Egypt - April to June 1916

Thomas continued with his military training during his last few months in Egypt. On Saturday 15th April 1916, his battalion was issued with new high velocity rifles.  The older type machine guns were also replaced with the newer Lewis machine guns. On Sunday 16th April, Thomas and the 29th Battalion were inspected by the Prince of Wales (22 year old Prince Edward would later become King of England). A couple of weeks later, Thomas commemorated the first anniversary of the Gallipoli landing with a church service, sports event and concert in the evening. 

In late May 1916 Thomas marched with the 29th Battalion from Ferry Post to Moascar (see map).  According to the literature, the commander of the 5th Division, General McCay, had observed the battalion marching past English troops and was "disgusted" with the way they marched past the English soldiers. As punishment, he ordered that the 29th Battalion be roused at 3am for 3 consecutive mornings to undertake route marches. Thomas, along with the rest of his battalion mates, detested this treatment from McCay.   

"Without any spell we reached Moascar and had to set to work pitching tents, but the job didn't take very long so we had the rest of the day to ourselves.  Monday morning we were roused at 3am... the order came along the line to fall in, with full marching order.  When we fell in we were told that McCay was disgusted at the way the Brigade marched past the Tommies yesterday and we were to be punished by having to do three route marches... if he only knew what the men said about him... they had no time for him... and for three mornings we were up at 3am, did our route marches through the sand and were back in camp tired out by 9am" (Private W C Barry of the 29th Battalion cited in Corfield, R 2009, p.82)
  

On Tuesday 6th June 1916, Thomas and the 29th Battalion travelled by train from Moascar to the sea port of Alexandria. On Friday 16th June, Thomas boarded the troopship Tunisian, which steamed its way to France.  Thomas had no idea that within a few weeks hundred of soldiers from his battalion would become causalities or prisoners of war. 

Egypt - February/March 1916

On Wednesday 23rd February 1916, Thomas and his battalion were based at Serapeum when they were ordered to decamp.  Thomas and his battalion spent many hours dismantling their tents and packing equipment.  This continued throughout the night and into the early hours of the following morning.  At 4am the following day, Thomas marched to the rail siding and boarded a train that transported him to Tel el Kebir. They arrived at Tel el Kebir later that afternoon and set up camp.

 


Picture of the 29th Battalion's tents (Egyptian location is unknown)

 

On Saturday 26th February 1916, the 29th Battalion's commander, Colonel Tivey (later promoted to Brigadier General), inspected the battalion at Tel el Kebir. Whilst at Tel el Kebir, the 29th Battalion continued to strengthen military defences (there was still the threat that the Turks would attack the Canal) until they were relieved from duty on Sunday 4th March. 

On Wednesday 22nd March, General McCay arrived in Egypt to take command of the 5th Division. His appointment as commander of the 5th Division was contentious within the AIF as it was commonly thought that his political influence (he was once Federal Defence Minister) and high society connections scored him the role.  It is unlikely that Thomas would have liked or respected McCay, who, as you will soon read, demonstrated a poor regard for the troops.  

On Thursday 23rd March 1916, the 5th Division was ordered to relocate from Tel-el-Kebir to the canal at a base camp called Ferry Post (see map).   The 29th Battalion (along with the other three battalions of the 8th Brigade) were assign the role of advance party for the Division and were transported to Ferry Post  by a 'train' (see picture below).  The remaining brigades of the 5th Division were ordered on a 3 day march from Tel el Kebir to Ferry Post in temperatures that exceeded 40 degrees Celsius.  Incredibly, McCay gave full marching orders, which meant soldiers had to carry full packs (42kg), and wear their full uniform, including helmet.  Hundreds of soldiers dropped out of the march and there were unconfirmed rumours that some soldiers died of heat stress.  When these soldiers eventually arrived at their destination exhausted and obviously not in any fit state, McCay gave them a tirade and told them their poor performance was "no excuse". 

