SAPPER SAMUEL KRAKOUER
1063 – 3rd Tunnelling Company
Samuel Krakouer was born in Footscray, Victoria in 1888 the son of Philip and Mary Jane (nee Ridler) Krakouer. The family moved to the goldfields of Western Australia settling in Norseman. The following was reported in the:
In 1910 Samuel was a miner at Norseman and from 1912 to 1913 was residing at 131 Fitzgerald Street, Perth working as a labourer. He was one of many horse drivers’ who participated in a strike. Police Court proceedings were reported in the:
At the recruiting depot in Perth, W.A. on October 19, 1915 the twenty-seven year old horse driver applied to enlist for active service abroad. Passing the medical examination personal particulars taken show his postal address was 53 Carr Street, West Perth and was 175cms (5ft 9ins) tall with a chest expansion of 82-87cms (32-34½ins). Declared fit his application was accepted by the recruiting officer.
Attestation forms were completed which describe him further weighing 59.54kgs (131lbs) with a dark complexion, grey eyes and black hair. Religion was Church of England. Next-of-kin nominated was his father Phillip Krakouer of Shackleton, W.A. He stated his grandfather was Russian. He was sworn in the same day. Private Krakouer was allotted for basic training with the 33rd Depot Battalion but was transferred on October 26, 1915 to the Mining Corps.
Recruiting for the Miners’ Corps officially began on December 1st, 1915 then basic training at the Helena Vale camp at Blackboy Hill, W.A. with the newly forming Corps commenced. 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. Krakouer was assigned the regimental number 1063 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.
Disciplinary action was taken for the following:
Offence:6/6/16 (1) Being in an estaminet during prohibited hours
(2) Failing to carry Identity disc
Award:7 days C.B. [confined to barracks] and forfeit 3 days’ pay
Crime:12/7/16 Disobedience of orders – absent from tattoo
Award:14 days F.P. No. 1 [field punishment] and 7 days C.B.
Offence:8/4/17 Drunk on duty
Award:14 days F.P. No. 1 on 11/4/17
He went sick to the 73rd Field Ambulance on April 12, 1917 with mumps and was transferred to the 7th General Hospital in St Omer. On May 1, 1917 was admitted with debility after mumps to the 7th Convalescent Depot in Boulogne progressing to the 10th Convalescent Depot at Ecault on May 4.
Further action was given for the following while at Marlboro Details Camp in Boulogne:
Offence:19/5/17 W.O.A.S. [while on active service] absent from parade at 2p.m. until 9.15 p.m. (7¼hrs)
Award:3 days C.B. by Adjutant 21/5/17
Total forfeiture:1 day’s pay
Crime:When on active service Drunk in town
Award:14 days F.P. No. 2 27/5/17
Sapper was moved to the Rest Camp with debility and marched out to the Aust General Base Depot on May 28, 1917. On June 26, 1917 Sapper was transferred to England from Havre on June 25, 1917 for permanent base duties. The next day disembarked at Southampton for Maritime Chambers then marched into the No. 2 Command Depot at Weymouth on July 26, 1917.
Sapper Krakouer embarked for Australia on July 27, 1917 for Home Service due to D.A.H. (disordered action of heart) on board H.T. Demosthenes. Base Records advised his father that he was returning home.
This was reported in the:
News of the arrival and soldiers listed was published in the:
He appeared before the Medical Disembarkation Board at the No. 8 Aust General Hospital in Fremantle on October 4, 1917 and was discharged the next day to the Details Camp at Karrakatta.
Military Discharge was issued in Perth (5th Military District) on October 19, 1917 as medically unfit. He was granted a military pension from October 20, 1917 of twenty-shillings a fortnight to his address at 25 Ruby Street, North Perth.
About two years later he appeared in the City Police Court charged with breaking and entering which was reported in the:
The following year he re-appeared in the City Court on a similar break and enter charge of which details were published in the:
His address in 1925 was still 25 Ruby Street, North Perth with the occupation of horse driver.
A Statement of his Service was requested by the Perth branch of the Repatriation Commission from Base Records and sent on May 18, 1928.
