SAPPER VERNEY CHISSWORTH BURGESS
6919 - 2nd Tunnelling Company
Verney was born in 1892 at Tewantin, Queensland, the son of Henry Chesworth and Louisa Jane (nee Lean) Burgess who had married in 1880 at Tamworth New South Wales. A daughter, Ann was born in Sydney in 1882, sadly dying the same year.
The BDM records his birth as ‘Berney Burgess’, but all other documents record him as Verney Chesworth Burgess.
Henry and Louisa moved to Queensland where the following children were born:
Anne, born 1883; Maud born 1885; George born 1887 – died 1887 as George Chesworth; Berney (Verney) born 1891 and George born 1890.
From 1905, at least until 1913, Henry was a ‘selector’ at Weyba with Louisa and Annie performing domestic duties.
Verney Chesworth Burgess was a labourer at Lake Weyba in 1913. He completed the ‘Attestation Paper of Persons Enlisted for Service Abroad’ and underwent a medical examination on 8 September 1916 at Brisbane, Queensland. The examination recorded that he was 24 years of age, stood 5ft 10ins tall and weighed 142 lbs. He had a medium complexion, blue eyes, brown hair and was of the Church of England faith.
He signed the Attestation and the Oath to ‘well and truly serve’ on the same day (8 September) with an ‘X’, his mark witnessed by Corporal Hector C. Maclean.
He stated he was a Fisher by calling and recorded Pomona, Queensland as his address. He named as his Next-of-Kin his mother, Mrs. Louisa Jane Burgess of Catharaba, North Coast Line, Queensland.
From 7 October 1916 he trained with the 11th Depot Battalion. On 17 January 1917 he was transferred to the Miners (1st M.D.) with the rank of Sapper. On 31 January he was transferred to the Miners Reinforcements at their training camp in Seymour, Victoria.
His ‘home leave’ and ‘final leave’ were completed by 27 February 1917 and Verney was appointed to the February Reinforcements Tunnelling Companies.
On 11 May 1917 he embarked at Melbourne on HMAT A9 Shropshire with 168 Reinforcements for the Tunnelling companies. Shropshire sailed via Durban and Cape Town, South Africa, before reaching Plymouth, England on 19 July 1917 where the Tunnellers entrained for the camps at Tidworth. The voyage had taken 70 days. On 20 July he marched in to Nos.1 & 3 Camp Details at Parkhouse.
On 18 August he proceeded overseas to France and marched in to the Australian General Base Depot (AGBD) at Rouelles on 19 August. He was attached to the 2nd Australian Tunnelling Company (2ATC) on 2 September 1917.
On 19 January 1918 he was admitted to the 149th Field Ambulance with P.U.O. (pyrexia of unknown origin). He was transferred to the 21st Casualty Clearing Station on the same day and then to the 3rd Stationary Hospital at Rouen on 23 January, and then to the 2nd Convalescent Depot on 30 January. On 28 February he was transferred to the11th Convalescent Depot at Buchy, still suffering with PUO.
Diagnosed with tonsillitis, he was transferred to the 8th General Hospital at Rouen on 12 March and on 15 March he was transferred back to the 2nd Convalescent Depot, also at Rouen.
On 6 April he was discharged to Reinforcements and marched in to the AGBD at Rouelles on 7 April, rejoining his unit 19 April 1918 where he was officially taken on strength of the unit.
On 28 May 1918, Verneys’ mother wrote to Base Records asking if they could tell her where her son was. He had written to her on 1 January and then she received ‘a letter from a mate of his to say that he was taken to the hospital he did not know what was the matter with him . .’ and she had not heard from her son since ‘and he was so regular in writing’.
Base Records replied that they had no official report about her son and pointed out that slight complaints were not reported by cable but appeared on hospital lists which arrived later by post. They assured her that any information would be promptly passed to her.
Also in June 1918 his mother advised Base Records of a change of her address to: c/o Mrs. F.A. Krafft, Miva, Kingaroy Line, Queensland.
On 13 September 1918 Verney proceeded to England on leave, rejoining his unit in France on 1 October.
He left his unit on 10 May 1919 and proceeded to the AGBD for return to Australia, marching in to No.2 Group, Sutton Veny on 17 May.
Verney and another 86 Tunnellers (81 of them from 2ATC) left London on 7 July 1919 on board Chemnitz for return to Australia. He was admitted to the ships hospital on 30 August. The complaint, and the date discharged from ships hospital are not recorded. Verney disembarked at Sydney on 8 September 1919 and was discharged from the A.I.F. on 9 October 1919, entitled to wear the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.
