ALLEN, Arthur Robert
| Service Number: | 3001 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 12 July 1915 |
| Last Rank: | Corporal |
| Last Unit: | 14th Light Trench Mortar Battery |
| Born: | Fremantle, Western Australia, Australia, 1898 |
| Home Town: | Blackheath, Blue Mountains Municipality, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Technical High School, New South Wales, Australia |
| Occupation: | School student |
| Died: | Sydney, New South Wales, Australia , 13 July 1972, cause of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
Northern Suburbs Memorial Gardens and Crematorium, NSW |
| Memorials: | Blackheath Memorial Arch, Sydney Technical High School WW1 Roll Of Honour |
World War 1 Service
| 12 Jul 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 3001, 2/10 Tank Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 8 Oct 1915: | Involvement Private, 3001, 2nd Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '7' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Warilda embarkation_ship_number: A69 public_note: '' | |
| 8 Oct 1915: | Embarked Private, 3001, 2nd Infantry Battalion, HMAT Warilda, Sydney | |
| 14 Feb 1916: | Transferred AIF WW1, Private, 54th Infantry Battalion, 10th Reinforcements | |
| 1 Mar 1916: | Promoted AIF WW1, Corporal, 54th Infantry Battalion | |
| 4 Jul 1916: | Transferred AIF WW1, Private, 14th Light Trench Mortar Battery | |
| 24 Jan 1917: | Promoted AIF WW1, Warrant Officer Class 2, Sergeant Major Instructor - Stokes Mortar Battery, 1st Anzac Corps School | |
| 30 Jul 1918: | Wounded AIF WW1, Corporal, 3001, 14th Light Trench Mortar Battery, Gassed - France | |
| 3 May 1919: | Embarked AIF WW1, Corporal, 3001, 14th Light Trench Mortar Battery, per Leicestershire | |
| 17 Jan 1920: | Discharged AIF WW1, Corporal, 3001, 14th Light Trench Mortar Battery |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Chris Buckley
Arthur (Born in Fremantle, WA) was the eldest of five children of Robert William Allen (born 1865 in Dublin, Ireland) and Emma White (born 1871 in Fremantle, WA). The family moved to the Blue Mountains in NSW where Arthur joined the School Cadets (41st Battalion) and was a School Student (18years 6 months) when he enlisted in the AIF in Liverpool, NSW in 1915. Arthur was WIA in France (Gassed) in 1918, and Discharged in 1920.
Arhtur was living in Sydney NSW and working as an Electrical Engineer when he married Thursa Olive Harwood (born 1888 in Tasmania) in 1923. Thursa was a Nurse.
Arthur became a Company Manager, and he and Thursa lived in Sydney NSW. Olive died in 1948, and Arthur in 1972
Biography contributed by Sydney Technical High School
Arthur Allen was born in January 1898 in the town of Fremantle, Western Australia (1). His father, Robert William Allen was Irish, born in 1865 in Dublin, Ireland. His mother, Emma White, was born in Fremantle, WA in 1871. Allen was the eldest of 5 siblings (2). He stood at 5ft 8 1/4 in, which was the average height for his time. He had a fair skin complexion, grey eyes, and fair hair and identified as following the Church of England (3).
Allen’s family moved from Fremantle to the Blue Mountains municipality, living in the town of Blackheath in NSW. He attended Sydney Technical High School and proceeded to live in Blackheath for the entirety of his childhood. Allen completed cadets, part of the 41st Battalion (4).
In June 1915, the required age to enlist in the AIF was lowered from 19 to 18 (5). At this time he was 18 years old. Taking this opportunity, Allen would enlist on the 12th of July 1915 - only a month later with permission from his parents. In his military documents, Allen records his chest measurement as 33.36 inches; he was 18 years and 6 months old upon enlistment and was still a student (6).
Allen enlisted in Liverpool. He was allotted the service number 3001, and was a private assigned to the 2nd Infantry Battalion. Shortly after, on the 8th October 1915, Allen embarked on the HMAT A69 Warilda (7) to Abbasia, Egypt (8). However, upon arrival, Allen had a mild scarlet fever, which rendered him hospitalised to the 4th auxiliary hospital (9).
A letter written from his military base to his father stated “Regret reported son Private Arthur R Allen admitted 4th auxiliary hospital January 16th scarlet fever mild”. After getting better, he was transferred to the 54th Infantry Battalion (10th reinforcements) on the 12th February 1916.
He was promoted to temporary corporal on the 1st May 1916 (10). On the 1st June 1916, Allen embarked on the H.T. Caledonian to Alexandria. However, only a day later, he would disembark in Marseilles (11). A month later on the 4th July 1916, Allen had his final transfer to the 14th Light Trench Mortar Battery (Late 2nd Battalion). Following this, on the 24th January 1917, Allen was temporarily appointed as Warrant Officer Class 2, Sergeant Major Instructor of the Stokes Mortar Battery, 1st Anzac Corps School where he would teach soldiers what to do in a mortar squad (12).
On the 30th July 1918, Allen was gassed in France whilst fighting in the Capture of Merris of the Western Front campaign, rendering him wounded in action. He was most likely exposed to mustard gas, which was commonly used by the Germans in WWI. This admitted him to the Cambridge Hospital in Aldershot, England on the 3rd August 1918 (13).
Due to this injury, Allen was sent back to Australia from Leicestershire on the 3rd May 1919, and was later discharged on 17th January 1920.
After his return to Australia and discharge from the army, Allen ifound occupation as an electrical engineer and married in 1923. His spouse was Olive Thursa Harwood, a Tasmanian woman born in 1888 who worked as a nurse. Allen then became a company manager. Olive passed away in 1948, and on the 13th July 1973, just one day after his 58th anniversary of enlisting, Allen passed away at the age of 74. He was buried at the Northern Suburbs Memorial Gardens and Crematorium in NSW (15).
References:
(1)https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=3029093
(3) Ibid.
(6) Ibid.
(9) Ibid.
(11) Ibid.
(13) Ibid.
(16) Ibid.
(2)https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/135429
(4) Ibid.
(6) Ibid.
(7) Ibid.
(10) Ibid.
(12) Ibid.
(14) Ibid.
(15) Ibid.
(5)https://www.awm.gov.au/articles/encyclopedia/enlistment#:~:text=The%20requirements%20in%20August%201914,to%205ft%20in%20April%201917 (8)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMAT_Warilda
(17)https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/life-expectancy-deaths/deaths-in-australia/contents/life-expectancy
Bibliography:
https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/135429
https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=3029093
https://aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=3009
https://vwma.org.au/explore/units/461
https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/U51288
https://www.awm.gov.au/articles/encyclopedia/enlistment#:~:text=The%20requirements%20in%20August%201914,to%205ft%20in%20April%201917