Samuel Krakouer passed away on October 21, 1931 aged 41 years. Family arrangements were published in the:
News of his death was published in the Military column of the:
A thank you notice from his family was printed in the:
His grave is located in the Anglican portion of Karrakatta Cemetery within section WA in gravesite 257.
His brother also served.
PRIVATE HERMAN PHILIP KRAKOUER
4840 – 48th Battalion
Phillip Herman Krakouer was born in Esperance, W.A. in 1898 the son of Phillip and Mary Jane (nee Ridler) Krakouer.
At the recruiting depot in Perth, W.A. on November 22, 1915 the almost nineteen year old applied to enlist for active service abroad. Passing the medical examination forms of Attestation were completed and define him as 170cms (5ft 7ins) tall, weighing 52.2kgs (115lbs) with a chest expansion of 84-89cms (32½-35ins). Complexion was dark with blue eyes and auburn hair. Distinctive marks were three vaccination scars on his left arm. Religion was Church of England. Next-of-kin given was his father Philip Krakouer of 53 Carr Street, West Perth but later changed to 9 John Street, West Perth. He was sworn in the same day.
Basic training commenced with the 37th Depot Battalion as a Private from November 24, 1915. He was allotted to “H Coy” 60 Depot Battalion on December 16 remaining until assigned to the 15th Reinforcements to the 16th Battalion from February 1, 1916. His rank was Private with the regimental number 4840.
Private Krakouer also departed Fremantle on April 1, on board Ulysses voyaging via Suez, Port Said and Alexandria in Egypt. The troops disembarked to the 4th Training Battalion marching in on April 26. 1916. On June 6, 1916 they boarded the transport H.T. Huntspill for Marseilles disembarking on June 14 and proceeded to join the 48th Battalion on July 17, 1916 being taken on strength the next day.
Less than a month later on August 12, 1916 he was wounded suffering shell wounds to both feet and taken to the 13th Field Ambulance then on to the Casualty Clearing Station. Two days later went to the 14th General Hospital.
He left the Brigade Rest Camp in Wimereux on September 27, 1916 and invalided to England on the hospital St David from Boulogne and admitted to the Middlesex War Hospital, Napsbury, St Albans with severe gunshot wounds left foot and amputation of toes right foot.
On October 31, 1916 was transferred from the City of Middlesex War Hospital, St Albans to the 1st Aust Auxiliary Hospital at Harefield Park, Harefield, Middlesex.
A photo, which was captioned as his brother Samuel in Harefield Park Hospital was published. Samuel was never at Harefield Hospital, England at the date given above states but Philip was and he should have been the one in mentioned in the:
Private Krakouer embarked from Plymouth, England on February 13, 1917 on board H.T. Benalla for a five month change to Australia due to gunshot wounds to his feet. Base Records advised his father on March 7, 1917 that he was returning home. The ship docked at Fremantle (5th M.D.) on April 16, 1917.
He was in the No. 8 Aust General Hospital at Fremantle from July 18, 1917 until discharged to the Details Camp at Karrakatta on August 3.
Military Discharge was issued in Perth (5th M.D.) on August 3, 1917 as medically unfit.
For serving his country Private 4840 Philip Herman Krakouer, 48th Battalion was issued with the British War Medal (9538) and the Victory Medal (9472).
In 1922 his address was 10 Gill Street, Fremantle with the occupation of plumber. He married the same year to Ada Cornish with the marriage registered in Perth.
They were at 38 Woodville Street, Fremantle from 1925 and from 1931 onward were at 38 Charles Street, Fremantle working as a plumber. In 1963 their residence was 93 Essex Street, Wembley and in 1972 he was registered at 21 / 177 Wanneroo Road, Tuart Hill.
His wife died on September 17, 1970 aged 72 years. Cremation was at Karrakatta Crematorium.
Philip Herman Krakouer passed away on June 5, 1974 aged 76 years. Cremation took place at the Crematorium at Karrakatta and both their ashes were dispersed in the Karrakatta Cemetery.
In the Perth War Cemetery in the Garden of Remembrance on the Garden Wall 13 in Row G is the plaque commemorating Philip’s service. It is inscribed as:
A.I.F.
4840
P.H. Krakouer
48 Battalion
5-6-1974
© Donna Baldey 2016