FAMILY LIFE

Augustus William Mack was born in 1894 in Brunswick Heads, eldest son of Augustus & Margaret Amelia (Stoker) Mack. Augustus had 2 brothers & 2 sisters. His grandfather, Augustus, is listed on the Banner St Memorial, Murwillumbah which lists the 2348 pioneer settlers of the Tweed district

ATTESTATION

He was single locomotive driver, eager to do his bit. He travelled to Victoria Barracks, Sydney on 13^th December 1916 to complete his application.

The Examining Medical Officer stated that Augustus “can see the required distance with either eye; his heart and lungs are healthy; he has the free use of his joints; and he declares he is not subject to fits of any description. I consider him fit for active service.”  On the second page of the Attestation Paper, he made the following oath in the presence of the Attesting Officer: “I, Augustus William Mack, swear that I will well and truly serve our Sovereign Lord the King in the Australian Imperial Force until the end of the War … SO HELP ME, GOD.” 

His medical showed he was 32 years 3 months old, 5ft 6 inches tall (1.68m), weighed 132 lbs (60kgs), with a fair complexion, brown eyes & fair hair. His eyesight was good. He was Methodist and had a scar on his right thigh and another on his left thigh.  He was enlisted as a private into the Railway Unit, and Reinforcements and Special Draft with service Number 139

LIVERPOOL TRAINING CAMP

His first stop was the Liverpool Training Camp near Sydney. Here he was issued his uniform and equipment, underwent medical checks and inoculations, and began a short course in drill, marching, and musketry. For Augustus and the other railwaymen, the Army did not require the lengthy combat training given to infantrymen. Instead, the focus was on military discipline and fitness, as they were already skilled tradesmen whose railway knowledge would be needed overseas.

APPOINTED 2ND CORPORAL

It quickly became clear that Augustus possessed both experience and leadership ability. On 16 January 1917, while still in training camp, he was appointed Second Corporal — a rank equivalent to Lance Corporal in other units. This was a mark of trust, showing that his superiors believed he could take responsibility for a small group of men. Second Corporals were often chosen from among those with strong trade skills and reliability, and Augustus’s background as a railwayman made him an ideal candidate. From this point, his duties extended beyond his own training to assisting in the supervision and instruction of other men in the draft.

BROADMEADOWS TRAINING CAMP, VICTORIA

In the new year of 1917, Augustus was transferred to Broadmeadows Camp in Victoria, which had become the main staging ground for railway drafts preparing to embark. At Broadmeadows he joined the other men of the Special Draft, carrying out final inspections, embarkation drill, and a small amount of technical instruction related to railway operations under military conditions. For men like Augustus, this meant adapting their civilian skills to the needs of wartime — shunting trains under blackout, managing military timetables, and learning the strict safety requirements of working near the front.

VOYAGE OVERSEAS

By February 1917, Augustus was ready to depart. He boarded the troopship HMAT Wiltshire in Melbourne with his fellow railwaymen on 7^th February 1917. Their destination was Europe, where they would form part of the Australian Railway Operating Division on the Western Front.

Alongside his comrades, he marched aboard, his boots ringing on the gangway. As the ship’s lines were cast off and the quay began to slip away, the reality of war lay ahead, but for now, the sea breeze carried only the sound of voices and the excitement of men bound for adventure, duty, and the unknown.

The epic voyage across the ocean has been described as “the longest journey to war in the history of the world.” They thought it was the start of a new adventure- for many it was their first time so far away from home. However, after some time at sea the biggest problem turned out to be boredom. On the voyage, due to overcrowding, training was limited to mainly to lectures and a little physical training.

Sleeping & Living Arrangements

Recruits likely slept in a crowded troop deck below, where rows of hammocks or three-tier wooden bunks were crammed close together.

Air below decks could be stuffy, especially in warmer climates, and seasickness was common during the first few days.

Daily Routine

Reveille early each morning, followed by physical exercises on the open decks (weather permitting). There were parades and inspections—officers ensured uniforms, rifles, and kit were clean and in order. Training was a little problematic—drill without much space, rifle maintenance, lectures on military discipline, signalling, and trench warfare theory. The ship’s decks were used for marching in tight circles or practising bayonet thrusts into stuffed sacks. Rifle shooting was impossible at sea, so soldiers learned to strip and clean their weapons until it was second nature.

Meals

Three hearty meals a day were served; breakfast usually consisted of porridge, stew, and tea. Lunch included soup, meat, vegetables, and pudding. Meat, bread with jam and tea was served for dinner. The meals were served in shifts from the ship’s galley. Queues were long, and eating on a rolling ship meant many tried to eat quickly before nausea set in.