As luck would have it, Thomas and his battalion were spared this 3 day march.  For the troops that endured this cruelty, it was a demoralising experience and contributed to tensions among the brigades. A perception had crystalised that the 8th Brigade, which included Thomas' 29th Battalion, was receiving special treatment.   The 8th Brigade became known as the "Tivey Chocs" (Austin 1997), or "chocolate soldiers", a derogative term for that era. 

"They received this nickname because they were the most complete equipped unit that every left Australia. They were commanded by a well known public mad (Tivey), and the woman folk had seen that lacked nothing in sweaters or bed socks.  They had a band for every battalion..." (RH Knyvett, ‘Over there with the Australians’, cited in Cornfield, R., Don't Forget Me, Cobber!, Melbourne University Publishing Ltd., Melbourne, 2009)

 Tel el Kebir, Egypt. c. 1916. This troop 'train' is likely to be the train Thomas boarded for Suez Canal Zone. (Donor Mrs C. Chapman) [Australian War Memorial: H12866] In late March 1916, the I ANZAC Corp departed for France.  The II ANZAC Corp, which included Thomas' 29th Battalion remained in Egypt and continued military training and defending the Suez Canal.  During this period, the 5th Division's artillery was being reorganised with speed in readiness for the Western Front.  This included four hours of lectures followed by eight hours of practice each day. (Lindsay, P., Fromelles, Hardy Grant Books, Victoria, 2007).  Though the artillery units were well trained they lacked one crucial ingredient: battlefield experience.   A report on the 5th Division's artillery on page 294 of the official history of the II ANZAC Corp in Egypt 1916 has an eerie prescience about it :  "The artillery is not coming on as fast as General Godley had anticipated, and I do not think it will be ready for service in France until the end of June. . . . "  (Australian War Memorial, Arrival Of ANZAC II, p.294).  The artillery's lack of battlefield experience would result in many bombs falling short, killing and injuring many soldiers from Thomas 29th Battalion just prior to and during the Battle of Fromelles. 

Egypt - January 1916

Thomas was stationed at a dry, sandy Egyptian outpost called Serepeum when he saw in 1916.  In early 1916, the ANZACs from the Gallipoli campaign were being evacuated to Egypt to join the Australian Infantry Force (AIF).  To manage the swell in ranks, a major re-organisation of the AIF army occurred.  Thomas and his battalion, which had already been assigned to the Victorian 8th Brigade, became part of a new 5th Division, which fell under the command of General McCay. The reorganisation of the Australian and New Zealand armies blended the seasoned soldiers from the Gallipoli campaign with soldiers like Thomas who had yet to fight in a battle.  As you will soon read, the 5th AIF Division would go to France and fight the Germans on the Western Front in a battle that has become known as the Battle of Fromelles. 

Here is the 8th Brigade Insigma.  Thomas's 29th Battalion was assigned to the 8th Brigade.  The commander of the 8th Brigade was Colonel Tivey (later Brigadier General), a well-liked and caring leader who promoted strong mateship amongst his troops. Colonel Tivey would have personally selected Thomas to the 29th Battalion when he enlisted in July 1915.

On New Years day 1916, Thomas watched on as his section's Corporal Spooner tore off his stripes and threw them at the company commander, Major Murdoch.  Murdoch had earlier admonished Spooner for dropping his rifle.   Thomas and members of no.8 Section would have been dismay by their corporal's actions as Spooner had effectively demoted himself to the rank of private.
 

On Monday 3rd January, Thomas and the 29th Battalion were relieved from their Serepeum duty.  Two days later he marched to the remote dessert post of Gebel Habeta, 9 miles east of Serapeum (see map here). The photo of Thomas and his No. 8 Section was taken at this location. 

According to Austin (1997), several incidents occurred whilst Thomas' was on duty at Gebel Habeta.   Two men from his battalion were caught sleeping on sentry duty and were tried by Court martial.  In a separate incident the popular Sergeant Dixon was tragically struck by a train at Gebel Habeta on 22nd January 1916, killing him instantly. 

