SAPPER JOSEPH CARDEN
5001 – 3rd Tunnelling Company
Born in April 1883 at Wrexham, Denbighshire, Wales, Joseph (Joe) Carden was the son of Randle and Mary Ann (nee Jones) Carden.
He was living at Cefn, Denbighshire in the 1901 and in July 1907 at Newport, Monmouthshire, he married Miriam Williams.
On 28 October 1913 the family departed London for Fremantle, Australia.
A Miner by trade, he was 32 years and 10 months of age and working at Kurrawang, Western Australia when he completed the ‘Attestation Paper of Persons Enlisted for Service Abroad’ on 21 March 1916.
[Kurrawang was the headquarters of the WA Goldfields Firewood Supply Company (WAGFS) from 1895 to 1938 when the company moved to a new location at Lakewood near Boulder. Kurrawang is situated about 14 kilometres south west of Kalgoorlie and about one kilometre off the highway to Coolgardie – description courtesy of Rod Diery, see his website at www.woodlines.bigpondhosting.com]
A medical examination at Kalgoorlie on 22 March found him to be ‘fit for active service’.
Joe was 5ft 7ins tall and weighed 150 lbs. He had a ruddy complexion, brown eyes and brown hair. He named as his Next-of-Kin his wife Miriam Carden of Kurrawang and allotted three-fifths of his pay for the support of his wife and two children.
He signed the Oath to ‘well and truly serve’ at Blackboy Hill Camp, Western Australia on 27 March and began his training at 54 Depot Battalion. On 1 April he was transferred to No.6 Tunnelling Company with the rank of Sapper.
Note: Oswald Beyers was a 42 year-old Miner of Kalgoorlie and also served with the 3rd Tunnelling Company.
On 1 May 1916 at Belmont, Western Australia, Joe was officially appointed to No.6 Tunnelling Company by the O.C. of the company, Captain Lawson.
He embarked for the Western Front with No.6 Company on board HMAT A69 Warilda from Fremantle, Western Australia.
Two Sections of the Northern recruits to form the No.4 Company had embarked from Brisbane, Queensland early in May, 1916 aboard Warilda for Sydney, New South Wales (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, NSW 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 May 22, 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 on May 25, 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 June 1, 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 June 16, 1916 and Cape Town on June 21, 1916 while St Vincent completed the African ports of call on July 7, 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 July 18, 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.
With most of the Warilda Tunnellers, Joe proceeded overseas to France on 28 August 1916.
The Australian Mining Corps did not fit into the British Expeditionary Force and had been disbanded; the individual companies re-designated the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Australian Tunnelling Companies respectively, and the Technical Headquarters became the entirely new Australian Electrical and Mechanical Mining and Boring Company.
The 4th, 5th and 6th Tunnelling Companies when they arrived were absorbed into the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Companies respectively.
Joe marched in to the Australian General Base Depot on 30 August and marched out to the 3rd Australian Tunnelling Company (3ATC) on 25 September. He was taken on strength of 3ATC on 30 September. 1916.
He reported sick on 3 February 1917 and was treated at the 72nd Field Ambulance and the 7th General Hospital at St Omer for mumps before rejoining his unit on 24 February.
Note: By the time this letter was published, Sappers David Coulton, William Praed and William Moore had been killed in action, all on 27 November 1916. Corporal Horace Truman died of wounds on 21 August 1917 and Joe Carden was killed in action on 22 January 1918.
For gambling in the billets on 28 July 1917, Joe was awarded the forfeiture of 2 days pay.
3ATC End of War Report records:
“The investigation party consisting of 4 officers, 12 N.C.O.’s and 42 O.R’s detailed by the 3rd Aust. Tnlg Co. to search for and remove any traps or mines left by the enemy in the area occupied by the 1st Canadian Division, during the operations at Hill 70 by the Canadian Corps, assembled in forward dugouts at (N.6a.90.30) on the night of the 14th Aug. under the command of Lieut H. Russel.
The Party was divided into 3 detachments as follows: -
(a) Lieut. C.C. Shaw with 4 N.C.O.’s and 114 O.R were detailed for duty in the 2nd Canadian Infantry Brigade Area.
(b) Lt R.G.B. Ashcroft with 4 N.C.O’s and 14 O.Rs were detailed for duty in the 3rd Canadian
Infantry Brigade Area.
Detachment “B” of the left Investigation Party consisted of the following:-
Lt R.G.B. Ashcroft
Sgt Austin
Cpl Wayman
L/Cpl Taylor, J.
Spr Crawforde, E.A.
Spr Blaney, W.
Spr Jackson, H.
Spr Moran, W.H.
Spr Moyle, H.
Spr Carden, J.
Spr Scott, T.E.
Spr Ridgewell, R.T.
Spr Hubbard, E.L.
Spr Mytton, E.J.
Spr Andrews, G.
Spr Coglan, M.
Spr Farckens, H.D.S.
Spr C. Morris, J.B.
