Soldiers
Home NEW Updates About Us Historic Sites Consultants Contact Us Terms/Conditions
|
|
|
FORESTRY COMPANIES R.A.E. UPDATED Researched and compiled by Gordon Freegard 2018
|
|
This is the rarely told story of the forestry workers that maintained supply behind the fighting fronts. We all know about the behind-the-scenes workers that built and supplied the bombs, the ammunition, the guns, the planes, the boats and the tanks, but little do we know about the soldiers that kept up the supply of the much needed timber. This was needed to build bridges, roads, railways, army camps and to repair bombed buildings and quarters. Some was even used for gliders and barges. Rather than have timber shipped in, the decision was to log and cut on site or as close as possible to the war front. Experienced timbermen were selected to execute this project, which meant top workers were chosen from our forestry teams and sent from Australia. They performed their duties in very extreme conditions from the ice and snow of Scotland to the heat and humidity of the tropics of Bougainville. They had to start virtually from scratch and built their living quarters and then the sawmills. The mills were built along the lines of the true and tested models they were familiar with back in Australia. The local timbers were different to the Jarrah and Karri hardwoods of home. Here they had other types such as Beech, Oak and Pine, but the means of processing was still the same. Our Australian timbermen excelled in their trade and their skilful methods meant they set many records for production during the following war years. Enjoy this read as we follow them from England and Scotland through to New Guinea and Bougainville before returning back to their hometowns and sawmills in Australia. These men needed to be recognised for the massive effort they performed in backing the soldiers fighting at the front. Without them life today could have been very different. LEST WE FORGET the men who served in the 2/1, 2/2 and 2/3 Forestry Companies of the Royal Australian Engineers. (The "2/" was added to their names after they returned to Australia).
|
FORESTRY
COMPANY
|
|
JOHN HENRY (JACK)
O’MEAGHER 1940 #2 |
Early in 1940, Britain asked Australia, New Zealand and
Canada each to send an army unit that would be able to fell and mill timber in
France. These units were to comprise experienced timbermen with a forester in
charge. (The French Government had not been impressed with the destruction of
some of its carefully managed forests during World War 1. Two forestry companies were quickly raised in 1940 as
part of the Royal Australia Engineers (RAE). The first Forestry Company
was in Sydney with men from New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia led
by Captain Cyril Richard Cole, a professional forester, while the second
Forestry Company was raised in Melbourne under the command of Captain
Andrew Leonard (Ben) Benallack, with soldiers from Victoria, Tasmania and
Western Australia. Word went around the local West Australian mills like
wildfire. Those interested went for a medical test. Altogether, over
sixty-seven West Australians were selected, many of them friends and workmates
from the lower South West. Among these was Bill Quarrell, Lou Goodman, George
Jones, Hector McDonald, Lindsay Starkie, George Lilley, Jack White, all from
Jardee and also Jack O’Meagher who was from Karragullen, and also Felix
Carpenter who was mill foreman at Millars’ Timber and Trading Co. at Mornington
Mills. Fifty entered Northam Camp to undergo their second medical examinations
before intensive basic training in military skills in early May 1940. Another
seventeen arrived a few days later. |
|
After completing their basic military training, they had
a combined farewell. The Railway and Forestry Units, who were now encamped at Ascot,
marched through the streets of Perth, before sailing for Europe on the
“Stratheden”. Leaving Fremantle on the 30th May 1940 destined for
the Suez Canal. By the time they reached Colombo, France had fallen, so they
were diverted to sail via the Cape of Good Hope.
AUSTRALIAN
TROOPS ON SHORE LEAVE IN COLUMBO #4 |
AUSTRALIAN TROOPS ON BOARD S.S. STRATHEDEN #3 The troops landed in England in July, and spent the first
few weeks undertaking further military training at Alton, in Southern England.
