Truran, Victor Stanley

3607a Sapper Victor Stanley Truran - 2nd Australian Tunnelling Company AIF

Victor Stanley Truran was born in South Australia on the 16th November 1895 to Samuel and Harriet Truran. He had other siblings, Herbert (1891), William (1893) and Basil (1897).

While the boys were still young the family moved to Western Australia and took up residence in Fremantle. The family lived at 160 Forrest Street East Fremantle (now No.67) and the boys completed their schooling locally.

After leaving school Harry took up an apprenticeship in Sheet Metal Work with Harry Armstrong of Colin Street in West Perth. During this time Victor was serving in the Cadets of the Citizens Forces with the 35th Fortress Company of the Royal Australian Engineers.

His three brothers, Herbert, William and Basil had enlisted into the Australian Imperial Force in 1915.

During this time Victor had a photo taken with his brother William and a few friends.

(Photo below - William seated centre and Victor standing back right. Victor is in his Cadet uniform. The names of the friends are unknown)

On the 19th January 1916 Victor enlisted into the Australian Imperial Force. He was accepted as fit for service with the medical examiner recording Victor's physical attributes as; 

Height - 5 Feet 2 & 1/4 inches tall;

Weight - 105 lbs;

Chest Measurement - 30-33 inches;

Complexion - Dark;

Eyes - Brown;

Hair - Fair.

Upon his successful enlistment Victor was sent to Blackboy Hill Camp. He was initially sent into No.48 Training Depot where he went through the basics of infantry work. However due to his engineering background with the cadets, Victor was put into the Engineering reinforcements.

The men put into this group at Blackboy Hill Camp were soon transferred over east to the specialised Engineering camp at Seymour in Victoria.

After training in Victoria for several months Victor was assigned to the Mining Corps reinforcements which left Port Melbourne on the 16th August 1916 aboard the transport ship RMS Orontes. After a several week voyage the ship arrived at Plymouth Harbour England on the 2nd October 1916.

After being disembarked, Victor and his group were sent to the Tunnellers training camp. Victor didn't have long in England, being assigned to a reinforcement draft heading to France.

On the 15th October 1916 Victor reached Etaples and was marched into the Base Depot Camp. Victor now came down ill with influenza and was sent to the 26th General Hospital. He was in hospital till the 23rd November 1916 when he returned to the base depot camp.

On the 11th December 1916 Victor was taken on strength of the 1st Anzac Entrenching Battalion. He remained with this unit for a few months but on the 21st March 1917 he was taken on strength of the 2nd Australian Tunnelling Company.

The tunnelling units were occupied in offensive and defensive mining involving the placing and maintaining of mines under enemy lines, as well as other underground work such as the construction of deep dugouts for troop accommodation, the digging of subways, saps (a narrow trench dug to approach enemy trenches), cable trenches and underground chambers for signals and medical services

Victor served with the 2nd Australian Tunnelling Company for the remainder of the Great War.

When Victor had joined them the 2nd Company were at Hill 60 near Ypres and they also provided supporting operations for the Messines offensive in June 1917. From July 1917 to early 1918 the 2nd Company was based at Nieuport on the Belgian coast.

In 1918 the 2nd Tunnellers supported the British Armies offensive operations on the Western Front. While the Australian infantry were withdrawn from the front in October 1918, the tunnellers were kept at work at the front till the Armistice on November 11th 1918.

Victor was still with the unit when the Armistice was announced. On the 29th November 1918 he was granted his first period of leave and went to England. Victor must have been enjoying his leave as instead of reporting back on the 13th December as he was supposed to he didn't report back to his unit until the 25th January 1919. In the meantime he had been declared an illegal absentee.

He was subsequently confined to camp and also had to face a general court martial. As a punishment he had to forfeit 96 days pay and he was released from custody on the 9th March 1919.

Victor remained in England for the next few months while awaiting to be allotted a berth on a troopship back home. On the 23rd July 1919 Victor boarded the troopship Main for the journey back to Australia. He reached Fremantle on the 27th September 1919.

Victor was discharged from the AIF on the 12th November 1919.

Upon his return to WA he returned home to Forrest Street Fremantle. In 1921 he married Myrtle Gladys Trew and they went to live at Agnes Street South Fremantle before returning to Forrest Street East Fremantle. 

Victor worked as a Carter but later became a salesman and an Assurance Agent and during World War Two they moved to South Perth.

On the 10th October 1939 Victor enlisted for service in the Second World War. He was accepted as fit for service and was posted to the 10th Garrison Battalion and then No.5 Garrison Battalion. He served these units in Fremantle, Swanbourne, Perth and Claremont. He was discharged from service in 1943.

Victor Truran died in East Victoria Park on the 13th November 1974 aged 78. He was buried at Fremantle Cemetery plot Methodist Mon BB 0842.