Health & Sanitation

Shipboard hygiene was critical—every man was ordered to scrub his section daily to prevent disease. Saltwater baths were the norm, with freshwater rationed for drinking.

The Voyage Experience

Entertainment included church drill, concerts, singalongs, card games, and makeshift cricket matches on deck when the weather allowed. To keep up morale, an area of the ship was roped off where regular boxing and wrestling tournaments were held. This became commonly known as the Stoush Stadium. No letters could be sent until they reached port, but men often wrote diaries or unsent letters to be posted later.

The troops engaged in lifebelt drill; a cookhouse on deck; soldiers on fatigues peeling potatoes 'spud bashing'; going to the dentist; barber, pay day; soldiers cleaning personal equipment; medical inspection

CROSSING THE EQUATOR CEREMONY

The crossing the Equator ceremony, ‘Neptune’s Journey,’ was played-out on each troopship.

SIGHTS AT SEA

On the way to Egypt, where the ship would refuel & take on supplies, the ship would pass through the Great Australian Bight, cross the Indian Ocean, and stop at Colombo (Ceylon now Sri Lanka) for coal and supplies.

SECURITY

By late 1914, German raiders were active, so lifeboat drills were frequent, and lookouts kept watch for suspicious ships. Troopships generally sailed in convoys or at least took zig-zag courses to make torpedo attacks harder. Ships often travelled under blackout conditions at night, with lookouts specifically watching for periscopes or torpedo wakes. The danger was greatest in the Western Approaches near Britain, where U-boats patrolled choke points like the English Channel and Irish Sea.

EGYPT

After several weeks at sea, the men finally saw the dusty shoreline of Port Said or Alexandria. They could on wonder at the sights and sounds they could see as they watched the ship being refuelled and goods taken on board

ENGLAND

In early April 1917 the men finally saw the green shoreline of England. The reality of leaving home truly sank in. The recruits would soon exchange the ship’s cramped decks for the training grounds of England, preparing for what lay ahead. After disembarking in England on 12 April 1917, Augustus and the other men of the Railway Unit Special Draft spent a few weeks in camp, adjusting to the different climate and routines of the British Army. From then on, Augustus’s experience as a railwayman would serve a different purpose: not carrying passengers or goods in peacetime Australia, but moving troops, munitions, and supplies that were vital to the war effort in France and Belgium.

WESTERN FRONT

On 14 May 1917 he crossed the Channel to France, where he was taken on strength by the 60th Company, Australian Railway Operating Division (AROD). This was to be his world for the next year.

The AROD was not a fighting unit, but its importance to the war effort was immense. Augustus and his comrades were skilled railwaymen, called upon to keep the vast supply lines of the British Expeditionary Force running smoothly. Their daily work involved operating locomotives and trains that carried troops, ammunition, food, and medical stores from the Channel ports up to the “railheads” closest to the front. Without them, the guns could not fire and the armies could not move.

For Augustus, life in the 60th Company meant long hours in the railway yards and on the lines, often working by night under blackout conditions to avoid drawing the attention of German aircraft. The great yards were alive with the clank of buffers, the hiss of steam, and the shouted commands of men coupling wagons in the dark. The work was highly skilled but also dangerous — locomotives had to be driven and shunted with absolute precision, even while the yards shook under the sound of artillery or the threat of air raids. Accidents were frequent, and German bombs and long-range guns sometimes found their mark on the railways.

MESSINES & PASSCHENDALE SUMMER 1917

In the summer of 1917, when the British launched their offensive at Messines and later the long, gruelling struggle for Passchendaele, Augustus and the 60th Company were working almost without pause. Endless supply trains had to be hauled forward with shells, rations, and reinforcements, while hospital trains carried the wounded back towards the coast. Although Augustus was not in the trenches, he was always close enough to hear the guns and see the results of the battles. The railways were a lifeline, and keeping them moving was just as vital as holding the line itself.

The months wore on into winter, and still the work continued. The conditions were harsh — wet, cold, and muddy — and the hours stretched long into the night. But Augustus carried the responsibility of his promotion as Second Corporal, assisting with the supervision of men and the organisation of their tasks. The reliability and discipline that had earned him that rank in camp now proved invaluable on the job.

LEAVE IN PARIS FEBRUARY 1918

After nine months of unbroken service, Augustus was finally granted a rest. On 10 February 1918, he was given leave to Paris. For a few days, the routine of shunting wagons and the ever-present grind of railway work gave way to the boulevards of the French capital. Soldiers on leave often marvelled at the city — the cafés, theatres, and music halls were a sharp contrast to the mud and darkness of the rail yards. For Augustus, it was a rare chance to breathe, to feel part of the wider world again, before returning to the work that was quietly sustaining the armies at the front.

