Royal Australian Naval Bridging Train

[Keith_history_buff]

The RANBT was formed in 1915, and has been mentioned on the forum before. It saw service at Suvla dueing the Gallipoli campaign, and thereafter redeployed to Egypt. It was disbanded in 1917. 

The names of the men in the 22 embarkations have been extracted by the University of New South Wales. These men's service records can be viewed online for free, being in the B 2455 series of service records. Some of the men had seen prior service in the Royal Navy, the Commonwealth Naval Forces, or had performed Universal Training in the Royal Australian Naval Reserve. Some of the RANR volunteers who took part in the Guinea campaign were to join the RANBT, and there is a photo of these "veterans" prior to departing Melbourne.

The initial embarkation, aboard HMAT A39 Port Macquarie on 04 June 1915
https://www.aif.adfa.edu.au/showUnit?unitCode=MISC34.12.1RANBT

The final wave of reinforcements, on board HMAT A15 Port Sydney on 9 May 1917
https://www.aif.adfa.edu.au/showUnit?unitCode=MIS.RANBTR22
 

[Keith_history_buff]

When the unit was disbanded in 1917, some men joined units of the AIF, but some returned to Australia. 194 Officers and Ratings embarked on the troopship HMAT A45 Bulla on 26 May 1917 and arrived at Melbourne on 10 July.

Below is a list of some men of the RANBT whose service was primarily naval. Some of these men will have returned to Australia.

 

