SAPPER ARTHUR ALBERT CLARKE 952 – 3RD TUNNELLING COMPANY

OATES BROTHERS – JOSIAH & WILLIAM SAPPER JOSIAH CHARLES
SAPPER PRIVATE JAMES BAXTER 919 – MINING CORPS
SAPPER ARTHUR ALBERT CLARKE 952 – 3RD TUNNELLING COMPANY

SAPPER DENNIS DARCY 5972 – 3RD TUNNELLING COMPANY
SAPPER EBENEZER THOMAS 4484 – AUSTRALIAN ELECTRICAL & MECHANICAL
SAPPER EDMUND MORTIMER 8124 – 1ST TUNNELLING COMPANY THE

Arthur Albert Clarke 952

SAPPER ARTHUR ALBERT CLARKE

952 – 3rd Tunnelling Company

Greenough, Geraldton, Western Australia was the birthplace of Arthur Albert (Jack) Clarke on April 17, 1893 the son of Joseph Henry and Theresa Elizabeth (nee Cant). In 1915 he was a carrier at Johnson Street, Geraldton, W.A.

At the recruiting depot in Geraldton, W.A. on November 24, 1915 the twenty-four year old carrier applied to enlist for active service abroad and passed the preliminary medical examination. Declared fit his application was accepted by the recruiting officer.

He arrived at Blackboy Hill camp near Perth, W.A. where Attestation forms were completed on November 24, 1915. Personal details taken reveal he was 172cms (5ft 7½ins) tall, weighed 54kgs (119lbs) with a chest expansion of 79-84cms (31-33ins). Pale in complexion with grey eyes and light brown hair his distinctive marks were small vaccination scars on his left arm. Religious faith was Roman Catholic. Next-of-kin nominated was his father Joseph Clarke of Johnson Street, Geraldton, W.A. and allotted three-fifths of his pay in support of his father. He was sworn in on November 29 at the camp and placed for basic training the same day with the 39th Depot Battalion.

Recruiting for the Miners’ Corps had begun on December 1st, 1915 therefore Private Clarke was placed for basic training at the Helena Vale camp at Blackboy Hill, W.A. with the newly forming Corps the next day. 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.

Geraldton Guardian Thursday December 2, 1915:

WAR ITEMS

GERALDTON RECRUITS

The following recruits left Geraldton on Friday and Tuesday for camp at Perth: Charles Henry Wright, Charles Taylor, Stanley Howard Guthrie, James Harold Hart, Arthur Albert Clarke, Howard Ernest Ramage, Wilfred John Gobbart, James Edward Thring, Daniel Jones, Charles Valk, Jack Crump and J.T. Nourse. There are still about fifty men on the books. Mr Kempton, though he is no longer Mayor has consented to continue to act as recruiting officer for the district, a duty he was asked to undertake when Sergeant Major Denslow was recalled to Perth. The military authorities have written thanking Mr Kempton for his action in continuing to look after the recruiting.

cknowledgement to the Geraldton recruits was published in the:

SAPPER ARTHUR ALBERT CLARKE 952 – 3RD TUNNELLING COMPANY

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:

The West Australian Saturday December 18, 1915:

INDARRA’S PASSENGERS

The following passengers are booked to leave by the Indarra to-day: Messrs…A.A. Clarke.

Article abridged

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. Clarke was assigned the regimental number 952 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 ship was reluctant to 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. Sapper Clarke was attached for duty on May 13, 1916 with No. 4 Section to the 254th Tunnelling Company, Royal Engineers.

Members of No. 3 Company were officially transferred on December 18, 1916 to the 3rd Tunnelling Company in the field.

Sapper Clarke is mentioned in the Unit Diary of the 3rd Tunnelling Company after he attended the First Army Mine School course as “Listening” was an important part of knowing where and what the enemy was doing and kept going right along the whole front that the Company occupied. His results are as follows:

“At intervals parties of officers and men had been sent to Mine Schools for training in Mine Rescue work, to become familiar with Proto Apparatus, & to become proficient in “listening.”

Extract from examination results of Officers and Other Ranks, who have attended course at First Army Mine School, ending 28/12/16.

Listening Surveying General Mining

Spr 952 Clarke Fair

Spr 1054 Jupp Fair

Spr 4307 Curtis Good

Spr 4465 Rose Fair

28/12/16”

Leave from France was granted from September 21 to October 10, 1917.

His service continued without incident, illness or injury and was issued with three Blue Chevrons to wear on his uniform for serving two years abroad on February 20, 1918. In an audit of the company he was noted to be with his unit on April 26, 1918.

