Flinn, Bertram Marchant

No.5543 Sapper Bertram Marchant Flinn – 13^th Field Company Engineers

Bertram Marchant Flinn was born in Lahore India in 1895 to Alice Flinn. The family moved to WA while Bertram was still young and took up residence in Tuckfield St Fremantle. Bertram was educated in Fremantle and after leaving school he took up an apprenticeship with the Atlas Engineering Company. This Company was based in Fremantle and Bertram spent two years and eight months as an apprentice.

It appears that Bertram was involved in a dispute with his employer as detailed in the newspaper article below;

FREMANTLE POLICE COURT. (Wednesday.-Before Messrs. Pozworthy and McLaren. s.P.) Alleged Breach of Contract--The hearing of the charge made against the Atlas Engineering Company by Bertram Flinn, an apprentice, of .having committed a breach of his indenture contract by discharging him, was resumed. Mr. W. E. B. Solomon continued the re-examination of Bertram Flinn, who stated that when the company was doing repairs for the R.M.S. Malwa he had been employed continuously for 36 hours. Towards the end of that period he was very sleepy, and through a mistake he caused one of the machines to operate badly, for which he was reprimanded. On other occasions he had trouble with one of his superiors, who was frequently drunk while on the jobs. During the past six months the defendants had suggested that he (complainant) should try to get on better with the men. On six occasions during the same period witness had been absent from duty through accidents or illness Evidence was also tendered by Mrs. Flinn. mother of the complainant- She said that she had apprenticed both her sons to the engineering trade, for which she agreed to pay the Atlas Engineering Company a sum of £25 each. At no time had she received complaints from defendants concerning Bertram's conduct. Oliver Flinn, brother of the complainant, gave evidence of his own difficulty in getting on with the engineers. To Mr. Unmack, witness stated that since the opening of the case he had had a conversation with Mr. Solomon on what had transpired in Court, and had been since summoned as a witness. Mr. Unmack, in opening the case for the defence, said that although it was alleged his clients had discharged complainant, the indenture had not been annulled. He hoped that the evidence of the witnesses for the defence would satisfy the Bench that complainant was hopelessly impossible as an engineer. Sydney Arthur Beeson. sworn, said that the behaviour of the complainant at the foundry was -far from satisfactory. The foremen at the works were competent men, and quite capable of looking after apprentices. After having received many complaints regarding Flinn, he (witness) called complainant to the office, and said that t would be best for him to leave the works. Disobedience seemed to be the chief fault, although complainant always said that he had done his best, and asked for another chance. The apprentice was frequently absent for various petty reasons. In two years his absence from duty aggregated seven weeks. Cross-examined by Mr. Solomon, the witness stated that from various sources he was satisfied that complainant was not likely to make an engineer. The foreman and fitters had repeatedly complained of Flinn’s incapability. Witness could give no instances of complainant's disobedience. At this stage the hearing of the case was further adjourned until Friday.

And the following week there was an update

Master and Apprentice; The case in which Bertram Flinn proceeded against the Atlas Engineering Company for breach of contract was concluded at the Fremantle Police Court yesterday morning, when Messrs. Foxworthy and McLaren, J.P’s., delivered their decision. The chairman said that, though the Bench was of the opinion that such an intricate case should have been heard by the Resident Magistrate it held that it had jurisdiction to deal with it. The Bench, he added agreed that the complainant, Bertram Flinn, had been guilty of such incorrigible negligence as entitled the defendants to follow the course which they did. The articles of apprentice ship would, therefore, be annulled, as requested by defendants, but no order would be made as to costs or compensation.

On the 15^th October 1915 Bertram enlisted into the AIF at Pinjarra. He was given a medical and was passed as fit for service. The medical examiner recorded Bertram’s physical attributes as; 5 feet 6 inches in height; weight of 123lbs; chest measurement of 32-35 inches; fair complexion; blue eyes and brown hair. His religious denomination was Church of England.

Bertram was initially sent to Blackboy Hill Camp where he was assigned to the 2^nd Reinforcements to the 6^th Field Company Engineers. The engineering reinforcements were sent to Sydney to complete their training. On the 17^th December 1915 Bertram embarked from Sydney aboard the HMAT Berima. The journey to Egypt took a few weeks and they arrived there in January 1916.

