The tale of 10 tunnellers has inspired the new Australian film “Beneath Hill 60” which sheds new light on World War One.
The inspirational story follows the life of a group of miners who fought in one of the bloodiest battles the world has ever seen.
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Walter Fitzgerald Sneddon was a 19 years old blacksmith’s striker living at Whitton Street, Wallsend (not West Wallsend) when he enlisted on 22nd July 1915. He was allocated to the 10th Reinforcements of the 4th Infantry Battalion and embarked for overseas at Sydney on 8th October 1915. After arriving at the AIF base camp in Egypt Walter was transferred to the newly formed 56th Infantry Battalion on 13th February 1916.
The 56th Battalion took part in the disastrous Fromelles campaign of 19/20th July 1916 and it was a month after this battle that Walter transferred to the 1st Australian Tunnelling Company, in France, on 29th August 1916.
James Brown Sneddon, Walter’s father, was a 44 years old miner, of Whitton Street, Wallsend when he enlisted in the newly raised Mining Corps’ No. 1 Company on 30th October 1915, three weeks after his son had sailed for overseas. James embarked at Sydney for overseas on 20th February 1916. He was killed in action on 7th April 1917 after German miners fired a camouflet which destroyed the underground gallery in which he was working.
James Sneddon’s body was later recovered from the underground workings and was buried in the Railway Dugouts Burial Ground at Zillebeke in Belgium.
May he continue rest in eternal peace.
I am of the opinion that Walter transferred to the 1st Australian Tunnelling Company to be with his father.
The story of the Sneddons and the exploits of the 1st Australian Tunnelling Company at Hill 60 can be found in my 2001 published book “Coal Miner Diggers – Hunter Valley Coal Miners at The Great War”.