Edward	Adams	487
Walter	Adamson	192
Frederick Harry	Allen	50
Robert	Allmark	149
Alexander Edward	Anderson	361
Stanley Norwich	Anderson	403
Robert	Armstrong	196
Colin	Atkinson	202
James	Avondale	482
George James	Baker	509
William Thomas	Barber	346
Claude Manderville	Barker		Sub Lieutenant
Ernest Dunn	Barker	378
William Benjamin Tamsett	Barnes	203
John	Barry	400
Walter	Bartlett	475
John King	Bean	27
Walter James	Bertram	273
John Hartley	Beton	102
George Thomas	Bitmead	518
William Victor	Bott	440
Herbert Leonard	Bowden	167
David Robertson	Boyd	316
George	Braine	160
William James	Brennan	562
Robert Joseph	Browning	165
Reginald Langdon	Buller		Lieutenant
George William	Burgess	1
Robert	Burgess	282
Edmond	Burke	56
Ralph Thomas	Butcher	168
James Edward	Butler	128
Alexander Scott	Cameron		Sub Lieutenant
Archibald John	Campbell	563
Felix Charles Percival	Carter	169
Archer Cox	Castleden	285
Cyril Goss	Catchpole	166
Robert Lamanius	Chrystie	362
Rupert Alfred	Clack	126
Antonia	Cocciardi	110
Alexander Joseph	Congues	444
Arthur Charles	Connell	30
Oscar Leopold	Conrad	171
Charles Cecil	Cook	242
William	Cook	143
Arthur George	Cooper	60
Frederick William	Crane	29
Cyril Frederick	Cronin	459
James Henry	Dale	244
Joseph Robert	Darmody	503
Ernest Andrew	Dawson	32
Thomas	Dedrick	135
Robert	Denham	392
Robert Page	Densham	305
John	Doherty	519
James	Dudley	208
William Thomas	Fennell	5
William Henry	Field	187
George Percival	Fisher	173
Harry	Franklin	6
Douglas Ballantyne	Fraser	64
Christopher Edward	Gaggs	391
Harvey	Gardner	449
Alfred Thomas	Gill	338
Henry Cromwell	Godson	174
John Ezra Greig	Goldstraw	414
Eric	Gowell	213
William Edward	Griffiths	250
Thomas James	Hamilton	257
Harry	Hanson	304
Charles Percival	Hoe	344
Richard Claude	Hollis	259
Alfred George	Homewood	120
William Henry John	Irons	536
William	Isherwood	335
George	Jack	69
Rupert Jenkins	James	572
Andrew Peter	Johnson	363
Robert	Johnson	416
Samuel George	Johnson	380
Arthur Percy	Jones	115
Henry William Samuel	Jones	564
Joseph	Jones	452
Joseph Sydney	Jones	462
Thomas Henry	Jones	132
James Joseph	Keating	71
Francis James	Keenan	218
Alfred	King	286
Leon Noel	Knowles	109
Bertram James	Lacey	159
William Ernest Frank	Landells	555
Maurice Clifton	Langdale	249
Herbert Gordon	Lewis	221
James Stanley	Lockhart	264
Hay William Fife	Lonie	312
Joseph Ambrose	Loughnan	577
Robert	Luxbridge	153
James John	Lyons	284
Murdo	Maciver	225
Finlay	Mackinnon	399
George Frederick	Mackrell	329
Joseph James	Mair	404
Thomas Henry	Mallitt	573
Arthur	Manion	365
Percy John	Marshall	177
Douglas William George	Mccoll	347
Henry Gordon	Mcfarlane	76
Alfred Stanley Dudley	Mckenzie	333
Murdoch	Mckenzie	468
George	Melville	39
Edward John	Michaelson	278
Herbert Linley	Miller	325
Sidney	Mitchell	199
John Lancelot	Murray	310
Harry Ernest	Nelson	393
Peter	Nelson	513
Arthur Arvid	Ollgren	419
Charles	Olsen	565
Richard William	Owen	179
Clement Alfred	Ozzard	229
Henry Gordon	Palethorpe	156
John Henry	Palmer	398
Herbert Charles	Parrott	296
Stephen	Pender	42
David Easton	Percy	230
Sidney Easton	Percy	231
Roy Frederick	Peterson	486
Richard	Reilley	233
George Charles	Richardson	116
Noel Tracy	Richardson	103
William	Richardson	436
Joseph	Rogers	79
Phillip Henry	Rutlidge	515
Walter James	Sanders	568
Carl Barnaby	Schuler	354
Charles William	Scott	388
Harry Francis	Shepherd		Chief Warrant Officer
George Clive	Simmonds	307
Daniel Robert	Simpson	422
Samuel Alfred	Sinclair	44
Laurie John	Smee	181
George Joseph Charles	Smith	237
Percy William	Smith	300
Robert	Smith	117
George William	Spurr	18
Lionel James	Stanhope	80
Frank Simpson	Stanislaus	384
George	Steege	289
Albert Ernest	Stepto	86
William Henry	Stevens	557
John	Sutherland	276
George Green	Swan	114
Robert Brodie	Swanson	245
Charles	Taunt	321
Geoffrey Guy	Taylor	301
Hugh John	Teahan	240
Charles Julius	Thomson	182
Reginald Gordon	Tinham	339
Herbert Clarence Roy	Todd	558
Basil	Topple	89
Frank	Trust	183
Charles George	Turner	21
Frank Henry	Tydeman	533
George Edward	Vaughan	162
George William	Veall	331
John Lancelot	Wainwright	323
Reginald Graham	Wainwright	324
Francis	Walker	93
Thomas Henry	Walker	137
Charles John	Warden	99
William	Watson	184
Charles	Watt	195
Ernest Wilfred	Whiffin	397
John	White	241
John	White	368
Walter	Whitelaw	100
Edward John	Whittle	139
Augustus William	Wiere	104
Ernest Molloy	Wilkins	96
James	Wilkinson	243
George Albert	Willey	134
Charles Henry Weston	Williams	579
Charles James	Williams	185
William Francis	Williams	24
David Bruce	Wilshire	97
Harold	Wilson	303
Nathaniel	Wilson	516
Richard Alexander	Wilson	489
Thomas	Wilson	490
Vivian Irwin	Wilson	367
Albert	Winstanley	49
Samuel Henry	Wisbey	467
John	Woods	450
Edwin Richard	Wyborn	47

 

[Keith_history_buff]

An excellent article on the Royal Australian Naval Bridging Train, with plenty of photos. This has existed for several years, but the location has changed
http://www.navy.gov.au/history/feature-histories/1st-royal-australian-naval-bridging-train

[Guest]

Mate,

 

A number shown up in ALH units?

