5371 Francis Maskiell & 5372 Harold Maskiell
CORPORAL FRANCIS MASKIELL
5371 - 1st Tunnelling Company
Francis Maskiell was born at Taradale, Victoria in 1869, the 8th of 11 children of Charles Maskiell and Mary Elizabeth Tupholme. In 1890, Francis married Emma Mildred Mary Canaway (b. 1870 in Victoria) and the couple had 5 children in Victoria; Harold, b. 1892; Ernest, b. 1894; James, b. 1895, Mildred, b. 1901 and Doris Francis b. 1902. Sometime after 1902, the family moved to Western Australia, and Francis pursued his career as sanitary engineer until 1916, when he enlisted for service in the World War.
A sanitary engineer aged 44 (he might have been a few years older), he enlisted for service abroad on 10 February 1916. He named his wife, Mildred, of John Street, Cottesloe, Western Australia, as his Next of Kin, and was assigned to the Miners Reinforcements, arriving at their training camp at Seymour, Victoria, in July 1916.
Francis was 5ft 8in tall and weighed 168lbs when he enlisted. He was of fresh complexion with brown eyes and black hair turning grey.
He was promoted Lance Corporal later that month and embarked from Melbourne on 30 September 1916 per HMAT A23 'Suffolk' with 166 members of the Mining Corps, disembarking at Plymouth, England on 2 December.
He proceeded overseas to France on 1 January 1917 on board SS 'Arundel', which had sailed from Folkestone, England. Along with other members of the Mining Reinforcements, Francis was attached to the 1st Anzac Entrenching Battalion, before being attached to the 1st Australian Tunnelling Company on 14 March 1917.
On 11 April 1917, Lance Corporal Francis Maskiell was recommended for the award of the Military Medal by Major J. Douglas Henry of the 1st Tunnelling Company, Australian Engineers. The recommendation read:
"For gallantly carrying out repairs to Subway to restore communication, though under heavy minenwerfer bombardment. He was injured but continued the work which was of the most vital importance. His fine example of courage and determination had great effect."
The award appeared in the London Gazette dated 25th May 1917.
In his book, Capt Oliver H. Woodward records the action for which it is believed L/Cpl Maskiell was awarded the MM:
"On the 4th April the enemy was very active at No. 5 Listening Post and anticipating that they were about to blow, Corporal Snedden withdrew the listeners. As nothing happened immediately the Corporal decided to return alone. He had just about reached the post when the enemy fired the mine wrecking the gallery. We at once set out to re-open the gallery and after several hours' work reached the body of the Corporal. Next morning in almost similar circumstances Corporal O'Dea lost his life in the Hooks & Eyes System. In the War the loss of a couple of lives here and there seemed to count for little but to the individual Company this slow but regular wastage did not pass unnoticed."
(see also 'Easter Raid' in the Western Front section)
Francis had received gun shot wounds to the forehead, knee and side on 9 April, and was admitted to 3rd Canadian General Hospital at Boulogne on 13 April 1917. He was evacuated to England on 18 April per H.S. 'St Patrick', and admitted to the Military Hospital, Herne Bay, on that day. In June 1917, Francis was transferred to the 3rd Auxiliary Hospital, Dartford, for further treatment and on 25 June he was transferred to the No. 2 Commonwealth Depot at Weymouth for return to Australia.
Francis left England on 22 July 1917 on board HMAT A71 'Nestor', disembarking at Fremantle on 13 September 1917. He was Discharged in 5 MD on 14 March 1918, entitled to wear the Military Medal awarded to him as well as the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.
His documents were sent to Repatriation Department, Perth in November 1929.
Family history provided by Rob Mawson:
"5371 Cpl Francis Maskiell MM and his son 5372 Sapper Harold Francis Ralph Maskiell. Both served in the 1st Australian Tunnelling Company.
Both Francis Maskiell and his son Harold Maskiell were Master Plumbers. They initially installed the first water and sewerage connections to the settlement of Perth, as it was known in those days before the war.
In 1919 after the First World War Francis Maskiell and his son Harold Maskiell, along with their wives, moved to Rottnest Island 10km from the Perth Coastline.
They took up residence at the Bathurst Light House and originally had a 99-year lease on the residence.
The lighthouse in those days consisted of a silk mantle, burned and was lit by compressed kerosene. To keep the light burning, the compressed air cylinder used to be pumped up by hand pump, about every hour. The weights that used to be suspended in a large tube in the centre of the light house, which operated the turning of the light prisms mechanism had to be wound up every two hours, to maintain the even flashing of light from the octagon sided unit. The light in those days would shine for about 80 miles or 122 kms. The kerosene would arrive to the jetty in 4 Gallon square tins and had to be transported to the Bathurst Light House by horse and cart.
In 1920 The Maskiell's bought to the island the first car/truck. It was used to transport the tins of kerosene to the lighthouse.
The Bathurst Light House was made semi automatic in 1933. With the apparatus installed, the lighthouse would light up when the sun commenced to set and switch off at sunrise. The gas for that light at that time was stored in large cylinders, and would be replaced every six months by the commonwealth lighthouse tender ship called the 'Otway'. Again Francis Maskiell's truck was used to cart the cylinders up to the lighthouse. The truck was also used to help transport passengers, luggage and heavy items from the jetty.
In 1920 Francis Maskiell, his son Harold and son in-law Walter Lawson established the first salt works on the island. The truck was used to cart the bags of refined salt to the jetty and it would be shipped to Fremantle, where grocery suppliers would purchase.
In 1942 all non-essential civilians were evacuated from the island because of war risks.
