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Arthur was the son of William HOPCRAFT & Emma BAKER and was born on the 19th of October 1893 in Murray Bridge, SA.

His parents were married on the 9th of October 1883 in Adelaide, SA.

His father was the son of William HOPCRAFT & Mary MORGAN and was born on the 4th of December 1857 in Glenelg, SA.

His mother was the daughter of Timothy BAKER & Elizabeth Esther DAWES and was born on the 8th of May 1862 in Lyndoch Valley, SA.

Arthur was the fifth child born into the family of 7 children; 6 boys, 1 girl.

His father was employed as a ganger and was in charge of the permanent way gang with the South Australian Railways and the Hopcraft family moved quite often following his father’s employment.

The Hopcraft family had moved to Murray Bridge in 1893 and then Muriel May was born on the 4th of May 1896.

In August 1897 the family was transferred to the Bugle Ranges Station and Arthur and his siblings attended the Bugle Ranges School.

They remained here for a few years before moving to Hawker where Reginald’s last sibling was born in July 1902.

They were then transferred to Morgan for 6 years in 1906 and in July 1912 they were transferred to Aberdeen, near Burra and his father was in charge of the maintenance branch.

After completing his schooling Arthur gained employment as a labourer.

At the age of 21, Arthur enlisted into the AIF on the 28th of November 1914 in Oaklands and was allotted the service number 944 and was posted to Base Depot of the Light Horse.

On the 13th of February 1915 he was transferred to the 3rd Light Horse Regiment, 5th Reinforcements. He was granted 1 days leave on the 3rd of April to attend a wedding.

Arthur embarked from Adelaide on board HMAT A59 Botanist on the 2nd of June 1915, disembarking in Alexandria, Egypt and marching to Mena Camp.

Whilst Arthur was in Egypt his brother Reginald enlisted into the 1st AIF on the 15th of February 1916 in Burra. He was posted to D Company and then 6 days later he was transferred to the newly raised 43rd Battalion at Morphettville Camp (687). Reginald embarked from Adelaide on board HMAT A19 Afric on the 9th of June 1916.

In September 1918 Arthur sent a parcel home to his parents which contained several interesting souvenirs, a German Iron Cross being the main article of interest.

It was of black metal edged in silver and on one side is an engraving and a capital F. W. and the year 1813, the other side was surmounted by a crown, a capital W and 1914, evidently the year the distinction was won. This cross was originally a Prussian Military decoration for Distinguished Service in the Prussian War of Liberation. It had been recreated in 1914 by the Germans.

Arthur stated that he took it off a dead German officer after the great Jordan Valley battle on the 13th and 14th of July, where they took a good number of prisoners.

It was the only Iron Cross that had been taken on the Palestine front, and he valued it highly. He also sent a little Turkish money in notes, which, with the Iron Cross, was placed on view in the Burra Record window.

Arthur served at Gallipoli and then Egypt for 3 years before embarking from Kantara for Australian on the 16th of May 1919 on board HT Orari, disembarking in Adelaide on the 26th of June.

Arthur was discharged from the AIF on the 5th of October 1919.

Arthur had only been home 4 months when his father died on the 27th of October 1919. He had fallen off his tricycle at a crossing 4 miles north of Burra and he was already dead when the goods train found him.

On Thursday evening, the 18th of September, a welcome home social was held in the Jubilee Hall at Burra for Arthur and his brother.

Arthur married Isabella Maud STAPLETON on the 13th of March 1920 in the Sacristy of Holy Cross Church, Goodwood, SA.

Isabella was the daughter of Austin Henry STAPLETON & Isabella FOX and was born on the 19th of August 1887 in Goodwood, SA.

They welcomed their first child; Eileen Mary Frances, on the 4th of October 1922 at their home, 23 Tolley Street, Torrensville and then Dorothy May was born on the 24th of January 1924.

In May 1932 Arthur was unemployed and they were living in Hanson Place, in the city.

By 1940 they had moved to 22a Darlington Street, Hilton and Arthur was a member of the Hilton RSL Sub-Branch.

Eileen married Arnold Leonard ENGELHARDT in 1942.

On the 23rd of October 1948 Arthur was admitted into the Adelaide Hospital and was unable to attend Dorothy’s wedding to Evilino RODIGHIERO on the 20th of November.