In preparation to defend England in the event of an invasion. The German attack
never came, so the 2nd Forestry Company, Royal Australian
Engineers, found themselves doing the job they had enlisted to do in the north
of England instead of in France. |
|
NORTHUMBERLAND #5
|
Prior to the War, Britain had sourced much of its timber
from Scandinavian countries but now had to rely upon its own forests to meet
its timber needs. The two Forestry Companies were first deployed to
Northumberland during September 1940. Equipment was in short supply and was not
what they were used to. Initially crawler-tractors were not available so local
agricultural tractors had to be converted to serve in the logging operations.
There were no chainsaws, just axes and crosscut saws. How different things were from home among the Jarrah and the Karri trees. Here, Spruce, Ash, Chestnut, Sycamore, Pine, Beech and Oak trees, too young to cut during World War 1, had grown to a commercial size. The trees were much smaller than the men were used to, and local custom was to saw the trees only 10 centimetres from the ground. The men had to work on their knees, sometimes in the snow and mud, using clumsy kneeling pads attached to their trousers. It would have been hard to get used to in any weather, but what made it worse was that, according to the locals, this was the harshest winter for fifty years. |
FORESTRY WORKERS IN SCOTLAND 1940 #31 |
|
AUSTRALIAN
FORESTRY WORKERS IN SCOTLAND 1940 #6 |
AUSTRALIAN
FORESTRY WORKERS IN SCOTLAND 1940 #28 |
|
CUTTING
TREES WHILST KNEELING #7 |
AUSTRALIAN
FORESTRY WORKERS AT NORTHUMBERLAND 1940 #29 |
|
STARTING TO BUILD THE MILL #32 |
AUSTRALIAN
FORESTRY WORKERS AT NORTHUMBERLAND 1940 #33 |
|
JACK O'MEAGHER WAS BILLETED OUT HERE #34 |
NISSEN HUT WORK CAMP #35 |
|
AUSTRALIAN
FORESTRY WORKERS AT NORTHUMBERLAND 1940 #36 |
AUSTRALIAN
FORESTRY WORKERS AT NORTHUMBERLAND 1940 #37 |
|
AUSTRALIAN
FORESTRY WORKERS AT NORTHUMBERLAND 1940 #38 |
AUSTRALIAN
FORESTRY WORKERS AT NORTHUMBERLAND 1940 #39 |
|
VIEW OF SAWMILL #40 |
LEFT OVERS USED TO PROP COAL MINES #41
|
|
AUSTRALIAN
FORESTRY WORKERS AT NORTHUMBERLAND 1940 #30 |
|
TOM SKEHAN #83 |
As the need for forestry companies persisted the 3rd
Forestry Company of 150 men was formed in Melbourne in March – April 1941. Lieutenant Colonel Cyril Richard Cole, a veteran of WW1, was in charge of the Forestry Group |
JIM FOX #84 |
|
This was one of the few convoys which made the crossing unmolested in those days.The "Themistocies" was used as a World War 1 Troop ship, then a passenger ship and in World War 11 again as a Troop ship. It was scrapped in 1947. They arrived in England on 7th August 1941 and to begin with, 3rd Forestry Company was sent to the County of Northumberland, United Kingdom then to Chathill Village, in Northumberland, until 16th February 1942. Then to Dumfrieshire, Scotland at Langholm on 13th April 1942 then Canonbie Village from 21st May 1942 til 10th October 1942. 1st Forestry Company & 2nd
Forestry Company were sent to Lockerbie in Scotland, but, as with other units, they were moved around as the
timber was cut. The three companies were relocated to Dumfrieshire in Scotland
during 1941. When they arrived in Scotland from England, they were
faced with a bare field. They had to cut timber to build their huts and then
the mills. For this they had to transport some timber for 30 miles. Incredibly
one of the slickest pieces of work was when four men built a large mess hut in
five days. |
DUMFRIESHIRE,
SCOTLAND #8 |
|
BARE FIELDS ON
ARRIVAL IN SCOTLAND #9 Later so as to maximise the Australian forester’s productivity, less skilled forestry workers from Honduras and Italian Prisoners Of War (POW’s) were place under their control to undertake unskilled work. Both the Scotch and English immediately took the Aussies
into their homes and hearts and did their utmost to make their stay with them
as enjoyable and comfortable as possible under the circumstances, and many
great friendships were born. |
ITALIAN PRISONERS
WORKING ON SAWMILL AT LOCKERBIE #10 |
|
AUSTRALIAN
FORESTRY WORKERS IN SCOTLAND 1942 #11 |
Although it was a lonely life no-one said they found it
dull. Most of these were expert axemen – and expert shots too. Their cooks had
learnt to deal with deer and other game. “We must shoot when a pheasant
“attacks” us.” Said the New South Wales champion axeman, Dick Rielly. The Duke
of Burkleugh, who is a big landowner in the district, wrote a letter asking
that they make certain that only cocks “attacked” them. They busily set about building the much needed mills. At
one particular site they were laying skids at the loco siding using adzes and
augers. Things weren’t going so well and suddenly there was a hearty
enunciation of adjectives essentially Australian. For a moment you could have
thought you were somewhere in Australia but, no, a little bit of Australia was
in Scotland.
