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1st Field Company

Australian Engineers

 

Major Headquarters

Locations

Dates

Home Service

 

Company raised in New South Wales.  Enrolled in Sydney and into camp at the Royal Agricultural Society Grounds.

Aug 1914

1st Australian Division

Sailed from Sydney

on board the Afric.

18 Oct 1914

1st Australian Division

Assembled in convoy in

King George’s South.

26 Oct 1914

1st Australian Division

Departed King

George’s Sound

1 Nov 1914

Middle East and Egypt

1st Australian Division

Arrived at Aden

via Columbo, Ceylon

25 Nov 1914

1st Australian Division

Suez Canal

5 Dec 1914

1st Australian Division

Mena Camp, Egypt

15 Dec 1914

Gallipoli

1st Australian Division

Lemnos

4 Mar 1915

1st Australian Division

Anzac

25 Apr - 30 Jun 1915

1st Australian Division

Landing at Anzac

25-26 Apr 1915

1st Australian Division

Defence of Anzac

19-21 May 1915

 

1st Australian Division

Mining and countermining operations opposite German Officer’s Trench

Jun 1915

1st Australian Division

Sulva

6-21 Aug 1915

1st Australian Division

Landing at Sulva

6-15 Aug 1915

1st Australian Division

Sari Bair

6-10 Aug 1915

1st Australian Division

Scimitar Hill

21 Aug 1915

1st Australian Division

Relieved of front line duties

13 Sep 1915

1st Australian Division

Half company to rest camp at Mudros.  Remainder of company working on fortifications and trenches.

17 Sep 1915

Egypt

1st Australian Division

Suez Canal Defences

January 1916

 France and Flanders

1st Australian Division

Pozieres

23 Jul - 3 Sep 1916

1st Australian Division

Bullecourt

3-17 May 1917

1st Australian Division

Menin Road

20-25 Sep 1917

1st Australian Division

Polygon Wood

26 Sep - 3 Oct 1917

1st Australian Division

Broodseinde

4 Oct 1917

1st Australian Division

Poelcappelle

7 Oct 1917

1st Australian Division

Passchendaele

12 Oct 1917

1st Australian Division

Passchendaele

26 Oct - 10 Nov 1917

1st Australian Division

Hazebrouck

12-15 Apr 1918

1st Australian Division

Amiens

8-11 Aug 1918

1st Australian Division

Albert

21-23 Aug 1918

1st Australian Division

Epehy

18 Sep 1918

1st Australian Division

Pursuit to Mons

28 Sep - 11 Nov 1918

 

OFFICERS:

 

Original officers of the company (1914)

·         Major J.P.L. Mc Call, V.D.  Later Lieutenant Colonel.  Commander, 1st Field Company, 1914-1916.  A.D.A. Signals, A.I.F. in Egypt, 1916-1918.  Municipal Officer, Sydney.  Born: 10-11-1864.

·         Captain (Honorary Major) J.M.C. Corlette, C.M.G., D.S.O., V.D.  Later Brigadier.  Commander 1st Field Company, 1915.  Commander 4th Pioneer Battalion, 1916.  C.R.E., 2nd Division (C.M.F.) 1921-1926.  Commander, 1st Infantry Brigade, 1926-1932.  Civil Engineer, Hunter Distict Water Board.  Born: 25-3-1880 in Ashfield, New South Wales.  Died: 11-2-1969.

·         Lieutenant L.F.S. Mather, D.S.O.  Later Lieutenant Colonel.  Commander, 2nd Field Company, 1915-1918.  C.R.E., 5th Division, 1918.  Regular Army Officer.  Born: 30-6-1888 in Melbourne.  Died: 23-1-1919.

·         Lieutenant N.E. Biden.  Regular Army Officer.  Later 3rd Field Company.  Born: 26-12-1892 in Sydney.  Died: 21-12-1915 at Lemnos.

·         Lieutenant R.J. Dyer, D.S.O.  Later Lieutenant Colonel.  Commander, 1st Field Company, 1916-1918.  C.R.E., 4th Division, 1918.  C.R.E. 1st Division (C.M.F.), 1921-1922.  Engineer in Sydney.  Born: 8-12-1893 in Sydney.

·         Lieutenant C.N.R. Huntley.  Engineering draughtsman for New South Wales Railways.  Born: 14-3-1885.  Died of wounds: 4-5-1915.

 

First Reinforcement

2nd Lieutenant Henry Bachtold, D.S.O., M.C.  Later Lieutenant Colonel.  Commander, 14th Field Company, 1915-1916.  C.R.E., 3rd Division, 1918.  Civil Engineer in Sydney.  Born: 22-8-1891 at Stanningley, Yorkshire, England.

 

Other Company Officers

Captain R.C. Herbertson.  Mining Engineer of Brisbane and Mount Morgan, Queensland.  Born: 7-4-1882 at Clunes, Victoria.  Killed in action: 23-7-1916.

 

SOURCES:

 

1.  Battle Honours of the Royal Engineers.  The Royal Engineers Journal.  The Institution of Royal Engineers, Chatham, Kent, 1925-1932.

 

2.  Mc NICOLL, R.R.  The Royal Australian Engineers, 1902-1919: Making and Breaking.  Corps Committee of the Royal Australian Engineers, Canberra, 1979