Not long after that Francis passed away in hospital with cancer on 10 February 1942 aged 73."
CORPORAL HAROLD FRANCIS RALPH MASKIELL
5372 - 1st Tunnelling Company
Born 16 April 1892 at Clifton Hill, Melbourne, Victoria, the son of Francis (above) and Emma Maskiell, Harold moved to Western Australia with his family sometime after 1901. On 7 January 1916, Harold signed the papers for service abroad with the AIF, stating his age as 23 and his trade as plumber. Harold was single at the time and living at Cottesloe, Western Australia. He was 5ft 7in tall and weighed 145lbs, had a dark complexion, brown eyes and dark hair. He named his father, Francis Maskiell, as his Next of Kin.
On 20 March, Harold was appointed to the 44th Infantry Battalion. On 29 May he was transferred to Engineer Reinforcements with the rank of Sapper, and sent ti the Miners Reinforcements, training camp at Seymour Victoria, on 1 July 1916. His records show that Harold was promoted Lance Corporal on 22 July, and full Corporal on 1 August 1916.
Harold embarked from Melbourne on 30 September 1916 per HMAT A23 'Suffolk' with 166 members of the Mining Corps, disembarking at Plymouth, England on 2 December. By this time, Harolds' father was also serving and he changed his Next of Kin to his mother, Mrs Mildred Mary Maskiell, of John Street, Cottesloe.
He proceeded overseas to France on 1 January 1917 on board SS 'Arundel', which had sailed from Folkestone, England. Along with other members of the Mining Reinforcements, Harold was attached to the 1st Anzac Entrenching Battalion, before being attached to the 1st Australian Tunnelling Company on 14 March 1917.
On 30 July, Harold was admitted to the 5th Field Ambulance with a sprained ankle, and from there was transferred to 7th Canadian Hospital in the field. On 4 August he was evacuated to England with a fractured right fibula and admitted to Edmonton General Hospital.
Harold again proceeded overseas to France on 8 April 1918 from the camp at Longbridge, Deverill, and rejoined his unit 12 April. He was taken on strength of the 1st Tunnelling Company on 27 April 1918.
He enjoyed some leave from France between 25 January and 10 February 1919, again re-joining his unit on 13 February.
On 27 February 1919, Harold was admitted to hospital in the field with Synovitis of right knee, a complication of the injury he suffered on 30 July, 1917, (thought to be a sprained ankle but later confirmed as a fractured fibula) playing football. He was transferred to England on 5 March, and treated at the King George Hospital, Stanford, between 5 and 12 March. He was then allowed furlough in London between 12 and 29 March, 1919.
Harold left London on 20 May 1919 on board 'Nestor' for return to Australia, arriving in Adelaide 29 June 1919. He was discharged in Adelaide on 17 August 1919, medically unfit. Harold was entitled to wear the British War Medal and the Victory Medal for his service to the Empire.
Harold served in the 2nd World War as W237402 Sergeant Harold Francis Ralph Maskiell, Dist, A/Cs Office, W.A. He enlisted on 2 January 1940 and served for the duration until discharged on 11 July 1946. He named Josephine Maskiell of Perth, W.A., as his Next of Kin.
LIEUTENANT ALEXANDER CHARLES MASKIELL
4361 - 28TH battalion A.I.F.
Alexander Maskiell, a 20 year old civil servant, born in Melbourne, Victoria, the son of Francis and Mildred Maskiell, enlisted in the A.I.F. on 4 February 1916 at Perth, Western Australia, and named his father as his Next of Kin (this was later changed to his mother when his father enlisted in the A.I.F.)
At the time of his enlistment, Alexander was still serving in the Royal Australian Naval Reserve and had been called by for full time duty in August 1914. Having served 4 years 9 months, some full time - some part time, at the Fremantle Naval Office, he was released to join the A.I.F. in February 1916.
Alexander trained with the 28th Battalion at Bunbury and Fremantle, Western Australia before embarking on HMAT A9 'Shropshire' as a Private soldier on 31 March 1916. After training in Alexandria, he proceeded on 10 May, per the 'Scotia', to join the British Expeditionary Force in France as a member of the 10th Reinforcements of the 28th Battalion.
He had been promoted Corporal on 3 March of that year, but reverted to the rank of Private on 10 May when he joined the Battalion. Promoted Temporary Corporal on 26 September 1917, he was made full Corporal on 17 October, Sergeant on the same day, and was then promoted in the field to 2nd Lieutenant on 22 October 1917. Between 18 November and 24 December 1917, Alexander attended the Corps School for Commission, and was promoted full Lieutenant on 1 March 1918.
As a Private soldier, Alexander had suffered a gun shot wound to right thigh at Pozieres 4 August 1916, not rejoining his unit until 23 December of that year after a period in England for treatment and recuperation.
As a Lieutenant, he suffered a second gunshot wound, this time to the left thigh, at Villers-Bretonneoux on 11 August 1918. Again evacuated to England, he was treated at 3 London General Hospital until 10 October, when he was transferred to No.1 Commonwealth Depot at Sutton Veny, where a Medical Board found him suitable for sedentary employment only. Alexander continued to recuperate until his return to Australia on the 'Demosthenes', disembarking at Fremantle on 1 April 1919.
His appointment (as an Officer) was terminated on 18 May 1919. Alexander was entitled to wear the British War Medal and the Victory Medal for his service to the Empire.
In July 1964, Alexander wrote to the Central Army Records Office, seeking clarification and evidence of his Naval Reserve service for a Repatriation claim.
Profile constructed from Military records and information provided by Rob Mawson, great, great, grandson of Francis Maskiell