SERGEANT WILLIAM JOHN FORSLUN
1000 – 3rd Tunnelling Company
Charters Towers, Queensland was the birthplace of William John Forslun the son of Swan Joseph and Pauline (nee Lofter) Forslun. When mining dwindled in that city the family moved to the goldfields of Western Australia. William also became a miner and in 1910 he married Lily Christopher.
At the recruiting depot in Meekatharra, W.A. on October 18, 1915 the twenty-eight year old applied to enlist. Passing the medical examination personal particulars were taken showing his height was 168cms (5ft 6ins), weighed 66kgs (146lbs) with a chest measurement of 89cms (35ins). Complexion was dark with brown eyes and dark brown hair. Distinctive marks were a ½in diameter scar resembling a vaccination mark below the area of his shoulder blades on the left side. Religious denomination was Wesleyan Methodist. Next-of-kin nominated was his wife Mrs Lily Forslun of Meekatharra, W.A. and later changed to the General Post Office, Perth, W.A. and allotted three-fifths of his pay to support her and their children.
Basic training commenced as a Private at Blackboy Hill about 12 miles from Perth, W.A. on November 1, 1915 with the 34th Depot Battalion and he was sworn in the next day. On November 4 he was allotted to ‘D Coy’ with the 4th Depot Battalion to complete training.
Recruiting for the Miners’ Corps had begun on December 1st, 1915 therefore Private Forslun, whose occupation was a miner, was placed for training at the Helena Vale camp at Blackboy Hill, W.A. with the newly forming Corps. The Unit’s title was the No.3 Company and made up to strength with 1 Officer and 274 Other Ranks embarking from Fremantle, W.A. on December 18, 1915 and sailed to Sydney, NSW on board the troopship SS Indarra.
William was assigned the regimental number 1000 in the rank of Sapper and remained in No.3 Company and embarked with the Mining Corps from Sydney on 20 February 1916 on board Ulysses.
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’.
On May 13, 1916 Sapper Forslun was attached to the 254th Tunnelling Company, Royal Engineers, No.4 Section for duty. From July 26 to August 5, 1916 he did a Mine Rescue Course and on completion that day became an underground listener in a gallery taking notes of the sounds the enemy made excavating their tunnels during his shift.
Mrs Lily Forslun advised Base Records on October 25, 1916 that her address had changed from 349 Hay Street, Perth, to 23 Gloucester Street, Subiaco, Perth, W.A.
A transfer to the 3rd Tunnelling Company took place on December 18, 1916 in the field.
He was appointed on June 12, 1917 to be Lance Corporal and the following day promoted to Second Corporal but retained his current pay rate.
He was wounded in action on August 22, 1917 and transferred to the 53rd Casualty Clearing Station with a gunshot wound to his right arm and conveyed on A.T. 5 to the 18th General Hospital at Camiers. On evacuation to hospital he reverted to the rank of L/Corporal.
The following is the extract from the Unit Diary of the 3rd Tunnelling Company for that day:
Relocated for recuperation on August 28 to the No.6 Convalescent Depot at Etaples and remained until August 30 when he was discharged to the Base Depot at Rouelles on September 1, 1917. He left for his unit on September 7 and rejoined two days later.
Base Records sent the following telegram notifying his wife:
His name appeared in the Casualty List printed in the Western Argus on Tuesday September 18, 1917:
The Y.M.C.A., Perth wrote to Base Records for further particulars on September 21, 1917.
He was promoted on December 27, 1917 to Temporary Corporal.
Three Blue Chevrons were issued to wear on his uniform for his term of service abroad. Each blue Service Chevron denoted one year’s service from 1 January 1915. A red Chevron denoted service before 31 December 1914.
He is mentioned in the Unit Diary with the following extract:
On June 23, 1918 he went sick to the 34th Field ambulance with P.U.O. (Pyrexia (Fever) Uncertain Origin) and returned to his unit on June 27, 1918.
He was promoted to the rank of Sergeant on October 28, 1918 and was granted leave from November 6 to November 20. While on leave Peace was declared and the Tunnelling Companies remained as part of the Army of Occupation assisting with the rehabilitation of roads and bridges and defusing traps and bombs left by the enemy. He rejoined his unit from leave on November 23, 1918.
Orders to leave the field and return to the Aust. General Base Depot were issued on February 6, 1919 to prepare for demobilisation and on February 21 marched out to the ship. Crossing the English Channel the next day arrived at the Reserve Brigade Aust. Artillery camp.
William was a member of 3ATC from May 1916 until his return to Australia in April 1919. 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. The company was also heavily involved in road and bridge construction and the locating and clearing of enemy mines and booby traps. This continued for the company for some months after the Armistice.
On March 19, 1919 left for the 2nd Training Camp at Ryde, Codford to await his return home after demobilisation.
The H.T. Sardinia departed Devonport, England on April 19, 1919 for the voyage to Australia with Sergeant Forslun on board. On May 5, 1919 Base Records advised his wife of his impending return.
He was on the list of soldiers returning published in the Western Argus on Tuesday May 27, 1919:
The ship docked on May 28, 1919 at Fremantle, W.A. (5th M.D.)
Military Discharge was issued in Perth, W.A. (5th M.D.) on July 12, 1919 on the termination of his period of enlistment.
The British War Medal (8113) and the Victory Medal (8079) were issued to Sergeant 1000 William John Forslun, 3rd Tunnelling Company for his service for his country.
A Statement of Service was issued from Base Records on January 8, 1925 to the Department of Repatriation in Perth, W.A. and again on September 30, 1930.
In 1925 their residence was 98 Hubert Street, Victoria Park, Perth where he worked as a labourer.
Family arrangements were published on the death of his son in”
In 1936 he was a miner at Reedy in the Kalgoorlie district and at Mt Leonora in 1937. The following article was printed in the Western Mail on Thursday October 27, 1938:
From 1943 onward he is listed as 98 Hubert Street, Victoria Park working as a painter.
William John Forslun died on 25 May 1957, aged 70 years. He was buried in the Wesleyan Area; FC Section, gravesite 0329 at the Karrakatta Cemetery, Perth.
Lillie Forslun died on 30 June 1975, aged 84, and was buried with her husband at Karrakatta Cemetery.
© Donna Baldey 2011/2014/2018