Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

James NEILSON

Military Medal

'For gallantry in the Field and devotion to duty. Bridge No. 60 at LA MOTTE, East of AMIENS on the night of 6th/7th May, 1918 was struck by a shell. This bridge was charged for demolition. Ten charges and the electric leads were set alight, one charge exploded and Corporal NEILSON with three other N.C.Os., regardless of all danger, extinguished the burning charges and leads. This action undoubtedly saved the bridge.'

Source: 'Commonwealth Gazette' No. 15 Date: 4 February 1919

James Neilson was married, 44 years of age, and a Mine manager at the North Johnson mine in Long Gully, when he enlisted in January 1916. He would have said ‘farewell’ to a good number of younger men from Bendigo including his fellow work mates from the ‘North Johnson’ who had already departed the shores in such large numbers.

Yet in late 1915 the call for experienced miners and a lifting of the enlistment age for these special recruits provided James the opportunity he thought had long passed him.

The Bendigo Independent newspaper published a Government announcemnet on October 21, 1915: -

‘It has been decided to form a Mining Corp in Australia for active service abroad. The corps will consist of a headquarters and three companies. The conditions of enlistment and pay will be laid down for the A.I.F, excepting that the limits of age will be 18 to 50 years. Men experienced in underground work as foreman, shift bosses, facemen, tunnellers, tunneller’s mates and blacksmiths should apply.’ [1]

Military authorities knew the best place to find men with these skills would be the mining towns across the country especially in the former gold mining towns in Victoria. The industry had been in a down turn since the 1890’s and the mining corp was soon oversubscribed. 

James would sail from Sydney along with other miners in the March and arrive at the front in June 1916. Miners were desperately needed in Flanders where both British and German forces were using mining in both defensive and offensive method of warfare. 

The 2nd Tunnelling Company, together with British and New Zealander tunnellers were ‘digging in’ to hold the German advance to the sea. The Company’s Weekly Mine Report submitted by the Commanding Officer indicates there were 408 Tunnellers, 257 supporting Infantry and 19 officers in the section. He reports ‘New shafts and galleries are being cut into hard blue clay. Our own and enemy bombardments are practically of nightly occurrence here now’. [2] 

Tunnelling was hard and dangerous work, however James would serve through the remainder 1916 and all of 1917 in the carnage and quagmire of mud in Flanders fields and Northern France. In 1918, the theatre of war shifted south towards the Somme river. The warfare changed significantly in nature and conditions were less suited to tunnelling as the fighting method and new roles were found for the hardened mining men.                                                        

In October 1918, Bendigo residents would read the following excerpts from Sgt James Neilson’s letter home and the good news of his bravery award.

BENDIGO MINE MANAGER ABROAD. - THE DEVASTATING HUNS.

Sergeant James Neilson, M.M. a former Bendigo mine manager, who is with the Australian Mining Corps in France, writing to Mr. J. J Ryan, secretary of the Bendigo Mine Managers' Association, under date of 1st August, states that he was on duty on the night of the 21st March, when the Germans made the great attack. ‘It was like hell let loose. Every sort of high explosive, gas and shrapnel was showered on us. We were engaged in the deep salient when the break through occurred, and I am not likely to forget the retreat. We had some heavy casualties from gas, but the vast majority have returned to the lines. Writing later, Sergeant Neilson stated that things looked decidedly better, and the war was approaching a stage when Fritz would be forced to the round table. The Americans are pouring into France, and they will he a big factor in defeating the enemy. Words cannot describe the pitiful scenes and destruction and devastation that come under observation in this distracted country. Australia has given her best in lives and money, but I hope Australia will ever he free from the devastation and horrors of war. Fritz is very thorough in destroying property, and the Germans seem determined not to allow France, at any rate, to get a good start off in the economic war’.

Sergeant Neilson was awarded the Military Medal for gallant services. With three others he was guarding several bridges over a well-known river in France in a sector which it was supposed was to be attacked. The bridges were mined, and a chance shell from the enemy guns landed on one of the bridges and fused the leads and exploded one of the charges. 'The explosion set fire to the other charges, and along with his comrades Sergeant Neilson ran on to the bridge and set about extinguishing the flames. The incident came under the notice of the commanding officers, and the four men were each awarded the Military Medal.[3]

 SERVICE DETAILS: 

Regimental No. 2460

Place of birth: Bendigo

School: Bendigo Central School No 1976(Camp Hill)

Religion: Presbyterian

Occupation: Mining Manager

Address: Youlden, Job’s Gully, Bendigo

Marital status: Married

Age at enlistment: 44

Next of kin:Wife, Mrs M Neilson, c/o Union Hotel, Spencer Street, North Melbourne, Victoria

Enlistment date: 24 January 1916

Rank on enlistment: Sapper

Unit name:Mining Corps Reinforcement 2, 2nd Tunnelling Co.

AWM Embarkation Roll number  16/7/1

Embarked: From Sydney, on board HMAT A16 Star Of Victoria on 31 March 1916

Final Rank: Corporal

Fate: Returned to Australia 4 December 1918, Age 48.

The battle at LA MOTTE, East of AMIENS on the night of 6th/7th May, 1918.

The German Spring offensive had commenced in late March 1918. The German thrust was to take the crucial railway hub of Amiens in Northern France. Australian forces halted the German advance and regained the crucial town of Villers- Bretonneaux east of Amiens on Anzac Day April 25, 1918. The bridges over the Somme river and myriad of canals along the river were crucial to supply to the AIF troops at the front line. Experienced miners with extensive  detonation experience were used to defend these bridges.    

[1] Bendigo Independent newspaper reported on October 21, 1915

[2] Source - Australian Imperial Force unit war diaries, 1914-18 War- AWM4 Subclass 16/3 - 2nd Australian Tunnelling Company
[3] Bendigonian Thu 31 Oct 1918. Page 6