Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Born in 1884 in Hazel Grove, Cheshire, England, to Joseph Vernon and Elizabeth “Lizzie,” Arthur Vernon was the youngest child in his family, and likely the most impacted by both of his parents' deaths by the time he was 16. Arthur’s father died at the age of 54, and his mother died sometime before 1900.

At the age of 16 (1901), Arthur Vernon lived with his older brother, with both of his parents having passed away. The next year Vernon was married at the age of 17. Details during this nine-year timespan are sparse; however, his marriage at 17, his first child Frederick in 1904, and his second child in 1909 are ascertainable. 

Vernon arrived in Sydney, Australia, in 1912 and he worked as a Bricklayer before enlistment. Based on his son’s educational record, it is likely that Vernon’s only residence in Australia was Bexley, NSW. During these four years, Frederick Vernon was enrolled in Sydney Technical High School. Details concerning Arthur Vernon’s life during 1912–1916 are limited, although Elizabeth “Lizzie” does reference herself signing Arthur Vernon up for life insurance during these years.

In 1916, the school sent out an “appeal for reinforcements to Car’s 1000.” “Car’s 1000” refers to Ambrose Campbell Carmichael’s efforts to personally recruit soldiers across New South Wales. Carmichael’s recruitment tactics were most known for targeting rifle club members; however, he also took a leave of absence from his role as Minister of Education and clearly utilised schools as an avenue for recruitment, leveraging his connections within the education system and the school’s personal connections to the fathers and families of students. Sydney Technical High School also pledged to “look after their [Vernon’s] dependents in so far as a school can, for the course of the war.”

14 June 1918, Arthur Vernon enlisted for the AIF and filled out his military forms. It is likely during this time that Elizabeth “Lizzie” applied for Vernon’s life insurance to protect her finances should he perish.

In late October 1918, the Boonah, the ship that would take Vernon to South Africa, departed from Fremantle, Western Australia. The ship arrived in Durban on 17 November 1918, just six days after the armistice was signed, effectively ending the conflict. However, rough weather and cold temperatures confined all personnel aboard the Boonah to close proximity. Upon arrival in Durban, news arrived that the armistice had occurred. Furthermore, the Spanish Flu had already taken a death toll of 250,000–350,000 South Africans. Local authorities feared that the flu would wreak havoc on the personnel on the ship, given they still faced a 22-day journey back to Australia. None of the personnel disembarked at Durban, and the ship headed back to Australia.

Five days into the return trip, many personnel developed symptoms of the Spanish Flu. Rough weather, frequent storms, and cold temperatures kept all aboard in close quarters, accelerating the spread. More than 300 were sick by the time the Boonah reached Western Australia, including Arthur Vernon. Initially, authorities refused to allow any personnel to disembark, fearing the global pandemic that had thus far spared Western Australia. Conditions aboard the Boonah were attacked by local newspapers, which commented: “Enough of this inhuman incarceration of soldiers in the disease-stricken cubby-hole of a boating hell.”

Seven days later, permission was granted for 300 of the sickest men to disembark at the Quarantine Station in Woodman Point, south of Fremantle. There, at 6:15 pm on December 18th, 1918, Arthur Vernon tragically passed away.

Elizabeth suffered severe financial hardship even with the life insurance money she received. However, Technical High School continued its support of Elizabeth and her three children, raising enough money for a new house. This marked the end of their financial troubles, as Frederick graduated and became a clerk. Elizabeth would live to the age of 62.

https://booksonwaraustralia.com/battalion-histories/911-36th-carmichael.html? (the summary on the bottom of the page proved invaluable to understanding how Carmichael recruited soldiers)
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1B5NRGXsnWcpB5t6eD9lX8SSTFZl8I7sq/edit?tab=t.0         (All the accumulated details of arthur vernon)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0305750X2100019X#:~:text=Phillips%20(1984)%20estimates%20the%20death,markedly%20higher%20than%20for%20whites.                  (helps me get some of the statistics I needed for the south african spanish flu death toll)
https://www.britannica.com/event/influenza-pandemic-of-1918-1919
https://www.britannica.com/story/how-long-did-the-flu-pandemic-of-1918-last
https://www.cheshirebmd.org.uk/ (Helped me find the relevant documents)