In September 1928 his military medical history was forwarded to the Repatriation Commission, Brisbane.
Verney Chesworth Burgess married Evelyn Mathilda Walter in 1937 in Queensland.
In 1958 the couple were living at Hendry Street, Tewantin, Verney being retired.
Verney Chesworth Burgess died on 6 August 1959 and is buried in the Tewantin Cemetery, Queensland.
He is commemorated on the Shire of Noosa Roll of Honor, Shire Council Chambers, Pelican Street, Tewantin and the Tewantin District Cenotaph, Poinciana Avenue, Tewantin.
Mathilda was still living at 12 Hendry Street in 1980. She died in 2004 age 93 and is buried with Verney, a plaque at the foot of his grave recording her passing.
[NOTE: Another Verney Chesworth BURGESS (service number 1612) also served in WW1 with the 11th Light Horse. Born in Timpley, England, he also enlisted in Brisbane. He named his wife Sarah Ann Burgess as his Next-of-Kin. A large Burgess family, most with the middle name ‘Chesworth’, farmed in the Christmas Creek area of Queensland. We have found no connection between the two families.]
Verney’s brother George also served in World War 1.
PRIVATE GEORGE CHESWORTH BURGESS
3015 – 42nd Infantry Battalion
Born in Tewantin, Queensland, George also signed with an ‘X’ the ‘Attestation Paper of Persons Enlisted for Service Abroad’ and the Oath to ‘well and truly serve’ on 9 August 1916 at Brisbane, Queensland. A medical examination on the same day recorded that he was 26 years of age, 5ft 7ins tall and weighed 135 lbs. He had a dark complexion, brown eyes and black hair. He was found to be ‘fit for active service’, although he did require some dental treatment. He named his mother, Mrs. Louisa Jane Burgess of Tewantin as his Next-of-Kin.
George initially trained with the 11th Depot Battalion until 17 October 1916 when he was appointed to the 7th Reinforcements, 47th Battalion. On 24 October he was re-appointed to the 5th Reinforcements, 41st Battalion at Ball’s Paddock, then the 9th Reinforcements, 49th Battalion on 20 January 1917 and finally the 7th Reinforcements, 42nd Battalion on 23 January 1917.
He embarked on HMAT A18 Wiltshire on 7 February 1917, disembarking at Devonport on 11 April and marching in to A.I.F. Details Camp, Fovant, the same day. On 23 April he marched in to the 11th Training Battalion, Durrington Camp at Lark Hill. On 25 May he was admitted to hospital with influenza, returning to his unit on 9 June.
He proceeded overseas to France on 20 August and marched in to the Australian Divisional Base Depot. He marched out to the 42nd Battalion on 29 August and was taken on Battalion strength on 2 September.
George was wounded in action on 4 October and was admitted to the 1st New Zealand Field Ambulance with vomiting. He was transferred to the New Zealand Stationary Hospital on 9 October, ‘not yet diagnosed’. On 2 November he was transferred to 20 General Hospital and then to 26 General Hospital before being invalided to England on 7 November on H.S. Stad Antwerpen
Admitted to Exeter War Hospital on 8 November suffering shell shock and severe trench feet. On 4 January 1918 he was transferred to the 3rd Auxiliary Hospital at Dartford and on 24 January he was discharged to Depot.
George left London for return to Australia on 24 January 1918 on board Dunlace Castle. At Capetown, South Africa he was transferred to H.S. Karoola which left Capetown on 16 February. George disembarked in Melbourne on 10 March 1918, and then travelled to Queensland via Sydney.
On 11 April 1918 he was granted a pension of £3/-/- per fortnight from the day of discharge. George was discharged from the A.I.F. in Queensland as ‘medically unfit - shell shock’ on 17 April 1918. He was entitled to wear the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.
In the 1930, his military records were forwarded to the Repatriation Commissioner, Brisbane.
In 1958 George was a fisherman living at 144 Gympie Terrace, Noosaville. He was still at that address in 1980. George died in Queensland in 1983.
George is commemorated on the Shire of Noosa Roll of Honor, Shire Council Chambers, Pelican Street, Tewantin and on the Tewantin District Cenotaph, Poinciana Avenue, Tewantin.
© Donna Baldey 2013
with the assistance of Carol from the Adopt-a-Digger project -