Stanley Leslie Ockenden 4148

SAPPER STANLEY LESLIE OCKENDEN

4148 – 2nd Tunnelling Company

Born on 25 Oct 1889 at Kooringa, Burra, South Australia, Stanley was the 7th child of 12 children (10 sons & 2 daughters) by Richard John Jupp Ockenden & Mary Isabella Lampard. Richard JJ Ockenden left England in Dec 1865 and arrived in Brisbane in May 1866. He worked on sheep stations and droving all over Queensland before moving to South Australia and eventually settling in Burra.

Burra is a country town in South Australia located 160km north of Adelaide, with a population of approximately 1,360 people (2011 Census). Burra was major copper mining town from 1845-1877, but is presently a rural service centre for farming and grazing with its mining heritage now a major tourist attraction.

After completing his schooling c1908, Stanley was sent to work on a farm, which didn’t suit him and he eventually moved to Broken Hill to work as a miner.

He married Annie Frances Duff in Broken Hill in 1914 and they had a son, Francis Fenton Ockenden, who died aged 11 months in December 1915. Shortly afterwards, Stanley enlisted in the AIF in Adelaide on 7 Jan 1916.

By this time three out of 7 of Stanley’s surviving brothers had enlisted in the AIF - Richard Allan, Arthur Gordon and Harold Ockenden. Richard was wounded in action and had an arm amputated in Gallipoli and returned to Australia on 17 Sep 1915. Two more brothers would also enlist - Oliver Henry in Feb 1916 and Charles Levi Ockenden in Jun 1917.

Stanley’s war record states he was 26yrs old, a labourer, and his next of kin was his wife Annie of Broken Hill, but later her address was changed to Footscray, Victoria.

Embarkation:

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. 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 22 May 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 from Melbourne with Stanley on board on 25 May 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 1 June 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 16 June 1916 and Cape Town on 21 June 1916 while St Vincent completed the African ports of call on 7 July 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 18 July 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.

Initially part of the No.5 Tunnelling Company, Stanley proceeded to France on 28 Aug 1916 when he was transferred to 2nd Australian Tunnelling Coy to bring that Company up to strength, on 29 Aug 1916. The 2nd Tunnelling Coy were around this time supporting the Australian 5th Division at Fromelles. On 3 Nov 1916 Stanley was charged with being absent from Trench Parade on 30 Sep and was deducted 20 days pay.

The Ockenden brothers kept in touch by mail and would worry if anyone was slow to keep in touch. They also kept in touch with their younger sister, Nellie, in Burra. Nellie was a member of the Burra Cheer-Up Society which was formed in Burra during WWI to farewell those bound for the scenes of hostilities, and in welcoming home, and caring for, the sick and wounded on their return.

With so many men enlisting, the town Band had insufficient players, so the Cheer-Up Society formed the Burra Cheer-Up Ladies Band and became so proficient and popular that they were asked to lead a war-time march through Adelaide in 1917 and took part in the city of Adelaide celebrations of July 1920, which were attended by the Prince of Wales (See for more info and photos).

From the start of 1917, 2ATC worked in the Rouen, Bluff, Larchwood and Verbranden tunnel and dugout systems, providing accommodation for the Infantry at Larchwood and Artillery Observation Posts. They plied their trade in the Ypres Dugouts and provided accommodation for 1500 on the Ypres Ramparts. On 7 Feb 1917, Stanley developed Mumps and was transferred to a field hospital and later discharged on 27 Feb.

The 2ATC also moved to Nieuportin Feb 1917 to construct subways for Operation Hush. Involved in enemy attack - Operation Strandfest - in this coastal sector in July 1917, recorded in the official histories as ‘The Affair at Nieuport Bains’.

(See on this site: Western Front Units/2nd Australian Tunnelling Company/2ATC and the Affair at Nieuport-Bains)

In July 1917, the company moved to Coxyde Bains on the South Coast of Belgium to work the sand tunnels of Nieuport-Bains, at the extreme left of the British Line.

On 9 July 1917, Stanley was wounded in action, receiving gunshot wounds to his left shoulder and both legs. He was transferred to England on 23 July and admitted to the 1st Eastern General Hospital, Cambridge. He spent 2 months in Cambridge before being transferred on 21 Sep to the 3rd Auxillary Hospital at Weymouth. On 27 Sep 1917, he was transferred to Hurdcott, the No.3 Group Clearing Hospital at Fovant, Wiltshire. A Group Clearing Hospital (sometimes called Convalescent Hospital) was classified for being sent patients who would take at least 6 months to be fit to return to active service.