On the 27th January 1916, the 29th Battalion at Gebel Habeita was relieved of their duty and returned to Serapeum.  Whilst at Serapeum, Thomas worked along the banks of the Suez Canal and occasionally swam in the canal to escape the heat of the day.  One day in mid February, while Thomas and other members of his battalion were working along the canal, two British ships past and “sneered and jeered at us telling us we were in our right place... not much love lost between us and the tommies".(Letter written by the George Spooner to his family, cited in Austin 1997, p 23)


Austin, R (1997) Black and Gold:  The History of the 29th Battalion, 1915-18. Slouch Hat Publications.

Egypt - December 1915

Thomas arrived at Port Suez (1) on Tuesday 7th December 1915 on the troopship Ascanius (codenane A11).  He went ashore with the 29^th Battalion and boarded a train to the Aerodrome Camp at Heliopolis (2), just outside Cairo.  In Heliopolis, The Palace Hotel (see photo) became a large military hospital for injured ANZACs from the Gallipoli campaign who required medical treatment. 

After arriving at Heliopolis, Thomas was given a few days recreational leave. Thomas visited Cairo, which was only 9kms from Heliopolis. Thomas and other members of his section visited many famous sights in and around Cairo and for a young working class man from Melbourne, some of the attractions would have been confronting.    Thomas' Section Corporal, George Spooner wrote,  "we went to see the dance (Can Can) and this was truly the vilest thing I have ever seen or wish to see".  



From the Australian War Memorial archives  Thomas probably used the opportunity to visit the 4500 year old Pyramids of Giza and the Great Sphinx, which are located near the Nile river and only 19kms from Cairo. .     The photo shows members of the 29th Battalion with pyramid and Great Sphinx in background. (Corporal Spooner from No 8 section second from left).  

On Tuesday 13th December 1915, Thomas travelled by train to Ismailia.  From there he boarded a barge with his battalion, which was towed by a steamer along the Suez Canal to Serepeum (3).  

In late 1915, the Australian command was concerned that the Turks would attack the Suez.  The 29th Battalion became responsible for guarding the central sector of the Suez defence line.  Specifically, Thomas' 29th Battalion, 'D' Company was assigned to Serapeum West where he worked to strengthen defence structures and maintained the railway lines.

On Christmas day, Thomas received a special food issue of plum pudding and can of fruit, which was small comfort for the harsh desert conditions he had to endure.  During the day, temperatures were extremely hot whilst at night it was very cold.  Sand permeated every aspect of his living conditions.   Water was scarce in the outer sentry posts and soldiers were only allowed one bottle of water per day.

Thomas in Egypt - Map

Below is a map of Egypt.  The dashlines I have made on the map show us where Thomas travelled in Egypt from late 1915 to mid 1916.  The numbers on the map mark the major locations where he was based with the 29th Battalion.  In number sequence, these Egyptian towns, campsites and outposts are:

1. Suez

2. Heliopolois (Aerodrome camp) near Cairo

3. Serepeum

4. Gebel Habeta, 9 miles east of Serapeum

5. Tel el Kebir

6. Ferry Post
7. Ismailia (Moascar camp)

8. Alexandria

Use the map as a reference guide for when we track Thomas' journey around Egypt. If you want to enlarge the map, just double click on it.  

 

A map of Egypt that highlights the location Thomas was assigned to during his 6 months in Egypt.   (Google 2011)




 

Thomas' WW1 medals

Thomas' son, Peter Carrucan is the custodian of our Grand (father's) only remaining WW1 medal: the Return from Service Medal.  Peter is also custodian of our (Grand) father's riband or ribbon bar that was worn on the army uniform during official occasions.



Scanned copy of Thomas' Return from Service Medal (Source: Peter Carrucan)





Scanned copy of Thomas' riband aka ribbon bar (Source: Peter Carrucan)



The colors on the riband represent the three medals Thomas was awarded for his WW1 service.  These medals are the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and the Allied Victory Medal 1914-1919. 

According to a number of sources, Thomas was very angry when his three medals and uniform were discarded shortly after his return to Australia in 1920.



