Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Hunter Sinclair was born on 19 April 1892 in Newcastle, NSW, to Robert Sinclair (1859-1913) and Agnes Ross-Smith (1863-1940). Before joining up, aged 24, Hunter worked in the Locomotive Branch of NSW Railways and Tramways.

By November 1916, the British Army Council had concluded that the demand for men to operate the British Expeditionary Force's military railways in France exceeded the supply of men available in Great Britain. The question was asked of the Australian Commonwealth Government if it could provide some experienced railwaymen. The Australian Government agreed to organise a military unit, and railway employees with experience as drivers and firemen, in particular, were invited to volunteer. Guards, shunters, signalmen and station masters were also invited to apply. Over 1000 men from the NSW Railways applied. The strength of the response enabled the Commonwealth Government to form Railways Sections from NSW, Victoria and Western Australia. A fourth section comprised the overflow of men from these states and the remaining states of Australia. Each section comprised three officers and 266 other ranks. Enlistment commenced in the middle of December 1916. Since Hunter Sinclair was a fireman for the NSW Railways, he responded to the invitation, enlisting on 28 December 1916. A fireman's job was to tend the fire to run the locomotive. Much of the job involved hard physical labour, including shovelling coal into the boiler's firebox.

To support the men volunteering for service, the Chief Commissioner of the NSW Railways promised to keep each man's position open and make up the difference between their military pay rate and their NSW railway pay.

Upon commencing their army training, the men of the 1st Railway Section were quartered in the Poultry Shed at the Royal Agricultural Show Ground in Sydney. Hunter Sinclair's service records show he was at the Show Ground camp. The men underwent the following three-week training course, most of which was undertaken in Centennial Park, adjoining the Show Grounds.

During each of the first and second weeks, the men undertook:
Light Physical Training – 6 hours
Squad Drill without arms - 12 hours
Marching without arms – 6 hours
Care and equipment of kit, demonstration in fitting marching order and lectures and inspection – a combined 16 hours.

The total hours of training was 40 hours for each week.

The third week was similar; however, 10 hours of 'entraining and detraining troops and baggage' replaced the 'care and equipment of kit' and 'demonstration in fitting marching order'. The subjects of the lectures included discipline, saluting, crimes and punishments, railway duties and conduct on active service.

Hunter was allocated service number 213 and, on 16 January 1917, was promoted to 2nd Corporal.

Hunter departed from Sydney aboard HMAT A18 Wiltshire on 7 February 1917 with the rest of the 1st Railway Section, AIF. The Wiltshire docked at Cape Town and Durban in South Africa and Sierra Leone on the nine-week voyage to England. To relieve the monotony of the voyage, the men were subjected to multiple lectures per day. Concerts and boxing matches were also held when conditions allowed. Sixty men from the Railway unit were also used as submarine guards. Their role was to look out for German submarines or torpedo boats. Sinking by submarine was a real threat. The fact that over 50 Allied vessels had been sunk in one week whilst the Wiltshire was sailing in the Atlantic shows how real the risk of falling prey to a German submarine was for the men on board. The ship arrived in Devonport on 11 April 1917.

Upon arrival in England, the unit was stationed at St Lucia Barracks at Borden, near Aldershot. At Borden, the men underwent further instruction, including what to do in the event of a gas attack. Before leaving for France, all the men of the Railway unit had to pass a test on using a gas mask. Whilst at Borden, the unit was redesignated 60th Company (Australian) Railway Operating Division.

The uniform of the Railway Section differed from that of the Infantry battalions. Before leaving Australia, the men of the 1st Railway Section had been issued special leather caps for use when driving and firing locomotives. The Australian War Memorial collection contains a photo of Hunter Sinclair, assumed to have been taken in a studio in Newcastle, NSW. In the photo, he is wearing his leather cap. Upon arrival in England, notification was received that the men would have their leather caps replaced with the standard Australian felt fur slouch hat. The Officer Commanding the unit, Captain William James, wrote to the Assistant Quartermaster General, AIF (AQMG), stating that the felt hats were unsuitable for locomotives. The AQMG subsequently rescinded the proposed change in headwear.

On 14 May 1917, Hunter Sinclair sailed aboard the troopship Queen Alexandra from Southampton with the unit to Le Havre, France. On 17 May, the unit moved by train to the Railway Operating Depot at Audruicq, twenty kilometres from Calais. From 21 May, the fitters in the unit were detailed for duty in the locomotive workshops. The remainder of the unit, which included firemen such as Hunter, were employed in loading and unloading ammunition and assembling railway wagons sent in pieces from England. The men were progressively introduced to working on locomotives and operating the railway lines. By the start of August, the entire unit had moved to the Bergues Depot near Dunkirk. This camp was marshy, and the men were accommodated in tents, which was unsatisfactory. Wooden huts were subsequently built.

In August 1917, the unit was renamed 60th Australian Broad Gauge Railway Operating Company.

On 12 January 1918, Hunter Sinclair was sent to Paris for a five-day leave. The men were rotated through leave at various points during the month. This leave was the first time most of the company had been granted some rest since arriving in France.

In March 1918, the 60th was renumbered to become the 6th Broad Gauge Railway Operating Company.

On 7 July 1918, Hunter was sent to England on leave, returning to the unit on 24 July 1918.

On 17 December 1918, with the war now over, he was given leave in Paris again. Whilst in France, Hunter collected postcards in anticipation of mailing them back to Australia. However, after returning from leave in Paris on 28 December 1918, he was suddenly admitted to hospital on 6 January 1919, suffering from intestinal colic. This illness can cause a blockage in the small or large intestine. Sadly, Hunter Sinclair died four days later at 62nd Casualty Clearing Station on 10 January 1919. His service records indicate the colic was 'aggravated by active service.' The unit war diary recorded, 'Cpl.H. Sinclair, after a short illness, died of natural causes at No 62 C.C.S. Courtrai.'

Hunter Sinclair was buried in the British Cemetery in Courtrai (now Kortrijk), Belgium.

The AWM collection, along with the studio photo of him in his uniform with his leather cap, also contains his identity discs and wallet. Included in the wallet were a train order, 15 postcards, a sugar permit, and a military pass. One of the postcards is addressed to his mother, Agnes. Probably, he did not have a chance to send the postcard before he became ill so soon after returning from leave. Instead, his mother, as his next of kin, received the wallet and identification discs along with writing paper, coins, badges, 4 francs and other personal effects in a parcel six months after his death.

For Hunter's First World War service, his mother received his British War and Victory Medals. She also received his Memorial Plaque. His name is today recorded on the NSW Government Railways and Tramways First World War Roll of Honour board at Central Station in Sydney.