Bert was put into the AIF Reinforcement camp as the Field Engineering Companies were at full complement. When the AIF expanded in early March 1916 Bert was sent to form a part of the 13^th Field Company Engineers. This was the engineering unit for the 13^th Brigade, 4^th Division AIF. Bert would train with them in Egypt for the next few months. On the 6^th June 1916 Bert and his unit boarded the ship Oriana in Alexandria and set sail for France, where they disembarked at Marseilles. They were then sent north to Armentieres where they had their first taste of life on the Western Front. The 4^th Division’s time here was short and in July they were sent to the Somme and in early August they served at Pozieres. Bertram was evacuated sick on the 14^th August with tonsillitis. He was evacuated firstly to the 6^th General Hospital in Rouen and then to the 24^th General Hospital in Etaples. Bertram soon recovered and rejoined his unit in Belgium on the 20^th September 1916.

The time in Belgium was short and several weeks later the 4^th Division returned to the Somme where they would spend the 1916/17 French winter. Bertram’s Company would have had to work in the horrendous muddy conditions.

On the 28^th January 1917 Bertram was promoted to Lance Corporal. Through 1917 Bertram would have served at Bapaume in March 1917, Noreuil and Bullecourt in April, and in May the 4^th Division were transferred to the Belgian front where they took part in the Messines action in June.

The 13^th Field Company Engineers would remain at the Messines front through to August 1917. Bertram got into trouble for overstaying leave and it appears as a consequence he was reverted back to the rank of Sapper.

On the 9^th September Bertram came down ill and was evacuated to hospital but he recovered after a few weeks and rejoined his unit on the 4^th October 1917, just in time for his unit’s participation in the Broodseinde action in the Third Battle of Ypres. The 13^th Field Company were busy at work, often under German shellfire, though Bertram came through unscathed.

The 4^th Division were sent to Peronne in November 1917 and they remained there until the New Year. In January they returned to the Warneton sector of Southern Belgium. On the 4^th March Bertram was evacuated sick though he rejoined his unit on the 18^th March. Three days later the Germans launched their Spring offensive which broke through the 3^rd & 5^th British Armies. The Germans were making a speedy advance towards the vital centre of Amiens and as a result the Australians were sent south to stop them. Initially the 3^rd & 4^th Australian Divisions were sent south, with Bertram’s 13^th Brigade meeting the Germans near Dernancourt. The German advance was brought to a halt.

The 13^th Field Company were very active in the following months as the AIF were on a defensive footing against the Germans. They worked in the Villers-Bretonneux, Corbie, Sailly, and Daours sectors through April to June. On the 16^th June Bertram was wounded when the 13^th FCE were based at Daours. He had been hit with shrapnel in the thigh though fortunately it wasn’t a deep wound and after treatment at the 4^th Field Ambulance, Bertram returned to his unit a few days later.

As a result of the August 8^th advance, the Australians were continually moving forward and the 13^th FCE followed up their Brigade troops undertaking engineering duties. In September Bertram was given leave to England. After his return in early October 1918 he was attached for duty to the 4^th Division Dump, which was where the supplies for the Division were stored. This attachment lasted into February 1919 when he then returned to his original unit.

Shortly after Bertram returned to his unit he was struck down with influenza, but fortunately he soon recovered. On the 3^rd March Bertram was put in a Quota of men to return to England. He left Le Havre on the 13^th March and after arriving in England Bertram was sent into No.4 Command Depot at Hurdcott. He spent the next several weeks here but was soon assigned a spot on a ship. On the 1^st May 1919 Bertram boarded the HMS Chilka for the voyage to Australia. He disembarked in Fremantle on the 1^st June 1919 and was discharged from the AIF on the 24^th July 1919. Bertram married Muriel Potts in Perth 1930 and they lived most of their life in the Fremantle and Rockingham region.

Bertram died in Safety Bay on the 25^th February 1969 aged 72 and his ashes were taken to Karrakatta War Cemetery