69742
ARNOLD, William Edwin
| Service Number: | 772 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 29 February 1916, Adelaide, SA |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 43rd Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Port Augusta, South Australia, 26 March 1882 |
| Home Town: | Kingswood, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Chainman |
| Died: | War Veterans Home Myrtle Bank, 18 January 1960, aged 77 years, cause of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
West Terrace Cemetery (AIF Section) Section: KO, Road: 3A, Site No: 33 |
| Memorials: |
World War 1 Service
| 29 Feb 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 772, 43rd Infantry Battalion, Adelaide, SA | |
|---|---|---|
| 9 Jun 1916: | Involvement Private, 772, 43rd Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '18' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Afric embarkation_ship_number: A19 public_note: '' | |
| 9 Jun 1916: | Embarked Private, 772, 43rd Infantry Battalion, HMAT Afric, Adelaide | |
| Date unknown: | Wounded 772, 43rd Infantry Battalion |
Help us honour William Edwin Arnold's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Faithe Jones
Son of William ARBOLD and Elizabeth nee DRYSDALE
Biography contributed by St Ignatius' College
Life Before the War
William Edwin Arnold was born on the 26th of March, 1982 in Port Augusta, South Australia. He worked as a chainman up till the age of 34 without any previous military experience or training. He was an average man of the time, no criminal records, no medical issues and a relatively normal job. William was not yet married nor had children and his next of kin was his mother, Elizabeth Arnold. William’s address was Kyre Avenue, Kingswood, South Australia under the care of Mrs Mack and his religion was Presbyterian. He had a fresh complexion, brown hair, grey eyes, a height of 1.72m and weighed 67 kg.
Life in Service
William Edwin Arnold first enlisted on 29th February 1916 and embarked from Adelaide, South Australia on the HMAT Afric 19 on the 9th of June 1916. His rank was a private in the 43rd infantry battalion (June 1916). William was 34 at the time when he signed up for war, which is rather old. During his service, his battalion, along with many other battalions stopped by Amesburi Station in South Hampton, England. He fought in France where he was wounded at the Battle of Messines in June 1917. He was paid on the 29/4/1918 around the end of the war and discharged on the 6/11/1919. We can assume that he may have stayed in France for a short period of time after the war had concluded. He was paid for his services and returned to Australia close to a year after he was injured.
Life after Service
Not much is known about his life after returning to Australia. This means that at least he would return and be able to live a relatively peaceful life. At the time of his return he would’ve been around 38 years old and from his place of death we can assume that he stayed at the War Veterans Home Myrtle Bank, South Australia. This suggests that he may have returned with fellow servicemen who he was close with and they chose to live close to each other upon returning.
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