Replicas of the lost medals Thomas received after WW1



 

Corporal George Spooner (RIP)

On this day 95 years ago, Thomas'  Section leader, 22 year old Corporal Spooner, was killed in action during the Battle of Fromelles.

 

Section 8 member, Private William Miles (see Section 8 photo), reported in a Red Cross interview in November 1916 that George Spooner was very popular and liked a good laugh.  "We used to call him 'Bubbles'. He was a crack swimmer and had an affected kind of speech, Haw, Haw. true (sic) pal and easily the most popular non-commissioned officer in our Company".

Tuesday, 7th December 1915: Egypt

Thomas and the 29th Battalion spent approximately 6 weeks on the troopship, Ascanius (codenamed A11). 
Our Grand (father's) Section 8 Corporal, 19 year old George Spooner wrote in his diary early in the voyage that the sea was "rough" and that "nearly everyone on board was sick". 

During the voyage, Thomas' day began and ended with one hour of drill training.  There was also musket practice, though only 200 rifles were supplied and bullets were rationed. 

During the voyage, members of the 29th Battalion were told that they would not be joining the ANZACs in the Gallipoli campaign.  That campaign was coming to an end and the ANZACs were being deployed to Egypt. 

The Ascanius crossed the equator on the 27th Nov 1915.  The troopship past Aden and the Red Sea and berthed at Port Suez on the 7th December 1915.

Thomas's payroll book provides us with information about when and where he was based during his time in Egypt. 

Photos of Thomas in uniform

After receiving a framed photograph of Thomas from my sister Claire today, I decided to post these photographs of our Grand (father) in his army uniform.  The first three photographs were taken in 1915 before he left Australian shores.  The fourth photograph was taken in Egypt in January or February 1916.  If you have other photographs of Thomas, please scan and send them to me at rob_carrucan@hotmail.com

Thomas' WW1 Pay Book

double click to enlarge the image

Thomas was paid the average wage of 6 shillings a day during his active service.  One shilling from his daily pay was deferred until his discharge from the army.  Thomas' pay book also reveals that the day before his embarkment on the Ascanius, he chose to allot three shillings per day (half his wage) to his mother "Maggie".  The pay book reveals that this generous allotment to his mother was cancelled in December 1917.  

Thomas' youngest son, Peter Carrucan, has kindly provided us with scanned copies of the pages from our (Grand) father's pay book, which can be viewed  here in the page section of the blog. Thomas' WW1 pay book provides us with a great deal of information about Thomas' WW1 service.  

If you wish to contribute to the blog, you can email me at rob_carrucan@hotmail.com.

Thomas' No. 8 Section: Part 1

Thomas was an original member of the all-Victorian 29th Battalion. Thomas was assigned to 'D' Company. The full list of  'D' Company members can be found here.  Within D company, Thomas was assigned to number 8 Section.  The 11 men in Thomas' section are pictured below. Three soldiers in this picture were killed during WW1.  

click to enlarge the image

The photo was printed in Austin, R (1997) Black and Gold:  The History of the 29th Battalion, 1915-18. Slouch Hat Publications.

Divided loyalties

With the Ascanius docked at Port Melbourne Pier, several hundred people gathered to farewell the original members of the 29th Battalion "for destination unknown".  Most civilians and soldiers assumed incorrectly that the troopship was heading for Gallipoli to join the ANZACs. 

Not everyone in Melbourne supported the decision for Australia to join the war.  Some members of the Irish Catholic community in Melbourne were opposed to Australia fighting alongside the British, who at the time were depriving Ireland its independence.  However, their voice was muffled by the dominant political discourse at the time that supported Australia's war efforts. The April 1916 uprising in Ireland, in which members of the IRA were caught and executed by the British, would have served to reinforce the views of the group of Irish-Catholics who opposed Australia becoming an ally with Britain.