(c) Lt T. Taylor with 4 N.C.Os and 14 O.Rs were detailed to stand by the 137th Infantry Brigade, 46th Division at Hulloch Tunnel in case of an enemy retirement, opposite that Brigade Front. This detachment stood by from 9/8/17 until the 18/7/17. It was not called upon for duty.
Two parties of 40 O.Rs of Infantry were added to Detachments (a) and (b) by the 2nd and 3rd Canadian Infantry Brigades for duty in their respective areas as sentries, runners, spoil carriers, etc.
Detachments (a) and (b) moved forward as soon as pre arranged messages were received from the respective Brigades, viz at 5.5 am and 4.55 a.m. respectively on 15/8/17.
The first objectives were Forward Battalion Headquarters and Advanced Brigade report centre. These objectives were reached after passing through severe enemy barrage. Having examined the first objectives, the detachments proceeded to investigate other parts of the area captured, particularly the dugout accommodation.
No mines or traps were found, and any prisoners used in connection with the investigation denied all knowledge of mines or traps having been laid.
The work was carried out under trying circumstances and was much hampered, particularly on the 15th, and 16th Aug. by the presence of many wounded Canadians and Germans in the dugouts.
The dugouts of the Chalk Cutting at H32d. 15.20. were found to be extensive, and part had been used as a Dressing Station for wounded.
The Cutting had been subjected to very heavy shelling by both sides and there were over 50 dead and wounded Germans there on the afternoon of 7.8.17 also a large number of machine guns.
It is possible that entrances from this cutting to dugouts have been crumped in by the heavy shelling and that further accommodation may be discovered by removing the spoil from the sides of the cutting.
An enemy defensive Mine System was examined between (H31d.60.30.) and (H31C. 96.55) with entrances from the enemy old front line. This system was previously known from listening results to exist.
A survey of this system was made. One gallery was tamped and was found to contain a charge of explosives.
The Party was most fortunate. Only two casualties were sustained during the operations.
In his report to the Controller of Mines, and 1st Canadian Div. etc, 1st Army, our C.O. testified to the good work done by all ranks.
He wrote that, Lieut. H Russel, officer in Charge, of the party and Lieut C.C. Shaw in charge of the 2nd Detachment working in the 2nd Canadian Infantry Brigade Area, were deserving of special mention, particularly the latter, who did exceptionally good work. Of others Major Sanderson specially mentioned 4528 Sapper C.C.M. Kerr (A.M.C.) as having done good work.
After the Hill 70 which commenced on the 15th of August and when all the objectives had been successfully achieved, the Investigation Party of the 3rd Aust. Tnlg Co. continued the examination of captured positions, dugouts and so on in search of booby traps and mines until the 18th, when the Party withdrew.
No mines or traps were found in the area of operation, and prisoners captured, denied any knowledge of them.”
On 6 November 1917, Joe used ‘disgusting and abusive language’ and was awarded 14 days Field Punishment No.1 by the Officer Commanding the Company.
3ATC End of War Report:
On 22/1/18 Lieut H. Russel was wounded in action in Hythe Alley at Loos and died at 12.30 a.m. on 23/1/18. 5001 Spr Carden, J. who was with Lt Russel was killed outright by the same shell explosion.
The sad death of Lieut. H. Russel, one of the most deservedly popular officers in the Company and that of Sapper J. Carden, cast a spell of sadness over the Company.
Lt Russel was engaged with Sapper Carden in the work of surveying in Hythe Alley Hill 70 near Lens, when a shell fell a few feet from them, & busting killed Sapper Carden outright & severely wounded Lt Russel, who died 14 hours later.
Joe was buried at Plot 1, Row A of Hersin Communal Cemetery Extension, 2½ miles South of Nouex les Mines, where 55 Australian Tunnellers are buried in the Hersin Cemetery.
From 31 March 1918, Pensions had been granted to Joe’s widow Miriam in the amount of 40 shillings per fortnight; his son Joseph Leonard in the amount of 20 shillings per fortnight, and his second son John Randle Carden 15 shillings per fortnight.
Miriam received additional photographs of Joe’s last resting place from Major Sanderson on 21 May 1919.
On 14 August 1920 Miriam was advised that the inscription she had submitted exceeded the limit (66 letters, each space between words counting as an additional letter) imposed by the Imperial War Graves.
On 15 September 1920, Base Records advised Miriam that the following portion of the passage she had furnished conformed to the restrictions imposed:
“Until the day breaks, and the shadows flee away. Our hero”.
Photographs of Joe’s grave were received by Miriam from Base records on 2 December 1921.
Joe’s British War Medal was forwarded to his widow on 3 March 1922. The Memorial Scroll and pamphlet “Where The Australians Rest” were forwarded to Miriam on 31 March 1922. On 11 April 1922, Miriam signed a receipt for Joe’s British War Medal, which had been forwarded to her at the Colosseum Buildings, Subiaco. The Memorial Plaques was forwarded on 20 October 1922 and was received by Miriam on 14 December 1922. His Victory Medal was forwarded on 19 Mach 1923 and received by Miriam on 3 April 1923.
Joseph Carden is commemorated at panel 26 in the Commemorative Area at the Australian War Memorial and at Perth’s Great War Memorial in Kings Park.