At 9.45am on 2 September 1915, the troopship Southland, en route to Gallipoli, was torpedoed by the German submarine UB-14, some 30 nautical miles off the Greek island of Lemnos. A second torpedo narrowly missed.
Onboard were several Australian headquarter units, an infantry company and elements of the service, medical and signals corps. Among the service corps ranks was former Busselton butcher, Private Michael Arthur Blenkinsop.
The reaction of the soldiers onboard the stricken vessel was widely promoted as a shining example of military discipline. The Bendigo Advertiser reported:
“Almost immediately the ship listed noticeably to starboard. Both the foreholds were soon awash above the level of the upper troop decks.
The troops on board fell in as for ordinary drill, and awaited orders on what was believed to be a sinking ship.”
There was plenty of other fevered activity below decks and elsewhere as lifeboats were readied and supplies were salvaged.
Somewhere during all this activity it is believed that Busselton’s Pte Blenkinsop first distinguished himself and his actions became known to his superior officers.
Fortunately, other vessels were able to assist with the rescue and it was later determined that the Southland was capable of limping back to Lemnos with a skeleton crew of volunteers.
Fourteen men died in the torpedo explosion and another 22 drowned.
Blenkinsop was born and schooled in the mighty English shipbuilding city of Newcastle in 1880. Not much is known of his early working life, but he had a spirit for adventure.
Blenkinsop spent 10 years in the US working on ranches and railway construction before coming to Australia at the age of 31.
As his brother lived in Busselton, it is likely he came out to join him.
The spirit of adventure soon called again and Blenkinsop enlisted on 6 February 1915 and completed his training at Blackboy Hill.
He was allocated to the 16th Company, Army Service Corps, and embarked for Egypt aboard the HMAT A19 Afric on 22 May 1915.
The service corps was, essentially, the engine room of the Army. It provided all logistical solutions, maintaining supply lines and transport, both horse and vehicle.
Blenkinsop and the other torpedo survivors eventually made safe passage to Gallipoli and he was plunged into the vital work of helping keep the campaign supplied, often under fire.
Someone has to get the food and water and ammunition to the frontline troops and preventing those supplies from reaching their destination was a vital victory for an enemy.
Pte Blenkinsop was awarded the Military Medal for his “devotion to duty” on Gallipoli and we might speculate that his actions aboard the Southland also contributed to that award.
Strictly-speaking the MM is only given for bravery in battle on land.
The award was later gazetted on 19 April 1917 and did state that Pte Blenkinsop was also “present on HT Southland” when torpedoed.
Blenkinsop later served on the Western Front and reached the rank of corporal. He survived the war but did not survive the illnesses that were rife in the unhealthy trenches.
He died from bronchitis on 26 January 1919 in Charleroi, Belgium.
He is buried in the military cemetery in that town. Cpl Blenkinsop is remembered on the Busselton Cenotaph.
Acknowledgements and thanks:
Local resident, Joy Dalgleish, who researched the names on the Busselton Cenotaph.
Busselton Public Library for its help and access to records.