The decision for Thomas to join the war appears to have been controversial among members of his family.  This view is supported by Thomas' nephew, Father Peter Carrucan.  In November 2010 Father Peter informed me that Thomas' mother, Margaret Lynch, opposed her eldest child's enlistment into the Australian Infantry Force because of her strong Irish Catholic political views at the time. At the risk of being too interpretative, this apparent division within the family may provide us with some understanding for why Thomas was treated in the manner that has been described (see cousin Bev's comment and and Draft Essay #1).

A photo of the troopship Ascanius prior to its embarkment on the 10th November 1915.  

Family Symbol: Eltham Copper Butterfly

I have appreciated the emails from cousins, aunts and uncles over the past few months.  I want you to know that there is a lot of information being generated behind the scenes that will assist us in fleshing out the story of Thomas' WW1 service.  If you want to pass on information about our (Grand) father, emailed me at rob_carrucan@hotmail.com or use the comments section in the blog.

My cousin, Matthew Carrucan, and I have exchanged several emails over the past few months.  Matthew has a keen interest in genealogy and has contributed to the Carrucan Family History Project click here.  Matthew also has an interest in our Grandfather's World War One service and has done some reading about the war(i), as well as attended lectures at the Australian War Memorial on the Battle of Fromelles.   We hope to work together when it is time to write about Thomas' role in the Battle of Fromelles, which remains the bloodiest 24 hour period in Australian history. But more about this topic in the months ahead.

Matthew recently designed a new family symbol for the Carrucan Family History Project.  The symbol uses the "Eltham Copper Butterfly", which until recently was thought to be extinct, with the family prayer set in and around it.  Matthew has given me permission to publish the family symbol he designed and created, so if you wish to view it click on the menu page in the blog.

(i)Matthew recommends the following books:

Black and Gold: The history of the 29th Battalion by Ron Austin

Don't Forget Me Cobber: The battle of Fromelles, by Robyn Corfield

Wednesday, 10th November 1915: Embarkment Day

On Wednesday 10th November, Thomas embarked from Port Melbourne on the troopship Ascanius ( known by its wartime codename 'A11') with the 29th Battalion. The Ascanius steamed its way around southern Australia before heading out into the Indian Sea.  The ship past the east coast of Africa (Somalia) before entering the Red Sea and heading towards Egypt. 
 

Below is the picture of the Ascanius embarking from Port Melbourne dock.  Our (Grand)father along with other soldiers of the 29th Battalion are waving back to port.  It would be 5 years before Thomas would return to Australia.   

Did you know that on 30th Jul, 1944, a German U-Boat (U-621) torpedoed the 9000 ton Ascanius in the English Channel whilst it was being used to transport army personnel.   The Ascanius was damaged and needed to be repaired at a Liverpool dock. 
 
 

Friday 5th November, 1915: March through the City

The spring of 1915 saw Thomas celebrate his 23rd birthday, 3 days after his beloved Collingwood Football Team(i) was defeated by 33 points by archrival Carlton, in just the 18th VFL Grand Final. The spring of 1915 also saw Thomas continue with his military training with the 29th Battalion whilst his second cousin, Patrick Carrucan, having enlisted on the 19th July 1915, was discharged from the Australian Infantry Force on the 7th September, 1915 due to health related issues. Thanks to the Carrucan Chronicles, you can read about Patrick Carrucan by clicking here.
 
On Thursday 4th November, 1915, The Argus newspaper reported that the 29th (and 31st Battalion) were camped at the Broadmeadow's Military Training camp and were nearing the end of their training.  The following day, Friday 5th November, 1915, The Argus newspaper reported that the two battalions left Spencer Street railway station at 11.30am and marched around Melbourne's CBD to a cheering crowd of onlookers.  On page 19 of the The Argus newspaper, the battalions were described as "one of the most highly trained units that have paraded the city since the war began".  The newspaper article described the men has having above average physiques and "workmanlike appearance". It went on to say that "no other infantry unit from the Commonwealth has had such a thorough musketry training as they have received before embarking for Egypt."  To read the full newspaper article, click here. 