|
|
Forests planned by an Australian Rhodes Scholar, Sir Roy Robinson were planted by Australian Diggers of the last war who stayed in England. In one forest in Scotland certain trees of a dark foliage were planted so that when they grew they formed a map of Australia. This map can be seen quite clearly from the Glasgow Road. These trees were too young to be harvested during WW2. The Japanese had entered the War and the Australians were
very keen to return to Australia, however this was not possible at that time.
So keen were some members to return that, on seeing a notice besides a pond
reading, “PERSONS THROWING STONES IN THIS POND WILL BE SENT TO AUSTRALIA” they
bombarded the pool until their arms ached. They continued their war effort
producing timber but later when the Japanese were threatening to invade
Australia they were sent home to support the local effort. In spite of all this, the Australians set records for
production. A record cut of 16,400 cubic feet was chalked up when the O.C., of
the 1st Company, Major Jack Thomas, bet them 18 gallons of the best English
beer. In two years the company sent away 679 trainloads of timber. The timber
was used for railway sleepers, wagons and new army camps and to repair bombed
buildings. |
AUSTRALIAN
FORESTRY WORKERS IN SCOTLAND 1942 #12 |
|
1st FORESTRY COMPANY SECOND ANNUAL REUNION PROGRAMME #47 |
|
1st FORESTRY COMPANY SECOND ANNUAL REUNION PROGRAMME #48 |
|
INSPECTION BY GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS INCLUDING Dr. EVATT #42 |
|
INSPECTION BY GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS INCLUDING Dr. EVATT #43 |
INSPECTION BY GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS INCLUDING Dr. EVATT #44 |
|
Lt CHANDLER LEADING THE PARADE #45 |
|
SAWMILL
AT FARQUAR’S MOSS NEAR LOCKERBIE #13 |
The smaller round timber was collected for pit props for
the coal mines. In one place this was done by two young girls, one of whom
became the sweetheart of a Forestry Company Soldier. Local Karragullen soldier,
Jack O’Meagher met his future wife, Joyce, whilst stationed in England and
after the war she joined him in Australia. She was to be one of the 120 British
brides who followed their Forestry Company husbands back to Australia after the
war. Jack and his best mate both got married at a double wedding to Joyce and
her sister. The pay of the timbermen-soldiers was limited, but their
outgoing and sometimes boisterous manner in the English – and later Scottish –
pubs was recognizably Australian. When on leave they were able to travel free
on British Rail. Many made contact with relatives known to the older generation
in different parts of Britain. They felt welcome and leant about the land their
parents called “Home”, but missed the sun and the freedom of Australia. At one time they were quite near the town of Robert Burns
birthplace. One of the soldiers, formerly a kangaroo shooter, spent two hours
being shown the local sights which included the house where Burns was born,
where he wrote his first poem and where he died. His guide was an enthusiastic
resident, who was delighted to discover that an Australian shared his interest
in the famous poet. Fortunately, the resident never found out that our
soldier’s interest was rather misplaced. He thought the Burns so honoured by
this town was Tommy Burns, the famous American boxer.
