THE CUNNINGHAM STORY - by Gail Peters
Brothers Andrew & Peter Cunningham were both born in Ross, Westland District of New Zealand & were the sons of Alice & Andrew Cunningham.
Their father Andrew came to Coolgardie from NZ in approx. 1892, & in 1898 he took out a gold mining lease (no 2742) at Coolgardie. Andrew is listed (no. 13) in the “First 100 Pioneers of Coolgardie” photo montage in the Coolgardie Museum. Andrew (snr) died on 17 February 1908, aged 72 years “as the result of a vehicle accident” (verdict of the jury at the inquest held at Coolgardie). It is believed he was killed while transporting a water tank, the shafts of his dray snapped & he was fatally trapped under the water tank. He was buried in the Coolgardie Cemetery.
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The rest of the family had come from Ross NZ to the Goldfields area about 1900. There were the 2 boys Andrew & Peter along with their mother, Alice, & 3 sisters. They took up residence at 47 Vivian St Boulder.
The family was still living in Boulder in January & March 1915 at the time of their 2 sons Andrew & Peter enlisting in WW1.
ANDREW CUNNINGHAM:
DoB: 26th December 1875
January 1915:
24th Andrew put his age down by 5 years to 34 years & 1 month when he enlisted, his actual age was 39 years 1 month.
He joined the 5th Reinforcements, 11th Battalion 3rd Brigade 1st Division A.I.F.
Rank: Private
Regimental Number: 1925
Occupation: miner
Listed his mother, Alice Cunningham, 47 Vivian St Boulder as his Next of Kin
Trained at Black Boy Hill
April 1915:
26th Embarked on HMAT A20 “Hororata”, sailing from Fremantle
June 1915:
15th Arrived Dardanelles, joined C coy of the 11th Battalion
22nd Anzac Cove the 5th reinforcements first saw active service
28th Trench fighting was hand to hand along Lone Pine Ridge, Turkey Knoll, Boulder Dump Ridge & Tasmania Post (per 11th Battalion Unit Diary for June, July 1915)
August 1915:
4th Admitted to 1CCS suffering Trachoma, transferred to Mudros on Lemnos Island.
9th Embarked HMHS “Ionian,” disembarked at Alexandria
Admitted to 1AGH Heliopolis suffering Dysentery
14th Transferred to 1st Auxiliary Hospital with Dysentery
15th Transferred to Helouan Convalescent Hospital
20th Discharged to duty, Zeitoun
September 1915:
11th Embarked HMT “Kingstonian” Alexandria, to re-join unit on Gallipoli
18th Requested to join his unit which was down to 13 officers & 349 0R’s, all of whom “are in a very poor state of health” (R L Leane Major temp. OC 11th Battalion, Unit Diary)
The 11th Battalion was already in the trenches in Northern No 1 zone
22nd- 24th Near Sniper’s Ridge, Gun Ridge, Olive Grove & rear of Gaba Tepe there was heavy enemy artillery, machine gun & rifle fire.
27th They were relieved for 48 hours because “there were such small numbers of men it was very draining on the troops with so much work to be done.”
“Food issued is fairly satisfactory but not enough” (Major R L Leane Unit Diary 27/9/15)
Battalion strength is 12 officers & 324 0R’s 32 returned from hospital & 27 were admitted, “the general health of the men is only fair & not considered to be fit enough for any sustained effort”.
Andrew is admitted to No. 3 Field Ambulance Gallipoli, with “asthma tubercle pulmonary”
Transferred & admitted to 1st CCS suffering “asthenia” (abnormal physical weakness, lack of strength).
Embarked HMHS “Gloucester Castle”
October 1915:
1st Disembarked Malta, admitted to St Patrick’s Hospital suffering Rheumatic Fever.
November 1915:
21st Transferred to Ghain Tuffeha & admitted to St Peter’s Hospital with Rheumatism
Embarked HMHS “Mahena” for Egypt.
December 1915:
13th Embarked HMT “Wandilla” for invaliding to Australia, returning for discharge
Struck Off Strength at Tel-el Kebir by OC Battalion.
Returned for discharge as permanently unfit.
February 1917:
26th 3 months after his brother Peter was listed as missing / killed on the Somme, Andrew enlisted again having been previously discharged from the A.I.F. as medically unfit.
Stating his age as 38 years 2 months (actually it was 41 years & 2 months!)