 

GRIFFITHS    EW    Dr    Capt        Tos physician 14 AGH 10-16 to RANBT 11-16 rtn 14 AGH 4-17 to ATC 6-17 prom Maj
JACKSON     Roy Stanley     554    ABDvr    RANBT    R to BSqn/12 LHR to C Sqn 2-17 relist in Egypt Tos RANBT (574N) 4-17 to 1 LTMB 7-17 to Dvr 2 Sect/1 DAC 11-17 F&B to NME UK shipwright (CMF 6 years)
DICKSON    Thomas    2311    Pte    11 LHR    18R Tos C Sqn 9-17 EX AB Dvr 13R/RANBT (485) deserted 25-4-16 (Ex 26R/05 LHR (3259) DNE AKA Thomas Grahame Dickson (British The Highland Light Infantry 5 years to Royal Navy 3 years) 
HIGHLAND    Vincent Joseph     14565    Dvr    AASC R Div LH LofC    27R May 1917 to AASC Dtls UK 10-17 to Gnr 110Bty/10 FAB 2-18 WIA 22-4-18 both legs shrapnel near Villers Bretonneux F&B died at 129 FAmb buried Warloy - Baillon Communal Cemetery Extension France Ex RANBT (71514) DNE unit disbanded  (RANR 3 years) brother William 13Bn
DONALDSON    Rupert Frederick    18907    Spr    1 FSE    12R tos 3 LH Field Troop AE 2 LH FSE 2-18 to MT Dvr AASC MT 9-18 to 32Co AASC Anzac MDT 9-18 att 1 LH Sig Sqn 9-18 rtn MT Dvr 1 LH FSE 1-19 to MT Dvr 2 LH FSE 4-19 Ex AB Dvr RANBT disch 5-5-17 (RANR 5 years)
LLOYD    Harry        Lt    9 LHR    14R to 3 LHTR 3-16 tos 1 Div Cyc Co 3-16 to Verdale hosp Malta (pneum) 4-16 to 1 Anzac Cyc Bn 5-16 to hosp (mental) 5-16 F&B FGCM 11-9-16 drunk cashiered disch 20-9-16 Ex RANBT (253) (British 17th (Duke of Cambridge's Own) Lancers 2 years)
RABY    John Frederick    91    Pte    03 LHR    A Sqn WIA 12-8-15 fractured arm shot or accident possibly while at Quinns Post (G) disch 31-5-16 MU relist AB Dvr RANBT DNE disch 28-5-17 MU relist Home Service AAMC disch 16-4-18 (RANR 3 years)
STEEGE    Albert Allan    189    Cpl    04 LHR    A Sqn to Sgt 6-15 evac to (1 AGH) hosp (renal colic) 6-15 (G) RTA MU invalided disch 30-12-15 (Boer War 5 VMR (1246) (Harbour Trust Bty VicGA CMF) brother George RANBT
 

 

S.B

[Keith_history_buff]

Hi Steve,
I am also seeing the following who served in horse units, too:

GREER, William Martin 1st Light Horse Brigade (Queensland) Also served in 11th Field Artillery Brigade
KENNEDY, Leo Alphonsus 12 Australian Light Horse. Killed in action 7 Nov 1917

WYBORN, Edwin Richard 3rd Commonwealth Horse (Anglo-Boer War?)

