Guest f@man Posted 5 March , 2006 Share Posted 5 March , 2006 Andrew, cheers from the East Coast. My grandfather Charles Curnow, 11th Reinforcements 14th battalion (3283), was evacuated with shell-shock on 13/08/1916. Can you shed some light on the action at the time and any mention of casualties? Rules book seems a bit vague about this time. Thanks Colin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew P Posted 7 March , 2006 Author Share Posted 7 March , 2006 Hi Colin On the 14th of August the 4th & 13th Brigades launched an attack between Pozieres & Mouquet Farm. Heavy German shellfire did precede the attack but I'll have a look in the battalion history when I get home to see if it mentions anything particular for the 13th of August. Regards Andrew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest f@man Posted 7 March , 2006 Share Posted 7 March , 2006 thanks for your help mate. Cheers Colin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew P Posted 9 March , 2006 Author Share Posted 9 March , 2006 Hi Colin The 14th Battalion history by Newton Wanliss mentions that they were relieved from the front line at Pozieres on the morning of the 13th of August but that they were under very heavy shellfire on the 12th & 13th. Your grandad most likely got his shell shock under one of these heavy German barrages. Cheers Andrew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest f@man Posted 9 March , 2006 Share Posted 9 March , 2006 Thanks mate, really appreciate your help. Newton Wanliss's book is the definitive work on the 14th batt, but scarce as hen's teeth. Do you ever hear of any copies becoming available ? If you do, for gawds sake please let me know. Cheers Colin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew P Posted 10 March , 2006 Author Share Posted 10 March , 2006 Yep, there aren't many around to be seen for sale now. I purchased mine about ten years ago though it's not an original but a burridge reprint. It might be a matter of e-mailing some of the military booksellers to let them know you are looking for one. Cheers Andrew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff S Posted 10 March , 2006 Share Posted 10 March , 2006 Colin See my posted 6 Dec 05 on this thread. Cheers G Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest f@man Posted 10 March , 2006 Share Posted 10 March , 2006 G'day Geoff, thanks for the info. Cheers Colin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rws1918 Posted 16 March , 2006 Share Posted 16 March , 2006 Hi Andrew, Unit Look up request I have the service record for 2250 Private William Keable He was wounded on July 21, 1916 with the 3/AIF Would greatly appreciate the events surrounding him Thanks very much Curtis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew P Posted 21 March , 2006 Author Share Posted 21 March , 2006 Hi Curtis Sorry mate, just seen your request. The 3rd Battalion was at Pozieres on July 21st but I'll check the history for details and get back to you. Regards Andrew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Scurr Posted 17 April , 2006 Share Posted 17 April , 2006 Hi Andrew, I have recently discovered I had a family member in the A.I.F. Tunnelling Companies. He was Daniel Frederick Corkery a miner from the west coast of Tasmania. He enlisted February 13. 1916 as a Sapper, he was originally in the No.5 Tunnelling Co., but was transfered to No. 4 Tunnelling Co. and again to No.3 Tunnelling Company. He embarked from Melbourne May 25. 1916 aboard HMAT A69 Warilda. He was killed in action on November 2. 1918 and is the only Commonwealth soldier buried at the St. Maur Churchyard in Tournai, Belgium. Daniel had a brother William Thomas Corkery William Corkery, enlisted on December 2. 1914 as a Driver fo the 3rd. Artillery Brigade (3rd. Reserves for the 1st Artillery Division) William was also killed in action on September 18.1918 somewhere in France. If you could provide any information on the Tunnelling Companies and the 3rd. Artillery Brigade or either men, it would be much appreciated. Regards Glenn Scurr. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferguson73uk Posted 17 April , 2006 Share Posted 17 April , 2006 Hi Andrew, I am researching the lives of the men behind the names on the Roll of Honour for Barry, South Wales, UK. The following men with Barry connections are listed: Lt. B. G. Adams 9th Bn. 25/2/17 Villers-Bretonneux Mem. Pte. P. N. Edwards 48th Bn. 11/8/16 Puchevillers Cem. 1714 Pte. T.W. Healey 34th Bn. 12/10/17 Menin Gate Mem. 18352 Pte. F.W. May D Coy 20th Bn. 20/9/17 Birr Crossroads Cem. 1265 Any information you were able to supply on how they met their deaths would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Jonathan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew P Posted 18 April , 2006 Author Share Posted 18 April , 2006 Hi Glenn I've got a bit on the 3rd TC at home so I'll have a dig through to see if your reli is mentioned. Do you have a photo of him at all? There is a historian in Victoria who is currently writing the history of the Australian tunnelling companies so if you have any info or photos of Daniel Corkery I'm sure he would be interested. Daniel must have been one of the last Australians to be killed in action in WW1. The 3rd Tunnelling Company was mainly a West Australian & Tasmanian unit, whereas the 1st & 2nd Tunnelling Companies seemed to be a mix from all states. The 4th, 5th & 6th were raised for service on the Western Front but were dismantled when they got to England and were used to reinforce 1, 2 & 3 TC's. Don't have much on the 3rd Field Artillery Brigade. Do you know which battery William served in? Regards Andrew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew P Posted 18 April , 2006 Author Share Posted 18 April , 2006 Hi Jonathan It's a small world. Thomas William Healey is one of the Fremantle men I'm researching. When he left Wales he settled in Fremantle, Western