 April 1918. His wife Fanny received a pension of 15 shillings beginning on 5 April, and his daughter Maud Emily, 10 shillings being on 11 April.
The 1919 Electoral Roll records the same details as the 1914 Roll. In 1922 William, Fanny and Leah are all living in Main Street, Zeehan.
He received his Victory Medal at Zeehan on 25 April 1922.
William was buried in the Zeehan Old General Cemetery.
He is commemorated on the Zeehan ‘Roll of Honour 1914-1915’.
There is a plaque at the Garden of Remembrance, Carr Villa War Cemetery, Launceston.
His widow received his British War Medal at Strahan, Tasmania on 3 March 1924.
William’s widow put similar ‘In Memoriam’ notices in every year until she her death in 1932.
The family advise: “From the day he died until she did, she wore black mourning clothes and visited his grave every Sunday”.
His daughters continued the tradition in 1933 & 1934.
The composite below shows William from enlistment to discharge.
© Donna Baldey 2014
with the assistance of Kay Wagland, great granddaughter of William Birch. Images courtesy Kay Wagland
Kay is also the great niece of 4750 Sapper Harold Dadd, 2nd Australian Tunnelling Company.