Regimental Number: 7428
Rank: Private
Unit: Depot
Next of Kin: mother, Alice Cunningham, 47 Vivian St Boulder
Occupation: Miner
March 1917:
16th Appointed Sapper in Tunnelling Coy
APRIL 1917:
10 th Joined Miners Reinforcements Seymour Victoria
MAY 1917:
21st Ceased Tunnelling Coy
June 1917:
14th Discharged Medically Unfit, (not due to misconduct).
Andrew had never married, he did not have any children & lived with his mother Alice Cunningham at 47 Vivian St Boulder, until her death in 1927.
He died 4 years later as a result of Pulmonary Tuberculosis in the Government Hospital Kalgoorlie on 28 April 1931 aged 53 years.
He was buried in the Boulder Cemetery in the same grave as his mother on 29 April 1931.
FAMILY NOTICES, WEST AUSTRALIAN, 8 MAY 1931
“CUNNINGHAM – On April 28 at Kalgoorlie Hospital, Andrew Cunningham, beloved brother of Mrs W Thomson, Fremantle, Mrs S. Keel, Marvel Loch, Mrs J.E. Malone, Poona, India.
A sufferer at rest”
PETER CUNNINGHAM:
DoB: 16th September 1880
March 1915:
4th Peter enlisted at Kalgoorlie, (just 5 weeks after his brother Andrew enlisted), his age was 34 years and 5 months.
He joined the 28th Battalion 7th Brigade A.I.F. he was in B Coy and was one of the originals of this Infantry Battalion which was just being formed & would later be absorbed into 2nd Division A.I.F. when they arrived on the Western Front.
Rank: Private
Regimental Number: 243
Occupation: Tool Sharpener
Listed his mother Alice Cunningham as his Next of Kin
Trained at Black Boy Hill
June 1915:
29th Embarked Fremantle on HMAT A11 “Ascanius” for Egypt
August 1915:
17th The 28th Battalion is camped and is on garrison duty at the Citadel in Cairo
September 1915:
4th 28th Battalion embarked Alexandria on HT “Ivernia” bound for Gallipoli via Mudros Harbour, Lemnos
10th Arrive Anzac & link up with rest of 7th Brigade in Taylors Gully 3 miles north of Anzac Cove
18th – 30th Their trenches are heavily shelled on both Apex & Pinnacle, needing respirators when bombs were emitting a “poisonous vapour” (Unit Diary). Naval bombardment of these trenches is accurate.
103 casualties suffered since arriving.
October 1915:
4 – 5th Proceed to Cheshire Ridge from Apex where there is a considerable build-up of enemy forces. By the end of the month the Battalion has suffered 239 casualties.
5th Peter is wounded with a Gun Shot Wound to Groin
6th He is admitted to 7th Field Ambulance & then transferred to 16th Casualty Clearing Station
9th Embarked “Caledonian” at Mudros for England.
15th Admitted to General Hospital Gibraltar
November 1915:
23rd Transferred to HS Minneopolis bound for England
28th Admitted to Beaufort War Hospital, Fishponds, Bristol UK
February 1916:
1st Proceeded with No. 17 Dft from Weymouth to join M.E.F.
14th Transferred ex England to Base Cairo
March 1916:
6th Returned to Unit at Moascar
16th Proceeded to join B.E.F. Alexandria
21st Disembarked Marseilles
22nd Entrained for north of France
24th Detrained at Thiennes
25th B coy marched out to billets at La Belle Hotesse
The Brigade was inspected by General Sir Douglas Haigh
27th Weather was cold & wet & the roads heavy
April 1916:
8th_ 11th Moved out from billets to trenches in firing line in front of the Bois Grenier line, under-going desultory shelling on both sides
12th – 17th B Coy moved to billets at Rue Marle & in wet weather were occupied with fatigue duties & working parties for the front line.
For the rest of the month they were back in the trenches, under aerial bombardment, sustaining 64 casualties
May & June 1916:
Both months consisted of the usual routine of 10 – 12 days in the trenches & 10 -12 days back in billets. The trenches were continuously bombed & casualties inflicted, with occasional raids & taking prisoners. While back in billets they had training, which included wearing gas masks & bayonet fighting.
July 1916:
1st – 5th Messines trenches & Stinking Farm bombed with heavy artillery & retaliatory German minnenwerfers.