[Guest]

Mate,

 

Yes I should have check more into this;

 

LEGG    John    Vet    Lt    RANBT    prom Capt 11-15 (G) att BVO 1 Bde HQ 1-16 to OC 6 MVS 3-16 att BVO 2 LH Bde HQ (Paterson sick) 5-16 to 3 Div in UK 6-16 to OC 3 MVS 8-16 F&B MID - reason not state NME UK Veterinary Science
HOLM    Robert William     9    ABDvr    RANBT    (G) reenlisted in Egypt to AProvC Cairo (9n) 5-17 to 14 AGH (82) 12-17 AKA Robert William Ludvig Holm
BLAIR    George William    53    ABDvr    RANBT    (G) att trade test 67 Sqn AFC (53N) 4-17 to Fitter 2/AM B Flight 5-17 to 1/AM 3-18 (AGA Sydney CMF 3 years)
GRIER    Ashley West    66    ABDvr    RANBT    (G) to trade test 67 Sqn (1 Sqn) AFC (66N) 4-17 to Fitter 2/AM A Flight 67 Sqn (1 Sqn) AFC 5-17 to 1/AM 3-18 
KENNEDY    Leo Alphonsus    343    ABDvr    1 RANBT    (G) to 1 Troop? ASqn/12 LHR (343N) 3-16 att guard Sup Sect Aust MD HQ 9-17 rtn 10-17 (B) killed around Khurbet Buteihah near Tel el Sheria buried on battlefield reburied Beersheba War Cemetery Palestine Ex RANBT
CLARK    Cyril Herbert    500    ABDvr    RANBT    14R NTOS disch 24-7-17 unit disbanded (ASqn/22 LH CMF 4 years)
HILL    Alexander James    529    ABDvr    RANBT    17R Tos 11-16 to Rigger 2/AM 67 Sqn (1 Sqn) AFC (529N) 5-17 to 1/AM 3-18 (Boer War 3 NSWMR (2797) 
JACKSON     Roy Stanley     554    ABDvr    RANBT    R to BSqn/12 LHR to C Sqn 2-17 relist in Egypt Tos RANBT (574N) 4-17 to 1 LTMB 7-17 to Dvr 2 Sect/1 DAC 11-17 F&B to NME UK shipwright (CMF 6 years)
BUCHANAN    Cyril    575    ABDvr    RANBT    Tos 4-17 to Pte AASC Trg Unit (575N) 4-17 to 4 LH Bde Sup Sect 6-17 to Dvr 35Co AASC AMDT (575) 8-17 to CQMS 9-18 to 38Co 5-19 to 37Co 5-19 later WWII Capt AAOC
SCHACHT    Henry George    298N    AB Dvr    RANBT    (G) to 2/AM 67 Sqn (1 Sqn) AFC 5-17 to 1/AM 5-18 to motor cycist 12-18 reported died in bike accident in Australia (RANR 4 years) 
TAYLOR    Henry Bernard    87N    AB Dvr    RANBT    (G) disbanded relist RAE Reinf  tos Spr 1 LH FSE 5-17 to 17 FCE in UK 7-17 to 1 Army Troops Co AE (1 ATC) 1-18 WIA 10-4-18 concussion reported 1 killed and 9 wounded by shells suporting the British 7 Bde around Ploegsteert near Ypres rtn 5-18 F&B AKA Harry Bernard Taylor (British Royal Navy 5 years) 
ROWLES    Norman Fielder    101    CPO    1 RANBT    (G) to records Sect AIF HQ Egypt 2-16 to 3rd Ech GHQ MEF 2-16 disch 3-1-18 MU (RANR 4 years later WWII )
TOMROP    Ernest    534    ABDvr    RANBT    17R Tos 11-16 to rigger 2/AM C Flight 67 Sqn (1 Sqn) AFC (534N) 5-17 to 1/AM 3-18 att 5 Aerial Fighter school 12-18 rtn 2-19 later WWII
SHERWOOD    William George    585    Pte    RANBT    21R to Dtls camp 4-17 tos Dvr HQ ASC Anzac MDT (585N) 6-17 to 32Co AASC Anzac MDT 8-17 to 35Co (995Co) 9-17 to 27 D/US 10-17 WIA 16-5-18 abdoman accident loading lorries near Jericho to Corps Troops Supply depot 6-18 to 38Co 6-19 (RANR CMF 15 months)
WATT    Shearer    595    AB Dvr    RANBT    22R to 35Co AASC AMDT 8-17 to 37Co 3-19 
 