BACK WITH THE 60TH COMPANY – EARLY 1918

When Augustus rejoined the Division on 16 February 1918, the Western Front was on the edge of crisis. The German Army was preparing for a massive spring offensive, hoping to break the Allied lines before American reinforcements arrived in strength.

For Augustus and his fellow railwaymen, this meant the workload only increased. In the weeks leading up to the offensive, the AROD worked around the clock moving men, guns, and ammunition forward in readiness. Trains carried enormous loads of shells for the heavy artillery, as well as food and equipment for the troops who would have to hold the line.

THE GERMAN SPRING OFFENSIVE – MARCH TO MAY 1918

On 21 March 1918, the Germans launched their attack, striking with overwhelming force along the Somme. Towns and railways came under heavy bombardment, and Allied troops were pushed back in desperate fighting. For the railwaymen, the crisis meant shifting from building up supplies to pulling them back.

Augustus’s company would have been ordered to evacuate rolling stock from threatened areas, keep open the main lines under fire, and move reinforcements rapidly to wherever the front was buckling. This was highly dangerous work: German artillery frequently shelled railway junctions, and aircraft bombed trains and yards. Despite the risks, the Australians kept the supply system functioning, a crucial factor in allowing the British and French to stabilise the line.

HOLDING ON – MAY TO JUNE 1918

By late May, the worst of the German offensive had passed. The enemy had advanced, but at enormous cost, and the Allies were beginning to recover. For Augustus and the 60th Company, the focus turned again to running supply trains into the forward areas and rebuilding damaged rail lines.

It was unrelenting, physical work. Engines needed to be kept running, wagons shunted into endless formations, and timetables followed despite the constant threat of attack. At times, trains ran so close to the front that the men could see gun flashes or smell the smoke of battle.

LEAVE IN ENGLAND – JULY 1918

After months of this gruelling effort, Augustus was rewarded with another break. On 10 July 1918, he was granted leave to England, a welcome escape from the dangers and exhaustion of railway service in France. For men like him, leave was not just a rest but a reminder of what they were fighting to preserve — a chance to enjoy simple comforts, civilian company, and a world away from war before returning once more to the hard routine of the railway yards.

REJOINED UNIT JULY 1918

On 27 July 1918, Augustus rejoined the 60^th, returning to the relentless rhythm of life on the Western Front’s supply lines. Day after day, he worked alongside his fellow railwaymen operating locomotives, shunting wagons, and keeping vital supplies moving to the front. The air was often thick with steam and smoke, the yards muddy and noisy with the clanging of buffers and the hiss of engines. Even behind the lines, the constant rumble of distant artillery reminded Augustus that the front was never far away.

DETACHED TO AGBA

In late October, on 27 October, Augustus was temporarily detached to another unit, and the following day, 28 October, he was sent to AGBA, an Australian General Base Area where soldiers could be assessed, rested, or prepared for further duty.

ENGLAND- MEDICAL CARE FOR ASTHMA OCTOBER 1918

By 31 October, his records noted he was suffering from asthma (“B2”), a condition aggravated by the cold, damp, and dust-laden environment of engine cabs and railway yards. The months of hard work had taken their toll, and Augustus was sent to England on 7 November 1918 for care.

COMMAND DEPOT WEYMOUTH NOVEMBER 1918

Two days later, on 9 November, he was admitted to No. 2 Command Depot at Weymouth, a facility for soldiers unfit for active service but awaiting return to Australia. Here, Augustus would have had the chance to rest, recover, and reflect on the work he had done — long hours on the railways that, though far from the trenches, had been essential to the Allied war effort.

GOING HOME DECEMBER 1918

In December 1918, Augustus embarked for home on the troopship Somalia, returning to Australia after the Armistice. While he had not faced the front-line battles, his contribution was no less crucial: every train he ran, every wagon he shunted, ensured that men, munitions, and supplies reached the soldiers in the field. Augustus’s steady skill, dedication, and endurance had quietly but indispensably supported the final Allied operations of the war.

FOR HIS SERVICE

For his service Augustus was awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, and the Victory Medal

HOME LIFE

Augustus married Maud Bull on 2nd February 1921 in Murwillumbah. The couple had a son, Kennth in 1922 and another, Royce, in 1925, both born in Murwillumbah. Augustus died on 11th June 1974 in Murwillumbah, aged 88

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