Remembrance Day is a time for many people to take a moment to think about the men and women who have served their country in a war zone over seas. On land, sea and in the air, or for some that have served as peacekeepers.
Many where fortunate to return to Australia, and to try and resume their previous way of life, but for many they were unable as the war they fought in, effected them the rest of their lives.
Some were not so lucky, and made the supreme sacrifice and are buried in well cared for cemeteries, and for many they are buried in the field in a foreign country. For many more, their names appear on a monument such as a wall on the Menin Gate in Ypres Belgium.
For thousands of British and Commonwealth soldiers who were killed and have no known grave from the First World War.
The phase “Known unto God” was selected by British poet Rudyard Kipling who worked for what was then the Imperial War Graves Commission during the first World War. The origin of the phase is unknown but has been linked to the King James Bible
During the first World War approximately 170 men left behind their regular lives in the Ballarat region to take part in battles in France, Belgium and Turkey.
Unlike thousands of their countrymen however, their war was not to be fought in the trenches but beneath them. These brave men were tasked with the brutal duty of tunnelling below no man’s land, in the hope of planting explosives beneath the trenches of the opposing forces.
In doing so, the tunnellers had to content with mud, backbreaking work, and the counter-tunnelling efforts of the armies central Powers. If found out, these men faced hand to hand combat, gas attacks, or explosives being used to bring their tunnels down on top of them.
These men were trained at the Ballarat School of Mines, and did not expect that their years of training would be used to dig tunnels in a war.
William Alexander McNaughton was one of those men, William was born in Beaufort. He enlisted on the 11th of January 1916 at Blackboy Hill, Western Australia where he was working as a prospector.
Corporal Mc Naughton was transferred to the 2nd Tunnelling Company on the 29th of December 1916. He served on the western front in France.
Letter dated the 17th of June 1919 states, His majesty the King has been graciously pleased to approve of the award of the Military Medal for bravery in the field to the under mentioned No 852 Corporal W A Mc Naughton.
This was following an item in the Commonwealth Gazette No 115 dated the 10th of October 1919. During the operations against the Hindenburg Line near Bellicourt on the 29th of September 1918, Corporal Mc Naughton was in charge of a party opening up tactical roads closely following the advancing infantry.
Although the roads were subject to heavy shelling and machine gun fire he stuck to his work. By skill in handling his men his personal effort and inspiring example, the roads were opened to traffic, which fact greatly assisted in the subsequent progress of the operations.
Promoted to temporary Sergeant on the 30th of March 1919.
William survived the war and returned to Australia on the 5th of July 1919.
Discharged on the 18th of October 1919.
All the tunnellers have their names engraved on panels number 26 and 27 at the War Memorial Canberra.
Thomas Henry Roberts was born in Hawthorn, his Mother Sarah Teresa Roberts, nee Carver was born in Beaufort, and they lived in Willoby street, their house l have been told was about half way between were the old ambulance station is and were the Department of Conservation, Forests and Lands Officers were. While researching this article l have found Willoby street spelt three different ways.
Thomas first enlisted on the 31st of March 1915 in Melbourne and was sent to Egypt. He was repatriated back to Australia on the 31st of March 1916 owning to illness.
Thomas again enlisted on the 31st of October 1916; this time he was sent to France.
And was assigned to the 13th Field Artillery Brigade as a Gunner.
Thomas was wounded in action and gassed on the 29th of October 1917 in France. He was sent to a hospital in England and then rejoined his unit in France on the 20th of March 1918.
Commonwealth Gazette No 61, date 23rd of May 1919 states.
Thomas Roberts and A Southam displayed courage and imitative of the highest order in establishing and maintaining communications between their battery and Field Ordering Officers. During the operations of the 8th and 9th of August 1918 in front of Hamel, Villers Bretonneux.
On several occasions they repaired the telephone lines under heavy fire, salving German wire for the purpose, and displaying a total disregard of personal safety in the performance of their duty.
When telephone communication became impossible, they acted as runners passing through heavy machine gun and rifle fire at close range. The courage and devotion of these men are worthy of recognition. Military Medal awarded on the 29th of July 1919.
Commonwealth of Australia Gazette No 109, date 15th of September 1919.
His Majesty the King has been graciously pleased to approve of the award of a Bar to the Military Medal of Thomas Roberts.
Military Medal and Bar were awarded posthumously.
This is a small part of a letter that was published in the Riponshire Advocate on Saturday the 17th of May 1919.
Writing from France to Mrs S T Roberts of Beaufort, Major Harold Retchford, Office in Charge 50th Battery AFA. Gives the following regarding the death of her son, T H Roberts.
Your son was sent to a chateau, a few hundred yards from where he was living, to get a telephone repaired. The chateau stands in very extensive grounds and is surrounded by a high wall. After the repairs he made his way toward the gate or rather door that was very difficult to open account of it jamming, he proceeded to climb the wall.
He reached the top, and the bricks came away and he fell striking his head on a stone. When he was found he was unconscious and was sent to hospital at once. It was quite evident that he never moved after he fell, and did not recover consciousness before he died.
You have the satisfaction of knowing that you had the honour of being the mother of as brave a solider as ever to put on the Australian uniform. And that is equal to saying that no braver man than Gunner TM Roberts Military Medal and Bar ever went to this or any other war.
Date of death 1st of November 1918, Buried Villers Bretonneux Military Cemetery France.
After all the fighting and dangers that Thomas Roberts had faced during his years of service to die the way he did, was by accident.
I have researched and read many records of servicemen and women; Thomas has the largest file l have researched with 221 pages.
Sarah Roberts also had a second son, Joseph Eric, born in Beaufort that enlisted on the 29th of December 1915 in Melbourne and sent to France.
First unit he was assigned to be the, Y3A, Australian Medium Trench Mortar Battery.
Last unit 8th Field Artillery Brigade, rank Gunner.
Killed in action on the 21st of May 1917, Belgium
Buried in the Strand Military Cemetery, Plegsteert, Wallonie Belgium.
Sarah’s husband Joseph is shown on his son Joseph’s enlistment papers as deceased.
I have checked births and deaths and have been unable to find any record of him.
Sarah and her daughter Rose are buried in the same plot; her two other daughters Maria and Mabel are buried in a separate plot they are all in unmarked graves in the Beaufort cemetery.
The Military Medal was established on the 25th of March 1916 and back dated to 1914. Awarded for acts of gallantry and devotion to duty under fire. It was to other ranks including non commissions officers and warrant officers.
It is ranked below the Distinguished Conduct Medal, awarded to British and commonwealth forces, and announced in the London Gazette.
The Military Medal was discontinued in 1993, as part of the review of the British Honours system, which recommended removing distinctions of rank in respect of awards for bravery since then the Military Cross previously only open to Commissioned and Warrant officers has been awarded to all ranks.
Both William Mc Naughton and Thomas Roberts were award the Military Medal.
Thomas had a bar attached to his ribbon that is the equivalent of being awarded twice.
They shall grow not old as we that are left grow old. Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them.
LEST WE FORGET
Information for this article has been sourced from the National Archives of Australia, Australian War Memorial Canberra, Mining Mud and Medals various authors, and the Riponshire Advocate.
Written and researched by Colin Lofts
Contact MHHV Friend about this article.