Arthur died in the hospital on the 16th of December 1948 and was buried the following day in the West Terrace Cemetery; Kendrew Oval, Row 16, Plot 7.

Isabella died on the 12th of July 1983.

Military

At the age of 21, Arthur enlisted into the AIF on the 28th of November 1914 in Oaklands and was allotted the service number 944 and was posted to Base Depot of the Light Horse.

He listed his mother of Aberdeen, near Burra, as his next of kin.

On the 13th of February 1915 he was transferred to the 3rd Light Horse Regiment, 5th Reinforcements. He was granted 1 days leave on the 3rd of April to attend a wedding.

Arthur embarked from Adelaide on board HMAT A59 Botanist on the 2nd of June 1915, disembarking in Alexandria and marching to Mena Camp.

After just 4 weeks of training Arthur embarked for the Dardanelles on the 12th of August and was taken on strength with the 3rd Light Horse Regiment, from the reinforcements, on the Gallipoli Peninsula on the 28th of August.

They played a defensive role throughout the campaign and was in reserve when their sister regiments attacked as part of the August offensive.

In September they were located at Quinn’s Post, Rowell Gully and Destroyer Hill, remaining at Destroyer Hill for all of October and November.

Arthur and his Regiment embarked from Gallipoli at midnight on the 13th of December 1915.

They arrived at Mudros Bay at 1pm on the following day and transferred from HMT Abbassia to HMT Karro and were ordered to sail to Egypt.

On the 19th of December they disembarked in Alexandria and entrained for Heliopolis, where they spent Christmas Day 1915.

From here they headed to Warden and Khatatba and at the end of January they were at El Beida

They were then deployed to protect the Nile valley from bands of pro-Turkish Senussi Arabs.

On the 18th of May, as part of their parent brigade, they joined the forces defending the Suez Canal. The 1st Light Horse Brigade played a significant role in turning back the Turkish advance on the canal at the Battle of Romani on the 4th of August.

In ensuing days the regiments of the brigade participated in the immediate follow-up of the defeated Turks, but were soon withdrawn to rest.

On the 20th of September Arthur was promoted to Lance Corporal at Romani.

They rejoined the Allied advance across the Sinai in November and were subsequently involved in the fighting to secure the Turkish outposts on the Palestine frontier – Bir el Magdhaba on the 23rd of December 1916 and they spent Christmas Day at El Resa.

They then moved onto Shiekh Zowald on the 30th, but returned to El Resa on the 1st of January.

Just three miles south of Rafa the 2,000 strong Turkish force had constructed a defensive position at El Magruntein, on a rise known as Hill 255. Approaching Rafa on the morning of the 9th of January Arthur’s Regiment and the Australian and New Zealand Mounted Division and the 5th Mounted Brigade together with three battalions of the Imperial Camel Corps Brigade isolated the garrison by cutting the telegraph lines to Gaza.

Advancing across open ground, the assault was held up as the Turks were able to maintain a high rate of fire; the British and Commonwealth forces began to run low on ammunition early in the afternoon.

Aware of the approach of a Turkish relief force, plans were made to fall back to El Arish. As evening approached several units launched final efforts against the Turks. Charging from the north, three New Zealand regiments attacked the main redoubt on Hill 255, supported by the Imperial Camel Corps and the regiments of the Australian Light Horse. These attacks succeeded in overcoming the Turkish opposition who began surrendering.

This victory ended the Sinai campaign of 1916.

They moved back to El Arish in February and a stint of protective duty along the line of communications through the Sinai followed.

On the 10th of April they moved to Kham Yunis where they practiced drill and training before moving to Shellal and onto Kharbit-Erk and this was their first engagement in the second Battle of Gaza on the 17th of April 1917.

They launched a frontal assault on the Turkish defences, which was supported by six tanks and gas shells. The tanks and the gas were both dismal failures and the attacking forces could make little headway against well-sited Turkish redoubts. After three days of fighting the attack was called off, having not gained any significant ground and Arthur and his Regiment returned to Shellal.

They remained in this area for all of May and then marched onto Abasan el Kebir before moving on the 18th of June to Marakeb Rest Camp, located on the beach near Rafa.

It was here on the following day that Arthur was admitted into the ANZAC Receiving Station suffering from Phimosis and a severe infection.

It was recommended that he be Circumcised, so he was transferred by hospital train to the 2nd Australian Stationary Hospital in El Arish on the 6th of July.

