CUNNINGHAM, Michael
| Service Number: | 412 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 17 February 1916, Place of enlistment - Blackboy Hill, Western Australia |
| Last Rank: | Sapper |
| Last Unit: | 1st Tunnelling Company (inc. 4th Tunnelling Company) |
| Born: | Wirrabara, South Australia, 1882 |
| Home Town: | Laverton, Laverton, Western Australia |
| Schooling: | Lorne State School, Victoria, Australia |
| Occupation: | Miner |
| Died: | Pneumonia, United Kingdom, 8 May 1918 |
| Cemetery: |
Reading Cemetery, England Section - Division 72, Grave 16439, |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Western Australia State War Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 17 Feb 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 412, Mining Corps, Place of enlistment - Blackboy Hill, Western Australia | |
|---|---|---|
| 8 Mar 1916: | Embarked AIF WW1, Sapper, 412, Mining Corps, Embarked on HMAT 'A38' Ulysses from Fremantle on 8th March 1916 disembarking Marseilles, France 5th May 1916, then entrained for Hazebrouck detraining on 8th May 1916. The HMAT 'A38' Ulysses had commenced from Sydney on 20th February 1916 and from Melbourne on 1st March 1916. | |
| 8 Apr 1916: | Transferred AIF WW1, Sapper, 1st Tunnelling Company (inc. 4th Tunnelling Company) | |
| 10 Jun 1917: | Wounded AIF WW1, Sapper, 1st Tunnelling Company (inc. 4th Tunnelling Company), Gun shot wound, left led | |
| 8 May 1918: | Involvement AIF WW1, Sapper, 412, 1st Tunnelling Company (inc. 4th Tunnelling Company), --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 412 awm_unit: 1st Australian Tunnelling Company awm_rank: Sapper awm_died_date: 1918-05-08 |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Cathy Sedgwick
The summary below was completed by Cathy Sedgwick – Facebook “WW1 Australian War Graves in England/UK/Scotland/Ireland”
Died on this date – 8th May…… Michael Cunningham was born at Wirrabera, near Murray Town, South Australia on 8th June, 1881.
He enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (A.I.F.) on 16th February, 1916 as a 34 year old, single, Miner from Laverton, Western Australia.
Sapper Michael Cunningham, Service number 412, embarked from Sydney on HMAT Ulysses (A38) on 20th February, 1916 according to the First World War Embarkation Roll listed on the Australian War Memorial. The Statement of Service form for Michael Cunningham listed that he embarked from Australia as a Private on 8th March, 1916.
Statement of Service form recorded that Private Michael Cunningham was Sapper from 8th April, 1916 with Mining Corps. He transferred to 1st Tunnelling – no date recorded.
On 5th May, 1916 Sapper Michael Cunningham disembarked at Marseilles, France. He detrained at Hazebrouck, France on 8th May, 1916.
He was admitted to 47th D.R.S. (Divisional Rest Centre) on 5th April, 1917 suffering from Pyrexia (fever). He was taken to 6th Field Ambulance on 5th April, 1917 & admitted with Bronchitis. Sapper Cunningham was transferred to 10th Casualty Clearing Station on 10th April, 1917 then transferred to 2nd Ambulance Train on 13th April, 1917. Sapper Cunningham was admitted to 3rd Canadian General Hospital at Boulogne on 13th April, 1917. He was transferred to 7th Convalescent Camp on 20th April, 1917 with Bronchitis then transferred again on 23rd April to No. 3 Large Rest Camp. Sapper Cunningham was marched in to A.G.B.D (Australian General Base Depot) at Etaples, France on 26th April, 1917 from Hospital. He proceeded to join the 1st Tunnelling Company from A.G.B.D. at Etaples on 3rd May, 1917 & rejoined them on the same day.
Sapper Michael Cunningham was wounded in action on 10th June, 1917. He was admitted to 17th Casualty Clearing Station with gunshot wounds to leg. Sapper Cunningham was transferred by No. 15 Ambulance Train on 11th June, 1917 & admitted to 22nd General Hospital at Camiers, France on 11th June, 1917 with gunshot wound to right leg. Sapper Cunningham was invalided to England from Calais, France on 16th June, 1917 on Hospital Ship Pieter de Connick.
He was admitted to Kitchener Military Hospital at Brighton, England on 16th June, 1917 with a gunshot wound to right leg “thro & thro”. He was transferred to Hill House Hospital at Wadhurst on 2nd July, 1917 & discharged on 30th July, 1917 with his wound healed. Sapper Cunningham was transferred to Kitchener Hospital, Brighton, Convalescent Huts on 30th July, 1917 for massage treatments. He was discharged from Hospital on 6th August, 1917 for furlo & was to report to Perham Downs.
On 20th August, 1917 Sapper Cunningham was marched in from furlough to No. 1 Command Depot at Perham Downs, Wiltshire & medically classified as A3 (Fit for overseas training camp, to which transferred for hardening, prior to rejoining unit overseas). He was marched out to Overseas Training Brigade from No. 1 Command Depot on 22nd August, 1917.
Sapper Michael Cunningham proceeded overseas to France via Southampton on 12th September, 1917. He was marched in to A.G.B.D. (Australian General Base Depot) at Rouelles, France on 14th September, 1917. Sapper Cunningham was marched out from A.G.B.D. on 21st September, 1917 & rejoined his Unit in the Field on 24th September, 1917.
He reported sick on 21st November, 1917 & rejoined his Unit the same day.
On 5th March, 1918 Sapper Cunningham proceeded on leave & rejoined from leave on 21st March, 1918.
Sapper Cunningham reported sick on 11th April, 1918. He was admitted to 90th Field Ambulance with P.U.O (Pyrexia (fever) of unknown origin). He was admitted to 6th Stationary Hospital on 12th April, 1918 with then transferred to Ambulance Train 3 on 12th April, 1918. Sapper Cunningham was admitted to 26th General Hospital at Etaples, France on 12th April, 1918. He was placed on list for England on 13th April, 1918 & embarked on Hospital Ship “St. Andrews” on 15th April, 1918 suffering from Bronchitis.
He was admitted to Reading War Hospital, Berkshire, England on 16th April, 1918 with P.U.O. – severe.
Sapper Michael Cunningham died at 1.55 am on 8th May, 1918 at Section 3, Reading War Hospital, Reading, Berkshire, England from Pneumonia.
He was buried in Reading Cemetery, Reading, Berkshire, England where 16 other WW1 Australian War Graves are located.
All but one of the WW1 Australian War Graves located in Reading Cemetery are remembered on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Screen Wall as they do not have headstones. There is one WW1 Australian War Grave who served with Australian Flying Corps – he has a Private Headstone located in another area.
(The above is a summary of my research. The full research can be found by following the link below)
https://ww1austburialsuk.weebly.com/reading.html
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