6th – 27th The Battalion marched to billets & entrained to others, until eventually reaching Albert & then going into the trenches in Sausage Valley.
28th The men were in position to attack German trenches North of Pozieres.
They were met with extremely heavy fire from rifles, machine guns & artillery. The enemy barrage of machine gun fire was so intense that the men were ordered to withdraw & return to Sausage Valley. The total number of casualties was 523.
August 1916:
1st- 3rd Men were in bivouac at Tara Hall preparing the trenches for the up-coming attack, north of Pozieres.
4th – 6th A & B Coy’s were in the frontline to attack on the German trenches north of Pozieres. Total number of casualties was 279 from the heavy & confused trench warfare which ensued. Major Leane (commanding 28th batt) wrote in the unit diary that he “would like to bring under the notice of the GOC the extreme gallantry displayed by every group of the battalion. They held on doggedly to a very wide front & occupied what would have been a very wide gap in our front.”
7th – 27th Was spent marching to new billets, interspersed with bivouacs.
29th The Battalion was relieved, and they marched to the trenches at the head of
Sausage Valley.
31st They marched to billets at Albert.
September 1916:
1st – 8th was spent marching or entraining to new billets eventually remaining at Steenvoorde until 30th.
Here the battalion carried out training & refitting the men.
The last week of September was devoted to sports when the men competed in Brigade competitions & came second in points scored by the 28th Battalion. The weather was very wet & the ground became very wet & muddy. There were 80 casualties this month & 73 of them were admissions to hospital “sick”.
The Battalion received 156 reinforcements. “The men enjoyed their rest & improved greatly.” (Unit Diary, Major G A Read 28th Battalion).
October 1916:
5th - 6th The Battalion entrained to Ypres then marched on to Zillebeke.Bund before taking up Centre Sub-section in the Frontline trenches.
7th -13th The Front was relatively quiet, with the occasional “minnenwerfers” (German light shelling) & a successful raid which secured 2 prisoners of the 106th Saxon regiment.
13th – 31st This time consisted of being relieved from the Frontline, marching to Ypres, entraining to Poperinghe, & passing through various billets until eventually settling at Dernacourt. Here they were occupied on general fatigue works.
Casualties for the month were 123, 105 of whom were admitted to hospital sick.
November 1916:
3rd – 4th Took over the Frontline from 53rd Battalion A.I.F. The Trenches were in very bad order & mud from 12” to 3’ deep. Time was spent completing general work on the front trenches & preparing for the attack of the next day.
Reference Location M. 24. A. Gutdecourt map 5th 28th Battalion with 27th Battalion on the right & British Division on the left made an attack on the German line known as GIRD TRENCH .
“The enemy were not kept down in their trenches by our barrage & the advancing troops were subjected to very heavy rifle & machine gun fire which prevented them from reaching the objective. Our losses in this attack were 1 Officer killed, 2 wounded, (previous to attack 4 Officers were wounded), casualties of OR’s were: 58 killed, 166 wounded & 50 missing” (28th Battalion Unit diary).
6th - 7th 28th Battalion was relieved & they eventually returned to Montauban in intervals during the day. The journey out was most trying for the tired troops & all were in a fatigued condition. Everyone was very wet & covered in mud.
So, it was in this turmoil that Peter Cunningham perished & was never found…… Little wonder when we consider that Peter was only 5’ 5” tall & the mud in the trenches was between 12 inches & 3 feet deep!!
Peter is memorialised on the wall panels at the Australian National Memorial, Villers- Bretonneux, along with 10,733 other names of A.I.F. soldiers who have no known grave.
In November 1920 his mother Alice, because she was listed as Next of Kin, received correspondence from A.I.F. Base Records Office requesting if there were any nearer blood relatives than her to Peter for distribution of his medals!!
Peter had not married, had no children & his father had been dead 13 years, so she did receive his medals.
Alice, who was illiterate had to have someone reply in writing to the Army for her to state these particulars.
She did receive Peter’s medals, along with his personal effects as his Records show.
Evening Post, 11 January 1917:
“CUNNINGHAM- On the 25th November killed in action in France, Peter, youngest son of Mrs. A. Cunningham, 47 Vivian Street, Boulder City, and the late Andrew Cunningham of Coolgardie, brother of Bessie, Mary, Andrew, John, and Kate. West Coast Times please copy.
Bessie Thomson, Kalgoorlie WA.”
