Royal Australian Navy Bridging Team - A Unique World War One Unit
HMS Louis relic from Gallipoli salvaged and carved by Petty Officer Alfred Siggs of Leederville. At the time of collecting this souvenir, Petty Officer Siggs was a member of the Royal Australian Navy Bridging Team. He was killed in action at Pozieres, France on 29 July 1916, aged just 20 and is buried in Puchevillers British Cemetery.
HMS Louis was wrecked at Suvla Bay on 31 October 1915 during the Gallipoli campaign. Petty Officer Alfred Siggs from Leederville was stationed at Suvla Bay, to the north of Anzac Cove, with the Royal Australian Navy Bridging Train (RANBT). Siggs was one of the RANBT members who attempted to salvage the ship, which had been much damaged by Turkish artillery. Siggs later transferred to the Australian Imperial Force with the rank of Lance Corporal. He was killed in action at Pozieres, France on 29 July 1916, aged just 20. He is buried in Puchevillers British Cemetery, France.
The Royal Australian Navy Bridging Train was a unique unit of the Royal Australian Navy. It was active only during World War One where it served in the Gallipoli and the Sinai and Palestine campaigns. The Train was formed in February 1915 and stood down in May 1917. Throughout its existence, it was composed of RAN Reservists under the command of Lieutenant Commander Leighton Bracegirdle.
In the early stages of the war, many of the 8,000 Australian naval reservists were not trained suitably to serve on board ships in the RAN. They found themselves doing odd jobs like guarding the wharfs, practicing minesweeping, watching out for saboteurs and a myriad of other odd jobs and minor duties. Then someone hit on a good idea. Since the reservists were capable of sailing about in small boats, and had some technical training, they should be able to operate pontoon bridging trains.
Sailors who volunteered swapped their naval uniforms for khaki and found themselves being given crash-courses in horsemanship, engineering and pontoon bridging, Advanced technical training in Australia was a problem due to lack of equipment and expertise. Accordingly, the RANBT was loaded on to ships in late May 1915 with the assurance that they could learn more effectively in training camps in England. However, they were off-loaded in Egypt like the rest of the Anzacs. The RANBT was sent to reinforce the stalled invasion force at Suvla Bay.
HMS Louis was part of a class of 22 torpedo boat destroyers designated as the Laforey (later L) class. Twenty including HMS Louis were built between 1912 – 14. All served during World War I during which three were lost. The survivors were all scrapped in 1921-23.
Service records of Roland Alfred Siggs
https://discoveringanzacs.naa.gov.au/browse/person/316714
Australian Red Cross Missing and Wounded Enquiry Bureau file for Alfred Siggs
https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/awm-media/collection/RCDIG10577…
Explore the National Maritime Museum’s diorama of the Royal Australian Navy Bridging Team at Suvla Bay during the Gallipoli Campaign
https://www.sea.museum/2014/12/19/exploring-a-diorama-the-ran-bridging-…