Australia. He originally was in the 2nd reinforcements to the 44th Battalion but when they were training in England around 50 - 60 of the reinforcement group were sent to the 33rd & 34th Battalion's in late 1916. Healey was killed in the attempt to reach Passchendaele in the atrocious conditions on Oct 12th 1917. All the officers of his battalion were either killed or wounded in this battle. C.E.W Bean has a good account of the attack in the official histories which are online at the Australian War Memorial http://www.awm.gov.au The 34th only has a slim volume of their accounts which I do not have. Have you checked for the other men in the databases at the Australian War Memorial. Hopefully there would be some Red Cross statements available for them. Or you can get their personal records at the National Archives http://www.naa.gov.au I'd say Adams would have been killed in front of Flers in the advance towards Bapaume; Edwards was fatally wounded during the 48th Battalion's first major assault at Pozieres, May was killed during the first Australian advance during the battle of Menin Rd. Regards Andrew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terryb95 Posted 18 April , 2006 Share Posted 18 April , 2006 Link to the history of 7th Fd Bty RRAA Terryb West Aust Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terryb95 Posted 18 April , 2006 Share Posted 18 April , 2006 Glenn, Dvr W J Corkery gets mentioned at this link http://www.artillerywa.org.au/3fdregt/history.html terryb West Aust Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferguson73uk Posted 18 April , 2006 Share Posted 18 April , 2006 Andrew, many thanks for the information! I've just posted a letter to the Australian National Archives to see if they can supply me with service records for the four men. Would you like a copy of T.W. Healey's if I get it? I'll follow up the leads you suggested. Thanks again, Jonathan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest geoff501 Posted 18 April , 2006 Share Posted 18 April , 2006 Andrew, Can you please tell me what the 13th Battalion AIF were up to on 14/08/1916 ? The name I'm interested in is Pte. 3745 Harry Clarke, killed in action on this day. Regards, Geoff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew P Posted 19 April , 2006 Author Share Posted 19 April , 2006 Hi Jonathan Would definately be interested to hear what his service record of Thomas Healey will have to say. The National Archives are backlogged in enquiries for service records to be digitised so it will probably be quicker to get a hardcopy sent. If I ever track down a photo of him I'll let you know. Hopefully Tim Dawe (Blackblue) will see your request as he has the unit history of the 9th Battalion and may be able to add something more about that man. Regards Andrew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew P Posted 19 April , 2006 Author Share Posted 19 April , 2006 Glen Found the following in a manuscript of the history of the 3rd TC that was never published. The manuscript is stored at the Australian War Memorial. This was in the vicinity of Bruyelles. 'On 2/11/18 4748 Spr. Corkery, D.F. was wounded and missing. Afterwards reported killed in action. This regrettable incident removed a young energetic and high spirited sapper from the ranks of the tunnellers. He, with Sgt Forsyth, was engaged in investigation work in forward areas, believed to be protected by advanced infantry patrols. They were fired on at close range and a snipers bullet found Sapper Corkery. He fell shot through the stomach, and insisted on Sgt Forsyth leaving him knowing he was beyond assistance. Sgt Forsyth when quite convinced there was no hope sought shelter followed by snipers fire.' It seems he was the last 3rd TC man to be killed in the war though others later died of sickness. Regards Andrew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew P Posted 19 April , 2006 Author Share Posted 19 April , 2006 Hi Geoff The 13th Battalion were involved in the push from Pozieres towards Mouquet Farm on that date. I'll check the Battalion history to see if your man is mentioned. Regards Andrew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frev Posted 19 April , 2006 Share Posted 19 April , 2006 Hi Jonathan To save you waiting for the record of Fred May (1265) - it's already digitized & on-line. There are also quite a few reports from men re his death in the Red Cross Files. Seems he was hit by a shell only minutes after going over the top in their attack on Westhoek Ridge. According to information from his parents on his Honour Roll certificate, Lt Bramwell Adams was shot through the brain at Bapaume whilst trying to locate a sniper. Cheers, Frev Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frev Posted 19 April , 2006 Share Posted 19 April , 2006 There is a historian in Victoria who is currently writing the history of the Australian tunnelling companies Andrew This is great news - you wouldn't have a name & details by any chance??? Frev Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferguson73uk Posted 19 April , 2006 Share Posted 19 April , 2006 Frev, Thanks for the information! I had no luck getting access to those parts of the Australian War Memorial site yesterday. Kept coming up with 'site not found'. Will try again shortly. Incidentally, started on the microfilm copies of the Barry newspapers this morning. Got as far as July 1915. Amazing stuff which filled in a lot of details behind some of the other names on the Roll of Honour. Thanks again, Jonathan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferguson73uk Posted 19 April , 2006 Share Posted 19 April , 2006 Just checked out the sites suggested and one of F.W. May's contemporaries said that he'd been recommended for the VC. Can't find any record of a recommendation though. Jonathan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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