The following day he was transferred to the 24th Stationary Hospital and then to the Citadel Military Hospital in Cairo on the 10th.

On the 24th Arthur was discharged from hospital and posted to the Convalescent Depot in Abbassia.

He spent a week here before being taken on strength with the 1st Light Horse Training Regiment in Moascar.

On the 3rd of August he was transferred back to his Regiment who were at Shauth.

They then moved back to Marakeb Rest Camp on the 1st of September and remained until the 24th of October when they began there ride to Tel el Saba (about 5 kilometres east of Beersheba).

This was a crucial position to take before the main attack on Beersheba, which was planned for the 31st of October.

The attack on Beersheba was more than an attack on an isolated garrison. Beersheba was the pivotal point of a new strategy to break out of the stalemate of the Turko-German stranglehold on the fortified township of Gaza and the Tel el Sheria line. Two previous unsuccessful attacks on Gaza had allowed the enemy much time to greatly improve entrenchments and battlements of the town. It was reasoned that an attack on Beersheba at the other end of the Tel el Sheria line would draw men and equipment away from Gaza and weaken the town in preparation for a third attack.

Although not in the actual attack and charge on Beersheba, they held their Brigade’s outpost section at Tel el Saba and were heavily shelled by the enemy.

Gaza finally fell on the 7th of November, after the wide outflanking move via Beersheba, in which they played a part.

They then fought in the Battle Mughar Ridge on the 13th of November and in the Battle of Nebi Samwil on the 17th to the 24th of November.

By the 27th of November they had moved onto Ayun Kara where they camped until the 17th of December, when they took over the front line trenches for 7 days.

Torrential rain in Palestine in December 1917 made mounted operations impossible.

They returned to Ayun Kara and Christmas Day 1917 was spent here and then moved out to Esdud, where they could camp on the sand hills above the soaked dark soil of the plains and take their supplies from the nearby railhead.

They moved from here on the 12th of January, heading for Deiran for 7 days, before returning back to Ayun Kara on the 19th.

On the 16th of February they rode out to Junction Station and then onto Zakaria on the 18th and watered their horses at Solomon’s Pool.

They then saddled up and headed to El Khudr and moved onto El Munta. On the 20th they moved to Wadi Jofet-Zeben and at 3:15am the following day they advanced on Neby Musa with their objective being Jericho. 

It was whilst taking Jericho on the 21st of February that Arthur suffered a Gun Shot Wound to his lower jaw and was admitted into the NZ Field Ambulance. He was transferred to the 66th Casualty Clearing Station in Jerusalem the following day.

After 5 days Arthur was transferred to the 75th Casualty Clearing Station in El Imara and then the following day he was transferred to the 35th Casualty Clearing Station.

On the 3rd of March he was transferred to the 43rd and 24th Stationary Hospitals in Kantara.

Arthur remained here for 4 weeks before being transferred to the 14th Australian General Hospital in Abbassia. After 3 weeks here he was finally discharged from hospital and posted to the Light Horse Camp at Port Said on the 21st of March.

On the 10th of April he was transferred to the 1st Light Horse Training Regiment in Moascar.

Whilst here, on the 30th of April, Arthur was found failing to comply with an order, he was Out of Bounds in Jerusalem without a pass and in a brothel.

A Field Court Martial was held on the 7th of May and Arthur was awarded 14 days field punishment No.2 and forfeited 30 days pay.

On the 23rd of May he rejoined his Regiment at Solomon’s Pool and on the 2nd of June he reverted back to the rank of trooper.

From the 19th to the 25th of September 1918 they took part in the Battles of Megiddo and Nablus.

On the 6th of October Arthur suffered from Malaria and was admitted into the 34th Casualty Clearing Station and then the 1st Australian General Hospital in Abbassia on the 14th.

Whilst Arthur was in hospital the Ottoman Empire signed the Armistice of Mudros on the 30th of October 1918, bring the war to an end.

Two days later Arthur was discharged to the Convalescent Depot in Cairo and on the 20th of December he was posted to 1st Brigade Detail in Moascar, on Guard Duty.

On the 10th of February he rejoined his Regiment in Raffa and then March & April was spent at Kantara & Ghezireah.

Arthur embarked from Kantara for Australian on the 16th of May 1919 on board HT Orari, disembarking in Adelaide on the 26th of June.

Arthur was discharged from the AIF on the 5th of October 1919.