West Australian (Perth, WA : 1879 - 1954), Monday 21 July 1919, page 9


SIEOMERB, PIONEERS, AS TUI'ELLER& A TRIBUTE TO THEIR WORK. (By OR.E.) Moest ightly every soldier takes off his hat to the infantry end accords it the pride of place as the final appeal in the ordeal by at.t!e.. No one stints their praise .ess than those whose privilege and pleasure it ..was to watch the man with the hand gun with its nasty looking bayonet go past them over the top. The work of the Australian Technical COrps however, is Rot so well known though it compared well in its own line with that of any similar troops at the war. Engineers. It used to be currently stated that a Field Engineer Company Commander considered himself equal to a Brigadier and while not endorsing this high opinion, it hei be said that he was a most valuable adjunct to the Brigadier's entourage durin. a stunt. The work of the Australian Zineers at Gallipoli was the admiration and despair of ll. similar units.. The system of trenches, laid' out, of sunken roads, covered ways, tunnels and iningm and counter.,msining was so wonderful that every' uesday'trii Thursday was put aside to, conduct Iperial officers and men from Helelos and Sevla through them. The experiences of the Ghurkha Brigade reesentaletives will not be soon forgotten by them. A pary of Rismldars Subadar and other ranks get abPselutely lost and greatly astonisheed some of .our lads who wondered if some strange breed of Turk had not found his way in by mistake. One of the finest pieces of work done .by Engineers was that of the 7th Field Csmpany, which was commanded by M?ijor Evans well known in Western Australia. At the. second Bullet it fight his officers Lieutenants Christian end Feutrell and another fmiliarly known as "Mac" several rights in suocession took out' parties of men with loing lengths of two inch piping filled with amonal and blew lanes in the German wire-a particularly unpleasant proceeding, but it helped the digger when te went over as. othing else could do. Dozens of instances could be given of simiar work never noticed or mentioned. Incidentally it is aidl that the losses among Engineer officers were among the highest Iro, it y of the whole force. The staaider of the Sappers Corps may be judged from the fact that rom a dot of about 800 men, 62 were graduates of various Asustalian Universities. Sapper Nelson the well known Western Australian arsaitect was-to my surprise diecovered.there. Mr.. H. Oldhsm's son gained his commission from the ranks, Sap per Bickford, once a ,leading city councillor was found doing his job and the work of Major Pidgeon will never be forgotten or the loss of s n, one of the dearest youngsters whe everjfonght a good figt-Let. Pidgeon, who went, West at Noreuil. ,Pioneers. From the I .appers were evolved the Pioneers. General Sir Harold Walker, generally known .as "Hodkey," the brilliant leader first of the old l~t. Brigade and after of the lit. Division, wrote from Italy where he commanded an Imperial Division. 'I consider the Autsralian Pioneer Battalion was std still is the- iest Pioneer Battalion in France probably in Europe." Abfiner tribute from an experienced and gall ?nt ldier is impossible, for he knew that the Gemw gave 'firt place to their Pioneeras who were considered their best troops. The work done by our Pioneers was endless in variety and usefalness. There were the kick off trenchis in No Man's Land at Saily sur Lip. Parpet work at 8leurbaix, kick off -trenches 'at Poxieres, communication trenches between Posieres and M?ouquot Farm. tranmwavs nearly to the Butts of Wrlenourt, the road from Le Sars to Bpauame/ mining work at Hill 60, at Ypres, and above eall the plank roads rom Zillbeke to Zonebekeo. They did hsything and everyt ; they were the contmractrs of the Australian ~army. How great their' losse i gallant men were only their O.C's. know. In one battalion out of a preliminary muster of 23 oflicers, 11 were killed! and the men were .e?ally dlf-?acrificing. Steady, quiet, self-reliant men they comprised the finest artisan dciss of Antralia. aid it is on r'cord that they. never left a piece of work unfinished. ,, Among the many men who stood aut there were two Western Auntralians who will always be associated with them. Major (temp. Lient.Col.)" H. B. James, M.C.. who was the man who made one battalion of them into one of the best marching battalions among the A.I.F., and Captain A. Tddall,"M.C.;"who, -at'a momeit's notice, when Frith Hubbe was killed at Pozieres, took on the adjutant's job and carried it through without fear or favour. It was always said' that the Australian Pioneers saved almost as many of our men's lives as the Germans killed, and they denervewell at the hands of the relations of the returned men.Miners. Miners. To speak adequately of the Australian miner isn't possible. He was'pitted against the pick of the world's miners, and excelled them. anada, " South Africa, United States, Mexico,. all. sent their. best, 'hile from the home of mining England ?5telf thousandsofmeneame forward but by cammon consent the Australian miner was first -His work at Laventie vwe a marvel, mining. and countermining, working in dead sileisce, while he, could hear the Bosehe miner within inches of him, with' a courage nsearpamsed. Again at .Ypres, Arras, and on the extreme left. It wan't often the Australian Corps. got a sniff of our own tunnellers. The' British found out a good thing and kept' it; but when we did get them we worked ?them; and their work was good, ,It wasn't all tunnelling by any means. Westhoek ,Ridge to Anzac House plank road saw them day after day doing their job with the Pioneers. Amiens defences from Corbie to Ribemont, and Ribemont to Bazieux were mainly their work, which was equal to the best effort, even of the Pioneers. Machine gan dugouts, and .,.? rnm ,s+ r frt. ., thw?.?a?,.

A hospitable crowd, too, their mess at Querrieux was ,4orth going into, and one of the steadiest, best conducted unite in the force, but they would stick to old Roman coins and other treasures they found digging through ancient, almost prehi~toric,. bryin_ grounds in the-old Somme country. In the. celebration of peace on Saturday, it is hoped these wonderful units will be well repre.ented. The public know little of ndthing of their work, but they have the right to a good recognition, for they all worthily upheld the best traditions of the men who make a good ooemtry-workers every one, with a pride in the work accomplished.