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This account describes Edward Gilmore (known as Hughie) Dodd’s activities at the front line maintaining and repairing pumps and electrical equipment. Hughie’s father kept the following undated newsclipping:
The Tunnellers As Engineers – Special Praise from Haig
LONDON, Dec 5, 1.20 am
Field-Marshall Sir Douglas Haig in a Special Order congratulates the mining and tunnelling units and says that they demonstrated a complete superiority over the Germans and achieved magnificent success at Messines; they prepared the offensive on the Somme and at Arras and Ypres and carried out dangerous tasks in removing enemy traps and mines on the road, bridges and in the dug-outs. They have shown the highest qualities as engineers and fighting troops. Sir Douglas Haig specially mentions the Australian Electrical and Mechanical Mining and Boring Company.
Born at Broken Hill, New South Wales on 14th April, 1894, Hughie was the second child of Jabez Edward Dodd and Florence Wilson (nee Johnston). Hughie came to the Western Australian goldfields as a young boy of four years where he lived at Coolgardie and later in 1899 at Brown Hill. He attended Brown Hill school and later the Kalgoorlie School of Mines, where he qualified as a Fitter and Turner, leaving formal education aged 14. When the family moved to North Perth, Hughie completed his apprenticeship as an engineer with Hoskins’ Foundry at Murray Street, Perth in 1914.
Hughie enlisted in Perth on the 4th January, 1916 at the age of 21 years and 8 months after serving in the 84th infantry (a local militia reserve). On 30th March, 1916 he was appointed to the No. 6 Tunnelling Coy with the rank of "Sapper" and was promoted to Sergeant on the 2nd May, 1916. He embarked from Australia on the 1st June, 1916 where this diary commences. It was transcribed verbatim by his grandson, Keith Hugh Dodd and the original has been donated by the family to The Army Museum of Western Australia.
Hughie married his sweetheart, Lam (Alma Whiskin) in 1921 and they had two children, Alan and Joy. Alma’s orphaned niece, Lil Whiskin also became part of their family and all the children served their country during World War II. Hughie’s military records show repeated hospitalisations for treatment of trench fever, then tonsillitis. He was gassed in France and suffered the effects for the rest of his life.
After the war, Hughie was employed by the Metropolitan Water Supply as Engineer-in-Charge of the Fremantle branch. He was a logical man, thinking through any problems. Foremen and construction workers treated him with respect and affection, bringing him news of work and gifts, when he was incapacitated. A kind, gentle person, Hughie was the hub of the Whiskin and Dodd families. He had a dry, quiet sense of humour and a terrific general knowledge.
Hughie died aged 63 on 27th November, 1957 at the Repatriation General Hospital, Hollywood. His ashes were interred at the foot of the Memorial Wall in the Western Australian Garden of Remembrance in Smyth Road, Nedlands. A bronze plaque was erected on wall 9, row F.
