Beer, Spencer Trowbridge

2691 Private Spencer Trowbridge Beer - 2nd Light Railway Operating Company

Spencer Trowbridge Beer was born on the 24th October 1898 in Fremantle WA to Thomas and Ada Beer. He was the eldest of seven siblings, with, Vera (1901), Ettie (1903), Cassie (1905), Ronald (1909), Helena (1910) and Clarence (1916).

He was educated locally and after leaving school took up work with the WA Government Railways. During this time he had also served with the Navel Cadets and in 1912 joined the Royal Australian Navy Reserves.

Prior to the Great War he was working as a railway fireman and was living at 91 Samson St South Fremantle (later renumbered to 55 Samson).

On the 30th May 1917 aged just 18, Spencer enlisted into the Australian Imperial Force. He was accepted as fit for service, with the Medical Examiner recording Spencer's physical attributes as;

Height - 5 feet 5 inches tall;

Weight - 129lbs;

Chest Measurement - 31-33 inches;

Complexion - Fresh;

Eyes - Brown;

Hair - Brown.

Upon his successful enlistment Spencer was sent to Claremont Camp and he was assigned to the 5th District Guard. He remained in this role in WA through to December 1917.

On the 27th December he was transferred to the Railway Corps reinforcements and was sent to Victoria to complete his training. On the 13th March 1918 he embarked from Port Melbourne aboard the transport ship Ormonde and set sail for Europe, arriving at Southampton on the 15th May 1918.

After being disembarked Spencer was then sent to the Railway Depot Camp at Longmoor. He remained here for the next five weeks receiving further training. On the 26th June 1918 Spencer was sent to France and on the 1st July 1918 was taken on strength of the 5th Broad Gauge Railway Operating Company. On the 12th July 1918 he then transferred to the 2nd Light Railway Operating Company.

The job of the Railway units was to move men and equipment around the various battlefields of France from the bases and up to the front lines. Much of the area they operated in was under fire from German long range artillery and also received bombing from the German Gotha planes.

Spencer served up to the 18th September when he was evacuated ill with gastritis but after a few days at the 57th Casualty Clearing Station he was able to return to his unit.

On the 13th October 1918 Spencer was sent to a Railway School in France but when he was there he became ill with influenza and was sent to the 54th General Hospital. Spencer had caught the Spanish flu strain and was at the 54th General Hospital till January 1919. He had been severely ill, being very fortunate to survive it and wasn't well enough to be shipped to England until the 4th January 1919.

On arrival in England Spencer was admitted to the 4th London General Hospital at Queen's Square. He remained there for the next month. Spencer's Health had slowly been recovering and on the 4th February 1919 was sent to the 3rd Australian Auxiliary Hospital at Dartford. He spent another week there but finally on the 11th February 1919 was discharged from hospital.

Spencer had spent nearly four months in hospital due to the influenza. On the 12th February 1919 Spencer went into No.1 Command Depot Camp at Sutton Veny. He's only been there for ten days when he was sent to 1st Australian General Hospital still suffering with influenza. Spencer then spent the next month in Hospital.

He was released back to No.1 Command Depot Camp on the 26th March 1919. Now he was well again it seems Spencer did no want to be stuck in camp as on the 11th April 1919 he went absent without leave for four days. A s a result he was fined eight days pay and had to undergo four days of Field Punishment No.2

On the 9th May 1919, Spencer was sent to the AIF camp at Weymouth to await being assigned a berth on a ship home. On the 1st June 1919 he went aboard the transport ship Somali and set sail for Australia, reaching Fremantle on the 8th July 1919.

Spencer was discharged from the AIF on the 31st July 1919.

After being released back into civilian life, Spencer resumed employment with the WA Government Railways. He was working as an engine cleaner and also a railway fireman. From 1919 to 1924 he was still living in Samson Street Fremantle.

In 1925 he was living at Wellington street in Northam, being based there while working for WAGR.

In 1928 Spencer married Alice Maud Shaw and they continued to reside in Northam until 1937 when they moved to Fourth Avenue in Maylands, then moving to First Avenue in Mt Lawley.

Spencer died on the 5th November 1942, aged 44. He had died due to injuries in an accident and carbon monoxide poisoning while he was driving a train at Swan View tunnel. Three other members of the crew were also poisoned but were able to be resuscitated.

According to a report in the Northam Advertiser;

The train passed through Swan View station about 11.40 o'clock on Wednesday night on its way from Perth to Kalgoorlie. The two engines, an L class and a S class, were pulling a heavy load of 53 trucks carrying mainly personal effects, perishables and livestock. The train stopped in the long tunnel about half a mile from Swan View station, in the first line of hills in the Darling Range. Shortly afterwards the train began to run backwards and became out of control. It careered down grade and passed through Swan View station at a terrific speed. The train ran madly on and crashed, about 250 yards further on, into a runaway siding to which it was diverted automatically from the main railway line by emergency points. The heavily laden train crashed with terrific force into the dead-end of the safety line. Trucks were telescoped and splintered. Goods and livestock were thrown for some distance from the smash. Many of the livestock were killed. The guard of the train, Mr Percy C. O'Sullivan, who resides in Northam had a narrow escape from injury. When the train started to run backward he applied the brakes as well as he was able, and then finding that the run-away was gaining momentum he jumped from the train and escaped without injury. The first to arrive on the scene was an engine driver, who resides in the vicinity. He found the crew of the two engines in a state of collapse and Beer appeared to be badly injured. The police and members of St. John Ambulance Brigade were summoned and on their arrival the injured men were extricated from the cabins of the engines and conveyed to a private hospital at West Midland, but Beer was found to be dead on arrival. At the scene of the smash wreckage was strewn alongside both sides of the line and trucks were piled high on top of of a mound of twisted, wood and iron. Amidst the chaotic scene were scattered dead cows and pigs, kegs of beer, fruit and vegetables, cases of personal effects and broken bottles. A truck-load of cattle in the middle of the train was unharmed and trucks of coal remained on the line. One engine remained on the line while the other was on the line, excepting the rear wheels of the tender. The railway telephone line was brought down and a signal mast and its square concrete buttress formed part of the wreckage. During the day traffic was diverted to the Mundaring line. An inquiry will be held.

Spencer was buried at Karrakatta Cemetery plot Anglican LB 0684

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