Cheers

S.B

[rodonisle]

I too have bridge unit questions.  Cpt Edward John  (EJ) Howells MC was Army engineer but some of his old records refer to Naval bridging units in MidEast 1917-1918. Seems there was many changes to unit names.  Listed as the 1st and 2d Fld Troop Engrs. embarking from Sydney 9/5/17.  I need the ship they left on.

[Guest]

Mate,

 

Ed Howells is shown by me as;

 

HOWELLS    Edward John        Lt    1+2 Fld Trps    Tos OC "D" Field Troop & Bridge Trn 1 LH FSE 9-17 T/att 46 Base Park RE 9-17 prom Capt 1-18 MC & MID - for his actions in bridging the Jordan at Makhadet 21-3-18 to AIF HQ 3-19

 

Ex 2/Lt BCo/23Bn att 8 FCE to 5 FCE 8-15 (G)  RTA 17-3-16 reemb

 

(Flt offcier RAAF 8-8-21 to Flt Lt 1-1-22 to Sqn Ldr 1-7-28 to Wind Cmdr 1-7-34 Retired List 2-6-38 later WWII Sqn Ldr RAAF Jubulee Medal 1935 and Corenation Medal 

 

Civil Engineer    34    Canterbury Vic    Enl 23-3-15    RTA 17-3-16 and RTA 20-7-19

 

The "D" Field Troop & Bridge Train has no assoc to the Naval Bridging Train, they are different units. the unit came into its own during the crossing of the Jorden during operations against Amman in March 1918.

 

Other then that there was little for a bridging unit to do in the desert.

 

S.B

Edited 4 February , 2021 by stevebecker

[frev]

7 hours ago, rodonisle said:

I too have bridge unit questions.  Cpt Edward John  (EJ) Howells MC was Army engineer but some of his old records refer to Naval bridging units in MidEast 1917-1918. Seems there was many changes to unit names.  Listed as the 1st and 2d Fld Troop Engrs. embarking from Sydney 9/5/17.  I need the ship they left on.

 

The ship was the A15 HMAT Port Sydney:

https://www.awm.gov.au/advanced-search/people?people_preferred_name=howells&people_service_number=&people_roll_title=&people_embarkation_date=1917-05-09&roll=First+World+War+Embarkation+Roll

 

Cheers, Frev

[rodonisle]

T A Frev, you come thru again.  Now another ship question:  In 1939 my mother, Elaine Howells (working for Murdoch), made a disparaging mention in her journal (while on her way to London via the Italian ship Romolo later sunk by the Aussie navy): 

 

"The Purser took me on a tour of the ship this morning and showed me the huge dormitories, each accommodating more than 100, being prepared for the workmen being taken aboard at Massaua.  (These turned out to be Italian troops) The third class cabins are really quite good and compare more than favorably with the bowels of the Ormonde. The dining room is certainly better."

 

I had trouble finding this ship listed as a troop ship, maybe because she was "unnamed" as a result of her being rushed into service partly unfinished, to get troops to Egypt from Australia in 1917.  I am puzzled by her mention of this ship, because other evidence in her journal makes me believe that she had little or no knowledge of her father's (EJ Howells MC) WWI exploits - where he had been and what he had done.

 

Embarkation list and his records show that EJ Howells did not sail aboard RMS Ormonde - so why would his daughter make such a comment in 1939?

 

Question: Was this ship's name a common Australian term for sparse accommodations from returning AIF stories?

 

http://ssmaritime.com/RMS-Ormonde.htm