William George Munday

William George Munday

Personal Information
Date of Birth	Not known
Place of Birth	Northam, Western Australia
Age at Enlistment	33 years, 2 months
Description	5'6" (1.m) tall ; 150lbs 68.039 kg ; fair complexion ; blue eyes ; brown hair
Occupation	Labourer
Religion	Church of England
Address	Maylands, Western Australia
Next of Kin	Wife , Mrs Clarice Munday
Military Information
Reg Number	1083
Date of Enlistment	20 Oct 1915
Rank	Sapper
Date of Embarkation	20 Feb 1916
Ship Embarked On	HMAT A38 Ulysses Sydney to
Date of Return	1 Jun 1919 ‒ 8 Jul 1919
Ship Returned On	SS Somali
Fate	Returned to Australia
Monument	Gosnells Road Board Honour Roll
Medals	British War Medal Victory Medal

War Service

On enlistment Bill was allocated to the 33rd Depot Company for basic training before being identified as suitable for the Mining Corps. The original No 3 Company of the Mining Battalion consisted of Company Headquarters and three sections recruited in Western Australia. No 3 Company had a strength of 1 Officer and 274 Other Ranks, embarking from Fremantle on 18 Dec 1915 for Sydney aboard SS Indara.

On Boxing Day (Dec 26th), 1915 the Unit arrived in Sydney and marched into Casula Camp, near Liverpool, NSW. They were joined by the 4th Section of the Tasmanian Miners, bringing the establishment strength up to 15 officers and 349 Other Ranks under the command of 2nd Lieutenant L.J. Coulter. Mining Corps Units from all Military districts came together at Casula to complete training as a 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. 1,248 members of the Corps who boarded HMAT A38 Ulysses in Sydney, NSW on February 20 and sailed for the European theatre. Arriving in Melbourne, Victoria on February 22 the Miners camped at Broadmeadows for a stay of 7 days while further cargo was loaded.

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.

Leaving Melbourne on March 1, Ulysses arrived at Fremantle, Western Australia on March 7 where a further 53 members were taken on board. On Wednesday March 8, 1916 the whole force, with their band and equipment, paraded at Fremantle prior to leaving Victoria Quay at 9.30 o’clock. 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.

Finally departing Fremantle on April 1, Ulysses voyaged via Suez, Port Said and Alexandria in Egypt. 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 troops were transhipped to HM Transport B.1 Ansonia, then on to Valetta, Malta before disembarking at Marseilles, France on May 5, 1916. As a unit they entrained at Marseilles on May 7 and detrained on May 11 at Hazebrouck.

Bill's records contain little detail other than it would appear he led a trouble free time in France during hostilities.

He enjoyed leave in the UK from 19 Nov until 3 Dec 1918 after which he rejoined his unit. On 9 Jan 1919 he required medical help for Polyuria, and was treated by the 57th Casualty Clearing Station then located at Valenciennes. Discharged on 17th Bill had rejoined his unit on 18 Jan 1919. However by 25 Jan 1919 he was again in need of medical attention from the 57th Casualty Clearing Station, this time for scabies. On 12 Feb 1919 he was placed on [Ambulance Train] No 8 and the next day admitted to the 14th General Hospital with boils. On 19 Feb 1919 he was transferred to the 8th Stationary Hospital, and dermatitis is mentioned in his records.

Bill was released from the 8th Stationary Hospital to Base Details on 10 Mar 1919 and rejoined the 3rd Tunnelling Company on 24 Mar 1919. Three days later he left them to begin his repatriation home, returning to England on 2 Apr 1919 where he was held at Codford until his ship sailed.

Discharged by the 5th Military District on 22 Aug 1919.