Sapper Ernest James William Ranger

CORPORAL RAYMOND EDWARD JAMES RANGER 1268 – Australian Electrical & Mechanical Mining & Boring Company

Born at Randwick, Sydney, New South Wales (NSW) in 1891, Raymond was the son of Joseph and Frances A. (nee Cadden) Ranger.

He completed the ‘Attestation Paper of Persons Enlisted for Service Abroad’ on 4 January 1916. He stated he was 24 years and 7 months of age and a plumber by trade.

A medical examination on the same day at the Board of Health Recruiting Depot, Sydney, recorded that he was 5ft 9½ins tall and weighed 9 stone 9 pounds. He had a sallow complexion, grey yes and black hair. He was of the Church of England faith. He was immediately appointed to the Mining Corps

He named as his Next-of-Kin his mother, Mrs Frances Ranger of 308 Oxford Street, Woollahra, NSW.

Raymond signed the Attestation, and the Oath to ‘well and truly serve’, on 11 February 1916 at Casula, NSW. He embarked for Active Service on 20 February 1916 with the No.3 Company of the Australian Mining Corps.

At a civic parade in the Domain, Sydney on Saturday February 19, 1916, a large crowd of relations and friends of the departing Miners lined the four sides of the parade ground. Sixty police and 100 Garrison Military Police were on hand to keep the crowds within bounds. The scene was an inspiriting one. On the extreme right flank, facing the saluting base, were companies of the Rifle Club School; next came a detachment of the 4th King’s Shropshire Light Infantry, then the bands of the Light Horse, Liverpool Depot, and the Miners’ on the left, rank upon rank, the Miners’ Battalion.

Following the farewell parade in the Domain, Sydney, the Australian Mining Corps embarked from Sydney, New South Wales on 20 February 1916 on board HMAT A38 Ulysses.

The Mining Corps comprised 1303 members at the time they embarked with a Headquarters of 40; No.1 Company – 390; No.2 Company – 380; No.3 Company – 392, and 101 members of the 1st Reinforcements.

Ulysses arrived in Melbourne, Victoria on 22 February and the Miners were camped at Broadmeadows while additional stores and equipment were loaded onto Ulysses. Another parade was held at the Broadmeadows camp on March 1, the Miners’ Corps being inspected by the Governor-General, as Commander-in-Chief of the Commonwealth military forces.

Departing Melbourne on 1 March, Ulysses sailed to Fremantle, Western Australia where a further 53 members of the Corps were embarked. The ship hit a reef when leaving Fremantle harbour, stripping the plates for 40 feet and, although there was a gap in the outside plate, the inner bilge plates were not punctured. The men on board nicknamed her ‘Useless’. The Miners were off-loaded and sent to the Blackboy Hill Camp where further training was conducted. After a delay of about a month for repairs, The Mining Corps sailed for the European Theatre on 1 April 1916.

The ship arrived at Suez, Egypt on 22 April, departing for Port Said the next day; then on to Alexandria. The Captain of the ship was reluctant to take Ulysses out of the Suez Canal because he felt the weight of the ship made it impossible to manoeuvre in the situation of a submarine attack. The Mining Corps was transhipped to B1 Ansonia for the final legs to Marseilles, France via Valetta, Malta. Arriving at Marseilles on 5 May, most of the men entrained for Hazebrouck where they arrived to set up their first camp on 8 May 1916.

A ‘Mining Corps’ did not fit in the British Expeditionary Force, and the Corps was disbanded and three Australian Tunnelling Companies were formed. The Technical Staff of the Corps Headquarters, plus some technically qualified men from the individual companies, was formed into the entirely new Australian Electrical and Mechanical Mining and Boring Company (AEMMBC), better known as the ‘Alphabetical Company’.

On 13 May he was attached to the 254th Tunnelling Company, Royal Engineers for duty with No.4 Section.

Raymond was transferred from the 3rd Australian Tunnelling Company to the AEMMBC on 7 October 1916 and taken on strength of that unit. On 28 October he was promoted to 2nd Corporal.

He proceeded on leave from 26 July until 9 August 1918, when he rejoined his unit. He reported sick on 15 August and spent a day in hospital before getting back to his unit.

He proceeded on leave to Paris on 28 February 1919, rejoining his unit on 7 March. On 8 March he was promoted to Temporary Corporal.

On 10 May 1919 he marched out of the AEMMBC for return to Australia. He arrived in England on 20 May and marched in to No.1 Group, Heytesbury, on 23 May. He marched out to Headquarters, A.I.F., London on 28 May, returning to A.A.S.C. at Parkhouse on 15 June..

Raymond left London on 6 July 1919 on board HMAT A42 Boorara for return to Australia, disembarking on 26 August 1919. He was discharged from the A.I.F. on 20 October 1919, entitled to wear the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.

In 1920, Raymond married Marion Ellen Kent at Waverly, NSW. Marion, born at Burwood in 1893, was the daughter of William and Maude Kent.

The 1930 & 1933 Electoral Roll records: Raymond, plumber, and Marion Ellen at Daceyville, Botany. In 1936 they are recorded: Raymond, plumber, and Marion at ‘Hazebrouck’ Park Parade, Pagewood.

In May 1932 Raymonds’ military records were forwarded to the Repatriation Commission, Sydney.

The 1943 Electoral Roll records: Raymond, plumber, and Marion at 55 Park Parade, Pagewood, and in 1949 they are at the same address and joined by Raymond Allen Ranger, clerk.

The 1954 Electoral Roll records: Raymond, plumber, and Marion at 55 Park Parade, Pagewood. Their address changes for 1963 & 1968 to 70 Park Parade, Pagewood.

Died 25 June 1969 aged 77 years, a notice appearing in the Sydney Morning Herald of 27 June. He was cremated at the Eastern Suburbs Crematorium, Sydney.

The 1980 Electoral Roll records Marion at 70 Park Parade, Pagewood. Marion died at Westmead on 15 April 1981, a notice appearing in the Sydney Morning Herald on 18 April.

Reunions

Past members of the Australian Electrical & Mechanical Mining & Boring Company and Tunnelling Companies gathered on or about Anzac Day for a reunion luncheon. We have had access to some of their records, which were very well kept and are quite detailed.

Raymond first appears on the list in 1928 giving his address as Plumber, Oxford Street, Bondi Junction. In 1934 he also appears on the list at the same address, although there is a note ‘Park Parade, Maroubra’. In 1968 his address is changed to 70 Park Road, Pagewood. In his book ‘Crumps and Camouflets’ at page 109, Damien Finlayson records that 2nd Corporal Raymond Ranger was the workshop foreman with responsibility for the plumbing workshop.

Crumps and Camouflets - Plate 21: Hazebrouck - 1917 Original image from the Diary of Hughy Dodd.