|
|
THE ADVANCE PARTY OF THE 2nd FORESTRY COMPANY #46 |
|
When children from the little village near the Australian
camp in the south-west of Scotland, came late home from school, their mothers
always know they’re out in the forest watching the timber-cutters at work. And
when the children finally came home late in the twilight they are usually
carrying their shirts over their arms. It’s a habit they copied from the
Aussies, who, when the summer came, worked in shorts, sun tanned backs bare,
much to the astonishment of the locals, who called them crazy. 3rd FORESTRY COMPANY R.A.E. In readiness for the invasion of Europe the 3rd
Forestry Company designed and built several small semi-portable mills capable
of turning out around 6000 super feet (10 loads) per day. These were built in
sections and each complete mill, including power unit, was packed on a single
six ton truck, which in turn could be driven on to an invasion barge without
unloading. Demonstrations proved that a section of men could set this outfit up
and have it cutting under four hours. However they were denied the opportunity
of realising their ambition to operate them in Germany. |
PORTABLE
SAWMILL PACKED UP #14 |
|
UNFOLDING
FRONT SECTION OF PORTABLE SAWMILL #15 |
UNFOLDING
FRONT SECTION OF PORTABLE SAWMILL #16 |
|
UNFOLDING
REAR SECTION OF PORTABLE SAWMILL #17 |
UNFOLDING
OTHER SIDE SECTION OF PORTABLE SAWMILL
#18 |
|
The huge amount of timber required during the war effort
can be gained from the fact that there were around 40 Forestry Companies
operating sawmills at that time, in addition to the civilian mills, which were
still producing. Three Royal Engineers, three New Zealand Engineers, three
Royal Australian Engineers and the balance Canadian and Newfoundland Companies. THE IMAGES BELOW ARE SUPPLIED FROM TOM SKEKAN, A MEMBER OF THE 3rd FORESTRY COMPANY R.A.E. Tom Skehan's son Peter, married local Pickering Brook girl, Helen Owen. These images were send home to Tom's wife, who carefully preserved them by glueing them into an album. Tom Skehan spent a number of spells in various hospitals until on 21st January 1943. He was declared unfit by the Medical Board and was transferred to Durban, South Africa and then to Springhill and Howick camps. |
PORTABLE
SAWMILL READY FOR BUSINESS #19 |
|
|
CANONBIE #50 |
|
LANGHOLM NEAR CANONBIE #51 |
CHATHILL VILLAGE #52 |
|
MAP SHOWING CANONBIE #53 |
QUARTERS, SCOTLAND #54 |
|
3rd FORESTRY COMPANY R.A.E. #55 |
|
SNOW EVERYWHERE, SCOTLAND #56 |
SNOW EVERYWHERE, SCOTLAND #57 |
|
SNOW EVERYWHERE, SCOTLAND #58 |
TOM SKEHAN (left) & MATE IN THE SNOW #59 |
|
|
TERRIBLE WORKING CONDITION, SCOTLAND #61 |
|
TERRIBLE WORKING CONDITION, SCOTLAND #61 |
TERRIBLE WORKING CONDITION, SCOTLAND #63 |
|
3rd FORESTRY COMPANY R.A.E. #64 |
|
HAULING LOGS, SCOTLAND #65 |
HAULING LOGS, SCOTLAND #66 |
|
HAULING LOGS, SCOTLAND #67 |
HAULING LOGS, SCOTLAND #68 |
|
TOM SKEHAN ON RIGHT #69 |
CRASHED GERMAN BOMBER #70 |
|
SAW MILL, SCOTLAND #71 |
SAW MILL, SCOTLAND #72 |
|
SAW MILL, SCOTLAND #73 |
|
|
AUSTRALIANS COMPETING IN LOG CHOP, SCOTLAND #74 |
AUSTRALIANS COMPETING IN LOG CHOP, SCOTLAND #76 |
|
On 1st June 1943 he was returned to Melbourne, Australia and then back to Perth, Western Australia and Claremont Camp and Hollywood Hospital until his discharge on 11th November 1943 on Medical ground and age. His unit subsequently went to New Guinea. Sadly Tom Skehan died in Hollywood Hospital on 27th January 1962 aged 58 years.
