5310 Sapper Matthew John Deering - 3rd Australian Tunnelling Company
Matthew John Deering was born in Emmaville NSW in 1892 to Margaret and John Deering. (When he enlisted Matthew put his place of birth down as Perth WA). He had six siblings and when he was still young the family moved across to Western Australia and initially took up residence in the Goldfields. Unfortunately John Deering died in Coolgardie in 1897 and in 1898 Margaret Deering remarried to a Martin Sherman. In 1900 had a new half sister when Adeline was born. Margaret then went and took up residence at 26 Little Howard Street Fremantle. (Later renumbered to 18 Little Howard Street)
Matthew also came to live in Fremantle and after leaving school he took up employment as a bottler in the cordial factory.
Matthew's older brother William had enlisted into the Australian Imperial Force early in the war and had been severely wounded at Gallipoli, losing an eye and with shrapnel wounds to his shoulder. Despite seeing his brother returning wounded, Matthew still decided to enlist into the AIF.
On the 1st March 1916 Matthew signed up in Fremantle and was accepted as fit for service. The medical examiner recorded Matt's physical attributes as;
Height - 5 feet 5 & 1/2 inches tall;
Weight - 130lbs;
Chest Measurement - 33-38 inches;
Complexion - Dark;
Eyes - Grey;
Hair - Dark Brown.
Matthew was initially assigned to the general infantry training depot where the men were taken through the basics of soldiering. On the 1st April 1916 he was sent to Signal School to learn the basics of the communications systems of the army. Two weeks later he was transferred into the 20th Reinforcements of the 11th Battalion AIF. He trained with this group in WA for the next few months but on the 3rd July 1916 he took a transfer to the Tunnelling Company Reinforcements.
Matthew then proceeded to Victoria to train with the Mining Corps reinforcements. On the 30th September 1916 Matthew left Melbourne Victoria aboard the transport ship HMAT Suffolk and set sail for England, arriving at Plymouth on the 2nd December 1916.
On arrival in England Matthew was sent to the Mining Corps Camp but only had a few weeks here as on the 1st January 1917 Matt was sent to France to join the 3rd Australian Tunnelling Company. However he was detached for duty with the 1st Anzac Entrenching Battalion and was with them for the next few months of his service.
In later March 1917 Matt became unwell and he would have the next months in and out of hospital with influenza and other ailments. He became quite unwell and was hospitalised in France and then England. By July 1917 it was decided to send Matthew back to Australia as medically unfit for further service.
On the 27th September 1917 Matt left England aboard the transport ship Suevic and set sail for Fremantle. After his arrival home Matthew was discharged from the AIF on the 7th December 1917.
In 1919 Matthew married Kathleen Moore and they would have four children, Jack (1918), Joyce (1920), Patricia (1921) and Allen (1931). The family set up residence at 18 Stephen Street Fremantle. Later renumbered 45 Stephen Street.
Matthew died in Fremantle on the 24th May 1963 aged 69. He was buried at Fremantle Cemetery Plot Roman Catholic MON C3 0344.
