Don Roulston Buzzard

Appendix 5.1
John Corrie Dymock War Service
Departure from Melbourne

On 22nd December 1914, John Corrie joined the 2,700 other troops aboard the converted 18,000 ton liner “Ceramic”, which was built in Belfast between 1912 and 1913 for the White Star Line.

HMAT A40 Ceramic [80]

The H.M.A.T. (His Majesties Australian Transport) Ceramic, as with other liners requisitioned by the Royal Australian Navy for the transport of troops in the First World War (WW1) had to undergo a refit to take out the cabins and make provision for 2700 troops.

H.M.A.T. Ceramic refitted for troops and horses [81]

The refit of various other sized liners had already been undertaken with the ships of the first convoy that had sailed to Europe. Besides the accommodation, electrical and water supply systems had also to be fitted after the berths had been constructed and the galley and lavatory accommodation needed enlargement. A re-fit of an 10,000 ton ship, carrying 1.500 troops, which was done at the same time as the Ceramic, was done in sixty hours. A horse-transport ship of 7,600 tons, to take 360 horses, was converted in fifty three hours.

By 27th September 1914, 54 days after the declaration of war, the 2nd convoy of 16 Australian transports ships were re-fitted. [82] Together with these ships were 3 New Zealand transport ships and the Australian submarine AE2 which was towed by the “Berrima”. These ships were to carry 21.529 men and 7.882 horses to Egypt and Europe. Amongst the ships was the “Pflaz” seized from the Germany and held in Melbourne since August.

Embarkation on H.M.A.T. Ceramic 22nd December 1914 [83]

Somewhere in the above photo may be John Corrie. The nominal roll of the men of his unit places him with his unit that sailed on the “Ceramic”.

301st (M.T.) A.S.C. (17th Divisional Ammunition Park) 8th A.S.C. [84]

The daily rate of pay for an unskilled private in the Australian army was 6s per day and although it was below the basic wage, in the hard financial times of 1914 it was attractive to many. John Corrie, however, must have been seen as skilled (probably because he was a driver and there being few motor vehicles at the time) and his pre-embarkation pay was 8s per day.

After embarkation, this decreased to 7s per day with 1s deferred pay, which was paid when he completed his service oversea. Men could choose how much of the pay was sent to their families. Single men often chose not to send any pay. John Corrie chose to send all 7s, which left nothing, except savings, to buy any goods.

Considering that the cost of living for a wife and two children in Sydney was estimated to be 48s per week, John Corrie, being a single man, and paid 49s per week, he would have been able to contribute to his family’s expenses or his own savings.

The base rate of 6s was three times the British pay rate.

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[80] https://www.birtwistlewiki.com.au/wiki/Main_Page
[81] - [82] Sea Transport of the A.I.F. Prepared in Naval Transport Board, by Greville Tregarthen
[83] Australian War Memorial Official History of Australia in the War of 1914–1918 Chapter XIII
[84] Australian War Memorial