|
TOM SKEHAN IN TIMBER YARD #77 |
|
AUSTRALIANS COMPETING IN LOG CHOP, SCOTLAND #78 |
AUSTRALIANS COMPETING IN LOG CHOP, SCOTLAND #79 |
|
TOM SKEHAN IN CENTRE WITH MAP #80 |
|
TOM SKEHAN WITH NURSES IN DURBAM, SOUTH AFRICA #81 |
TOM SKEHAN AT BACK RIGHT IN SOUTH AFRICA #82 |
|
RETURNING TO AUSTRALIA The Australian Forestry Group moved to Sussex in mid-1943, but shortly afterwards the group departed of Australia. The Japanese were getting too close to Australia, so the Forestry boys were called home. They left Liverpool on 22nd September sailing to Australia via America. By the time they had left, the Australians had produced 30 million super feet of sawn timber.
|
SUSSEX #20 |
|
They arrived in Boston by 29th September 1943. On 1st October the New Zealanders and the Australians were given a ticker tape welcome on Broadway, New York, in the pouring rain. The Australians, led by Colonel Cole, carried arms with fixed bayonets. It is thought to be the only time the decree of the American Constitution that foreign troops cannot carry arms in an American city had been broken. Mayor La Guardia greeted them with an oration. One of the outstanding impressions of New York was the blaze of electric lights and neon’s after three years of British blackouts. The next day, they were on their way across the United
States by train. They crossed seventeen States and eventually arrived at San
Francisco to meet the ship taking them across the Pacific. At Auckland, where
they arrived two weeks later, they took “unofficial leave” in spite of the
opposition of the American army officer in charge. It is reported that they had
all returned by 23.59, being met by an Australian officer who took their names
at the top of the gangplank. The following morning they were officially charged
with being AWOL (absent without leave) and were given three days’ CD (confined
to barracks) – just enough time to get them to Brisbane.
|
AUSTRALIAN
TROOPS MARCHING |
|
FORESTRY
COMPANY’S SAWMILL IN THE NORTHERN TERRITORY
#22 After arriving in July 1944
the Company operated a sawmill formally used by 11th Australian Workshop and 13th
Australian Field Company. Sweating in the Northern Territory’s heat,
in three months they cut 500,000 super feet from hardwood forests and swamps
where mud and water added to their difficulties. As a relief from their
strenuous work the men built a recreation centre – luxurious by Army standards
– in the NT bush, in a clearing they erected an open-air hall with growing palm
trees for tropical atmosphere and coloured light play over the 50 square foot
of dance floor.
|
After their return to Australia, in November they
undertook jungle training at Canungra and received some new equipment before
being deployed to the Northern Territory and Papua New Guinea. The companies
had several different destinations. Some went to the Northern Territory and
some to the jungle forests of New Guinea at Lae, the Markham Valley and Madang.
DANCE
FLOOR CREATED #23 |
|
Others were sent to New Guinea and Bougainville. Here there were new problems. Heat, swampy terrain, the threat of malaria and Blackwater fever, and the frequent rain made working conditions difficult. These former timber getters from Queensland and other Eastern States and “jarrah-jerkers” from Western Australia, hacked roads through the jungle, cut timber for bridging, decking and hutments and cleared areas for playing fields.
|
BASE
CAMP NEW GUINEA #24 |
|
AUSTRALIAN
SAWMILL AT LAE #25 |
In one case a forestry unit in seven months cut more than
5,500,000 super feet of timber and hauled in giant 80 and 100ft logs. This was enough timber for 500 five roomed
cottages. With tractors and log-arches capable of supporting 12 and 14 tons,
they dragged these forest giants down to the mills as if they were mere sticks.