Leave was granted to England on October 29 where the twenty-eight year old A.I.F. horse driver married according to the rites of the Roman Catholic Church, by licence, to Mercy Cant (27) a domestic servant residing at 6 Rosecroft Avenue Hampstead and daughter of Arthur Cant, game keeper. Sapper’s father was a commission agent. The ceremony took place on November 8 and was conducted by the Registrar Charles W. Wyles of St Agnes’ Catholic Church, Cricklewood Lane, Child’s Hill. His residence was given as 31 Elm Grove, Cricklewood.

Three days later Peace was declared and he returned to duty in France on November 18, 1918.

The following day he went sick to the 2nd Aust Casualty Clearing Station with Influenza remaining until November 24 when transferred to the 63rd C.C.S. Base Records advised his father on November 23 that he was dangerously ill.

The next day was conveyed on A.T.31 to Boulogne entering the 53rd General Hospital diagnosed with Broncho-pneumonia on November 26, 1918. His father was advised that he was improving on December 4.

Evacuation to England took place on December 5, 1918 on the hospital ship Cambria and taken to the Voluntary Aid Detachment’s Colliton House in Dorchester for treatment of severe Broncho-pneumonia.

Base Records cabled his father on December 18 and news was circulated through publication in the:

Geraldton Guardian Thursday December 19, 1918:

PERSONAL ITEMS

Mr J.H. Clarke, Eastern Road, received a telegram last night from Base Records, Melbourne, intimating that his eldest son, Sapper A.A. Clarke, was in hospital in England suffering from a severe attack of bronchial pneumonia. A few weeks ago Sapper Clarke was reported to be suffering from influenza, but recently was stated to be progressing favourably, but this condition evidently was not maintained.

He was discharged to furlough on December 27 and to report to the No. 1 Command Depot on January 10, 1919. Base Records advised his father on January 9 that his son was now convalescent. One day’s extension of leave was granted by Headquarters in London and he left there on January 11 for Sutton Veny camp. Further extension of leave was granted from February 20 to March 7 while waiting for the family boat. He marched out to Headquarters on February 12, 1919.

Accompanied by his wife, Mercy, Sapper Clarke boarded the H.T. Benalla for the voyage to Australia. Base Records advised his father on April 23 that he was returning home. News of their impending arrival was published in the:

Western Argus Tuesday May 6, 1919:

S.S. BENALLA

The following is the nominal roll of members of the Australian Imperial Force returning to Australia by the Benalla. This list is as cabled and is open to corrections owing to mutilations in cabling and other causes:

The following are accompanied by their wives: 952 Spr A.A. Clarke, 3rd Tunn Coy.

Article abridged

The ship docked in Fremantle, W.A. (5th Military District) on May 15, 1919.

He entered No. 8 Aust General Hospital at Fremantle, W.A. While in hospital the following disciplinary action was taken:

Offence: Base Hospital, Fremantle 13/6/19 A.W.L. from 10am for 5 days till 18/9/19

Award: Forfeit 5 day’s pay

Military Discharge was issued in Perth (5th M.D.) on August 2, 1919 as medically unfit. The couple went to Johnson Street, Geraldton and he resumed his occupation of carrier.

The Chief Paymaster from Sydney (2d M.D.) wrote to Base Records on June 21, 1920 about advice received by them in October, 1919 to the effect that the soldier returned to Australia on July 31, 1919 per Zealandic. Records office replied on June 28 to report that documents at their branch showed he returned with his wife on H.T. Benalla leaving England on April 2 and disembarked in the 5th M.D. on May 15, 1919 where discharge took place on August 2, 1919. There was no record of a soldier by that name on the Roll of H.T. Zealandic.

For serving his country Sapper 953 Arthur Albert Clarke, 3rd Tunnelling Company was issued the British War Medal (8085) and the Victory Medal (8052).

Their address remained Johnson Street, Geraldton until recorded in 1954 as 12 William Street, Geraldton and carrier remained his occupation.

A Statement of Service was requested by the Perth Branch of the Repatriation Commission and forwarded by Base Records on May 28, 1956.

His wife Mercy died on September 14, 1972 at 85 years of age and was interred in Geraldton Cemetery. Her plaque reads: Mother of Coralie, Frederick and Horace (all deceased) and Audrey.

Arthur Albert (Jack) Clarke passed away aged 86 years on April 25, 1978 and buried with his wife.

SAPPER ERNEST JAMES WILLIAM RANGER 6048 – 1ST TUNNELLING
SAPPER FREDERICK JOHN HOOPER 7997 – 2ND TUNNELLING COMPANY
SAPPER HUBERT FISHER 998 – 3RD TUNNELLING COMPANY HUBERT

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