The National Railway Museum acknowledges the Centenary of the infamous Silverton Tramway Picnic Train incident, where several people were killed by incited ‘turks’, including passengers on board the train bound for Stephens Creek, on New Year’s Day 1915. Steam locomotive Y12, in our collection, was hauling the Picnic Train that day and is now preserved in the Fluck Pavilion. Please take a moment to read the history about this event and pay respects in whatever method you choose. Y12 and the Picnic Train Attack Just five months after the beginning of World War I, on 1st January 1915, the Manchester Unity Order of Oddfellows held its annual New Year’s Day picnic. A train was scheduled to run to Silverton from Broken Hill carrying those headed for the picnic. Locomotive Y12 pulled out of Broken Hill’s Sulphide Street station at 10am carrying 1200 men, women and children travelling in 40 open trucks fitted with wooden seats, which gave no protection above waist level. About two miles out of Broken Hill, an ice cream cart flying a homemade Turkish flag was noticed by those on the train. Two gunmen lay in a nearby trench on the northern side of the line within 27 metres (30 yards) of the passing train. They began firing as the train drew level with them, the firing continued as the train passed, with 20 to 30 shots being fired in total. The train was brought to a halt further up the line and it was found that two people had been killed and seven wounded. At this point the train pulled into the Silverton Tramway Company’s reservoir siding to tend the wounded and call for help. The alarm was telephoned to the police in Broken Hill. The police then contacted Lieutenant Resch at the local army base and all available men were despatched. Meanwhile the two gunmen had withdrawn to a quartz studded hill known as White Rocks. A gun battle ensued at this site and both gunmen were fatally wounded. Those killed on the train were Alma P Cowie and William Shaw. Alf Millard was also killed while riding a bike alongside the train as he undertook a routine pipeline inspection. Those who suffered non fatal gunshot wounds on the train were Rose Crabb, Lucy Shaw, Mary Kavanagh and George Stokes. During the following battle at White Rocks the two men who attacked the train were killed, and civilian James Craig died when caught by a stray bullet as he chopped wood. During the battle Constable Robert Mills and Tom Campbell suffered non fatal wounds, Campbell was shot when the attackers fired bullets into his hut. The Gunmen The gunmen were Gool Badsha Mahomed (c1874-1915) and Mullah Abdullah (c1855-1915). Because they were flying a Turkish flag they were referred to as Turks in the media at the time, but neither were from Turkey. Both men were either from modern day Pakistan, or Afghanistan, and had worked as camel riders around Broken Hill. Mahomed became an ice-cream vendor and Abdullah, who had lived in Broken Hill for around 16 years, worked as a halal butcher toward the end of his life. The topic of the motive for the attack is complex, but the letters the gunmen left behind point to political and religious motivations. The Triple Entente (UK, Russia and France), and by association their allies such as Australia, had declared Turkey as a war enemy in late 1914, after Turkey became an ally of the Central Alliance (Germany and Austria-Hungary). Mahomed and Abdullah were loyal to the Turkish Sultan in his capacity as Caliph (spiritual Islamic leader) of their religion, and Mahomed had also been a soldier in the Turkish army before the War. Abdullah’s letter also noted his resentment toward one particular member of the community. Aftermath After the attack there was much grief and anger amongst the local community. The day after the attack the mines of Broken Hill fired all employees deemed ‘enemy aliens’ under the 1914 Commonwealth War Precautions Act. Six Austrians, four Germans and one Turk were sent from the town. The second night after the attack a group marched on the community of Afghan camel drivers living on the outskirts of town, but their way was barred by the local militia and the police who stood guard all night. On the same night, despite efforts of local fire fighters, the German Club was destroyed by fire. Gradually tensions in the community lessened, particularly after the close of World War I in 1918. Select References Select References: • Sulphide Street Station Railway Museum, Broken Hill (interpretive displays) • Barrier Miner (newspaper reports) from 1st January 1915 • Christine Stevens, Abdullah, Mullah (1855–1915), Australian Dictionary of Biography • C. Stevens, Tin Mosques & Ghantowns (1989) photos Manchester Unity picnic train 1907 SLSA Servicemen and local men return to Broken Hill township after the final gun battle at White Rocks SLSA A photograph of the picnic train taken on the fateful day in 1915 Image courtesy of The Broken Hill City Library. With thanks to the Broken Hill City Council brokenhillaustralia.au
Posted on: Wed, 24 Dec 2014 06:45:49 +0000
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