The Railwaymen

Australia’s railwaymen played an important role in operating railway lines for the Allied war effort in Europe, as well as in fighting on the front line.

The outbreak of the First World War saw large numbers of Australian men rushing to enlist in the war effort. At that time the NSW Railways and Tramways Department was the largest enterprise in the state, with 45,000 employees. Over the course of the war, 8,447 men from the department enlisted and by the end of the war 1,214 of these men had died in service.

Some of these NSW railwaymen had been recruited exclusively to assist with operating railway lines for the Allied war effort in Europe; however, most of them served among other soldiers fighting on the front line.

In New South Wales, railwaymen were fortunate in not having to resign from their jobs to go to war. Instead, they were permitted to retain their railway positions and were granted leave to go and fight. Additionally, if their military wages were lower than their existing wages, the difference was paid into a trust fund or to their dependants in Australia. 

 

World War I Roll of Honour, Culcairn Railway Department on display at Station House Museum Culcairn.

This Roll of Honour was created to commemorate the services of ‘Members of the Culcairn Railway Staff, who, heeding Duty’s call, voluntarily enlisted to fight for their King & Country against Prussian Militarism’.

Listed below is information about five of the men honoured in this way by the Culcairn Railway Department. The information has been sourced from the Australian War Memorial. 

William Dobson

Born: Brunswick, Victoria

Occupation: Railway porter

Enlistment: Age 24, 8 August 1915

Rank: Private

Fate: Killed in action on 26 September 1917

Place of death: Ypres, Belgium

Age of death: 26

No known grave

'At the attack on DOIGNES on 2nd April, 1917, Private DOBSON, a stretcher bearer, displayed great courage and bravery in tending wounded under heavy artillery and machine gun fire. On perceiving that casualties were too numerous to remove at once, he, in conjunction with Private ROSBOROUGH, attended each man where he lay – dressing the wounds, leaving the other stretcher bearers to carry the wounded men back. When all were attended to, he carried them to places of shelter and then joined in with the other bearers in the work of carrying. His splendid courage and devotion to duty, besides setting an example to others, undoubtedly saved many lives. His work was noted and praised by both Officers and men of his Battalion.'

William Valentine McClusky

Born: Bonnie Doon, Victoria

Occupation: Railway employee

Enlistment: Age 24, 1 August 1915

Rank: Private

Fate: Returned to Australia on 11 December 1918

 

William Charles Mason

Born: Yackandandah, Victoria

Occupation: Railway porter

Enlistment: Age 18, 30 November 1916

Rank: Private

Fate: Returned to Australia on 11 January 1918

War service: Western Front

Medals: British War Medal, Victory Medal

 

William Ecken Pinkerton

Born: Chiltern, Victoria

Occupation: Labourer

Enlistment: Age 19, 24 August 1914

Rank: Gunner

Fate: Returned to Australia on 3 July 1917

Date of death: 30 October 1965

Place of burial: Northern Suburbs Crematorium, Sydney

 

 

Thomas Stephenson Taprell

Born: Darlington Point, New South Wales

Occupation: Railway cleaner

Enlistment: Age 29, 1 November 1916

Rank: Driver

Fate: Effective abroad (still overseas)

War service: Western Front

Medals: British War Medal, Victory Medal