Sweating in the tropical heat from early morning to dark, they cut planks for
decking, flooring, carrier beams and uprights for all forms of building and
construction. In some areas whole “cities” have risen where a year earlier
there was nothing but jungle. In the forests near Lae they did a remarkable bush job by
erecting a sawmill, the largest in New Guinea, in less than six weeks. They equipped
it with seven saw benches, taking logs up to 5 feet in diameter and giving an
output of 100,000 feet of sawn timber a week, for the use of the Australian and
American Forces.
|
|
Although it was found that timber from Bougainville was
sufficient for their needs, feeling and handling one particular variety caused
a skin rash in many cases. The tree’s botanical name is “somecarpus”, although
the troops had a different name for it. Contact with it is similar to that
caused by poison ivy. Each man was made aware of this particular variety and
therefore had to remain fully clothed in the tropical heat, to protect
themselves from this irritating rash. This called for heavy physical effort in
the clammy atmosphere. The officers were more than envious of the American mills
working in the area. Their equipment was much more modern. A story is told:- Out
of a night of heavy rain two American Army trucks arrived and insisted that
their orders were to deliver their loads of sawmill parts to the sawmill (at
Busul). They had obviously lost their way, and were anxious to return to their
camp. We reluctantly agreed to look after their precious loads.”
|
SAWING
LOGS IN NEW BRITAIN #26 |
|
In August 1944, part of the 2/2nd Forestry
Company went to Torokina in Bougainville, where they took over on American mill,
a Corinth Model 2C. They were able to produce more timber with this mill than
the Americans had done - and they had less manpower than the previous owners
had. Most of the group later moved to New Britain. When they arrived at
Jacquinot Bay, soon after the infantry landing, they had to set up defensive
positions in case of attack. The attack did not come, and within a day or two
the mill was producing timber. The forests had been the scenes of fighting, and many of
the logs had shrapnel embedded in them. When a saw hit a piece of metal, it was
likely to shatter the whole blade. This created a dangerous situation for the
men. In a letter to head office, the officer in charge asked for some help and
was told to “Be prepared to lose one sapper (Man) a day!” One suspects the
sappers were not told about this letter. In the meantime, a new saw was
introduced. It had removable teeth so that if a metal object were hit, the
whole saw would not be shattered. As the war moved further away, timber was
brought from areas where there had not been any fighting, so the problem
disappeared.
|
|
JOHN HENRY (Jack) O'MEAGHER FROM KARRAGULLEN DRIVING BULLDOZER IN BOUGAINVILLE #27 |
|
By 1945, the New Guinea mill at Jacquinot Bay was a very
large base supporting the army units operating towards Rabaul, as well as some
air force units. There were large logs in this area and they supplied materials
for jetties and wharfs as well as new huts for the army and for the thousands
of Japanese prisoners of war now needing shelter. Australian servicemen who had married whilst serving
overseas and had been compelled to leave their English brides behind were
penalised by the Taxation Department. They claimed that as their wives and
families were not residents of Australia, and therefore the men should be taxed
at bachelor rates. The men had tried to have their wives and families brought
to Australia but because of shipping shortages, had been told that the
necessary priorities could not be arranged. At the end of the war, all three Australian Forestry
Companies were progressively disbanded but some men remained as late as 1946 to
help with reconstruction. Others returned home; some to go back to the jobs
they had left, where their experience was often of great value; others to find
work in other fields. They all had a reservoir of experience to draw on – a
trip round the world, different climates and customs, and different timbers and
milling methods – and now, for many, a new life was about to begin.
|
|
Reference: Article: Gordon Freegard Images:: 1, 6, 7, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 18, 20, 21, 26, 27, 28 Australian War Memorial
Copyright : Gordon Freegard. 2008-2022
|
