Ivor Lee Posted 20 October , 2002 Share Posted 20 October , 2002 In F W Perry's Order of Battle (Part 5A) he says that the Australian Divisons had DivisionaL Employment Companies. These Companies coming on stream between January and August 1917. Having spent the last week at the PRO I have been unable to find any reference to these Companies. They do not appear in the Orbats and I was unable to find a rference to them in four Australian Division War Diaries. To cap it all there are no references in Bean to these Companies. So does anyone know where Perry got his information from or can throw any light on this conundrom? Many thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew P Posted 22 October , 2002 Share Posted 22 October , 2002 Hi Ivor I had a look at the National Archives of Australia's 'Recordsearch' database http://www.naa.gov.au and for the period 1914-1918 the Australian Employment Companies only came up with 4 mentions which were to do with field returns from 1917-1918. Plus the AWM site has only one mention of this unit and that was only regarding the abbreviations for Australian units in WW1. If I find any material as to what the actual role of these units were I'll let you know, though hopefully someone else might come up with something. Regards Andrew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ivor Lee Posted 22 October , 2002 Author Share Posted 22 October , 2002 Hi Andrew Many thanks for the advice. I had looked at the Australian War Memorial site but not the National Archives. So will look for the 4 references. Am particularly interested as they are field returns. There is no mention of the Australian Employment Companies in the War Office Orbats for France & Flanders. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fromelles Posted 13 May , 2022 Share Posted 13 May , 2022 A quick search produced the below info from the following site: AIF OrBat 1st Employment Company Formed 1 November 1917. This unit, composed of Class B personnel, was part of the Australian Corps troops. It had an establishment strength of 517, provided additional services and was composed as follows: Officers Other Ranks Officers Other Ranks Corps Detachment Divisional Detachments (one per division) Sergeant 1 Sergeant 1 Orderly Room Clerk 1 Attached to DADOS 3 Baths and Laundries 5 120 Sanitary Squad 3 Sanitary Squad 5 Batmen, cooks, orderlies 10 Batmen, cooks, Orderlies 35 YMCA 5 Bootmaker 1 TOTAL (each) 22 Barber 1 TOTAL 110 Reinforcement Camp Sanitary Squad 2 Traffic Control Detachments (one per division) Field Punishment Compound cook 1 sergeants 1 General duty 5 Corporals 3 YMCA and Church Army 15 Lance Corporals 6 Theatre and Cinema 5 Privates 32 TOTAL 5 192 TOTAL (each) 42 TOTAL 210 Western Front Spoiler I'm sure I've read further info from somewhere, but will have to search about for it Dan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted 13 May , 2022 Share Posted 13 May , 2022 (edited) Mate, Your right I can find little on them, while I show a number served in this unit, mostley after illness or wounds. I found that there appears only one company used in the records and called the AEC, so were there one raised per Div? If more companies formed they don't appear in the personal records? All dates appear in 1918 not 1917? Like these few men BELL William 622 Pte 6 LHR B Sqn (228) evac to hosp Malta (dysentry) 9-15 to (3 London GH) hosp Wandsworth UK 10-15 (G) to AB Abbey Wood UK 1-16 to LH Dtls UK 6-16 to 1 trg Bn (2Bn) UK 9-16 FGCM 3-1-17 AWol sentenced 6 months detn to DCo/2Bn 7-17 WIA 1-10-17 face shot reported unit at the Buff at Hill 60 after Polygon Wood rtn 12-17 to Aust Emp Co (AEC) 3-18 F&B RTA 1914 leave Ex D Troop BSqn/6 LHR (228) to 2Bn (856) to 3R/1Bn (1422) DNE married Nora Strudwick at Weybridge UK 4-2-16 BURNLEY Benjamin 1146 Pte 03 LHR 7R to Dtls Egypt 10-15 to hosp sprainned ankle) 12-15 to 1 LHTR 3-16 tos Gnr 1 sect/4 DAC 4-16 to 39Bty/10 FAB 3-17 MM - for his actions when ammo dump caught fire on Wytschaete ridge Messines 11-8-17 to hosp (deafness) 5-18 to AGBD Harve 6-18 to Aust Emp Co (AEC) 6-18 to AGBD Harve 12-18 F&B RTA 1915 leave BARKER Albert Stirling 1212 Pte 13 LHR 6R Tos 5 Div Cav 3-16 to CSqn/1 Anzac LHR 7-16 to Dvr 6-17 to Gnr 49Bty/13 FAB 11-17 to WIA 9-8-18 R/foot shrapnel reported 49Bty lost 1 killed and 7 wounded by shells from 4.2" German guns on the Green line near Framerville at Amiens to Aust Emp Co (AEC) 9-18 att 1 Div AAOC Ordnance 10-18 F&B COLES William Christopher 1337 Pte 8 LHR 11R tos B Sqn 12-15 RTA MU varicose veins relist 15R/13 LHR (R1337) to Gnr 47Bty/12 FAB 3-18 WIA 16-8-18 gas near Proyart to Aust Emp Co (AEC) 9-18 F&B (British 1/8 Bn The Middlesex Regt TF) JOLLEY Peter McCulloch 1370 Pte 13 LHR 7R Tos ASqn/1 Anzac LHR 11-16 to 13 LHR 1-18 to Aust Emp Co (AEC) 4-18 rtn 13 LHR 5-18 F&B AKA Peter Jolly BETTS Ralph 1699 Pte 7 LHR 13R Tos 1-16 to Gnr 39Bty/10 FAB 3-16 to 37Bty 12-16 WIA 16-9-17 shoulder shrapnel reported shelled during move from Dickebushe to front at Ypres to Aust Emp Co (AEC) 4-18 F&B (BCo/42 IR CMF 4 months) Sorry S.B Edited 13 May , 2022 by stevebecker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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