His brothers, Arthur and Harold, met up on the battlefield on 26 Sep 1917. Arthur had been wounded in a blast a few days earlier, and was suffering from shell shock. On the night of 7 Oct 1917, Private Harold Ockenden was helping to carry supplies up to the frontline at Polygon Wood, near Ypres in Belgium when he was killed by a shell explosion.

Harold’s death had a terrible effect on his brothers and other family members. Oliver (Twist) Ockenden had also suffered from a gunshot wound to a hand on 18 Aug 1916 and in Jan 1918 sought permission from the AIF to return home to assist his younger sister and brother in Burra. He was granted permission and returned to Australia on 10 Mar 2018.

By May 1918, Stanley was fit to return to France.

He was AWL from midnight until 5.30pm on 2 May, admonished by his Captain and forfeited 1 days pay. He proceeded to France on 8 May where the 2ATC was involved in construction work at St Quentin, Bapaume, Arras, Ancre, Amiens, Albert, Bapaume, Epeby, Quentin Canal, Beaurevoir and Cambrai. Stanley reported to hospital on 15 July with Scabies and returned to his unit on 19 July 1918.

Following the Armistice on 11 Nov 1918, members of the company were involved in the clearance of mines and delayed-action booby-traps and in the re-construction of civilian infrastructure.

From 15 Feb 1919, Stanley went to Paris on leave until rejoining his unit on 1 Mar 1919. He returned to England on 19 Apr and on 6 June 1919, returned to Australia on HMAT Mahia, arriving 17 July 1919. He was discharged on 20 Nov 2011, 3 MD.

He was welcomed back to Australia by the Burra Cheer-Up society on Friday 16 Oct 1919 and the following was recorded in the Burra Record of Wed 22 Oct 1919:

Stanley returned to Melbourne and appears in the 1919 Footscray Electoral roll as residing at 6 Irving Street, Footscray and occupation as a driver. Thereafter he appears at 53 Chandler Street, Williamstown and occupation as Labourer, in the 1924, 1931, 1936, 1943, 1949 and 1954 Electoral Rolls.Stanley died in 1965.

During WW1, Burra and District contributed 600 men who were sent to the front, including 17 who joined the Light Horse Contingent at the start of the war, as well as 17 nurses, 4 chaplains and 3 doctors.

Six Ockenden brothers joined up:

759 Pte Richard Allan Ockenden, who joined the Light Horse Regiment on 28 Nov 1914 aged 19yrs. He served in Gallipoli in the 3rd reinforcements, 1st Brigade. After suffering gunshot wounds to the neck and arm he subsequently had his right forearm amputated and returned on 17 Sep 1915.
7966 Pte Arthur Gordon Ockenden, who joined up on 11 Aug 1915 aged 30yrs. He served with the 7th Field Ambulance in Egypt and France. He was wounded in the R shoulder by a shell blast on 21 Sep 1917 but remained on duty. He later suffered from Nephritis & Bronchitis conditions and returned to Australia per Hospital Transport Medic on 11 Oct 1918.
4184 Pte Harold Ockenden, who joined up on 22 Nov 1915 aged 23 yrs and was a member of the 27th Battalion. He was killed in action on 7 Oct 1917. He was assigned to the 22nd Machine Gun Company and carrying supplies up to the frontline near Polygon Wood, near Ypres in Belgium when he was killed by a shell blast.
4148 Spr Stanley Leslie Ockenden, who joined up on 7 Jan 1916, aged 26yrs. He was first a member of No 5 Tunnelling Coy and was transferred to the 2nd Tunnelling Coy on 25 Sep 1916 and returned on 4 Jun 1919.
1723 Pte Oliver Henry Ockenden, who joined upon 15 Feb 1916, aged 27yrs. He served with the 17th & 12th Field Army Battalions. He was wounded in action at Pozieres, France on 16 Aug 1916 with a gunshot wound to the hand. He sought discharge from the army for family reasons, which was granted and he returned to Australia on 10 Mar 2018.
2539 Pte Charles Levi Ockenden, who joined the Australian Flying Corps on 2 Jun 1917 aged 29yrs. He served as an air mechanic in England and returned on 8 Sep 1919.

(For a fascinating story and photos of the Ockenden brothers, see Sally Sara’s article on the ABC website: