| Additional Notes from research by Richard Hardy, 2012
Arthur enlisted on 6th July 1915; he was under age at the time and gave his employment as a boundary rider. There is a mention of a previous attempt to enlist when he was apparently turned down because of his “chest measurement”. He lied about his age saying he was 21 years old and 11 months, when in fact he was only 17. Initially he listed Walter as his NOK but this is crossed through on the enlistment form and replaced with Sarah (his mothers) name. He enlisted in Liverpool, NSW. I wonder whether the news that his brother Jack was missing presumed dead spurred him on.
He was allocated to the 4th reinforcement batch of the 18th Battalion AIF, and sailed from Sydney aboard the Argyllshire on September 30th 1915. Australian forces were at that time concentrated in Egypt and he disembarked there. He was admitted to hospital with bronchitis on 11/12/1915 and discharged on 25/1/1916.
With the closure of the Dardanelles Campaign the bulk of Australian Infantry forces were transferred to the Western Front embarking from Egypt on 27th March 1916 and the 4th Reinforcement detachment disembarked in Marseille on 3rd of April. On 23rd April he was taken on the strength of B Company 18th Battalion, at the Etaples Transit Camp in France.
The 18th moved up to the line and held a position near Bois-Grenier. At 1400 on 29th April the War Diary notes that the enemy shelled the Battalion, and inflicted 6 casualties, 2 killed and 4 wounded. These are the only casualties noted in the Battalion diary for the period. On the 1st the Battalion was relieved. I believe that Arthur must have died of wounds inflicted on the 29th. He was buried in Bois-Grenier Brewery Wood Cemetery along with two other comrades from 18th Battalion killed on 29th, who’s names also coincidentally begin with W, on July 7th 1916.
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