Of course it is important to understand the context in which this article was written.  The military and political establishments, which had witnessed a steady decline in enlistments since mid 1915, were desperately trying to coerce young men to join the AIF.  Hence, the article reads like an advertisment that attempts to create a favourable impression for those young men who were still contemplating joining the war.  War posters were also a powerful propaganda medium.  If you wish to view a slideshow of the war posters that were mass produced during late 1915 and 1916, click on Thomas' blog.

(i) I was told that our (Grand)father would  listen to Collingwood VFL matches on the radio each Saturday afternoon from New Zealand.

Wednesday 13th October, 1915: Assignment Day

Thomas had already received military training prior to enlisting in the Australian Infantry Force (AIF) in July 1915.  The Defence Acts of 1909 and 1910 made it compulsory for all able-bodied males, between the age of 12-22 year, to undergo military training and Thomas would have been no exception. Despite this, when he joined the Australian Infantry Force he was required to undertake more intensive military training at the Seymour and Broadmeadow’s training camps.  The Argus newspaper dated 18th August (p.12) reported that Thomas' 29th Battalion was undergoing military training in August 1915.

Thomas' military records reveal that on the 13th October 1915, Lieutenant Colonel Alfred Bennett, commanding officer of the 29th Battalion, assigned him to the 29th Battalion, 'D' Company.  In subsequent posts, we will learn more about his assignment to 29th Battalion, 'D' company. 

The 29th Battalion's colours were the black/gold insignia shown below. When Thomas received his uniform, which was a baggy khaki battledress, slouch hat, puttees (long strips of cloth wound around his shins) and leather boots, the black/gold unit colors were sewn onto each shoulder.

Thomas' 29th Battalion unit colours




(This ribbon would have also been attached to each of the three war medals he received after the war)

Thursday 8th July, 1915: Enlistment day

In mid 1915, the battle along the Gallipoli peninsula between the ANZACs and Turks had been raging for several weeks.  Australian newspapers had begun reporting on ANZAC casualities.  Daily lists of Australian fatalities were printed in The Argus (now The Age) newspaper from early May 1915.  Though censored, the media helped give rise to the ANZAC legend and awakened the
Australian and New Zealand people into realizing that this conflict was just the start of a long war.

In June 1915 the Australian government drove a recruitment campaign to supply reinforcements at Gallipoli.  Thomas would have read government recruitment propaganda that were placed in local newspapers click here.

In June 1915 a record number of young men from Victoria had enlisted in the Australian Infantry Service. In July 1915 mass meetings and rallies were held in Melbourne to support the recruitment campaign. War posters also became increasingly emotive, especially when recruitment numbers declined significantly in 1916 and 1917. 

This mass meeting and others were arranged in Melbourne around the time Thomas made his decision to enlist. 

It was against this backdrop that Thomas considered his decision to enlist in the Australian army.   Though we will never know how he arrived at this decision, we can assume he had a sense of duty to serve his country.

Hence, on Thursday 8 July 1915, Thomas was one of  829 men who, on that wet and cold day, arrived at the Melbourne Town Hall to enlist in the war.  As he was over the age of 21 years, he did not require his parents’ consent to enlist.  Thomas’ parents would not provide their consent for Thomas’ younger brother, Francis, to join the AIF[i].

As part of the recruitment process, Thomas undertook a physical examination.  216 of the 829 men who wanted to enlist were prevented from doing so because they failed their physical examination.  During the 1st year of the war, about 1/3 of men failed their physical examinations and were turned away [ii].   

Thomas was one of over 36,000 who enlisted into the Australian army in July 1915.  He was the first member of the Carrucan family to join the war. Thomas completed and signed the enlistment papers and for reasons that are not clear, he wrote only his father’s name down as next of kin.

The Argus newspaper has more to say about enlistment proceeding on 8th July 1915. click here to read

i This information provided in Nov 2010 by Fr Peter Carrucan, who is Thomas' cousin and son of Francis Carrucan. 
ii The enlistment criteria was eased during the war so that more men were eligible to enlist.