Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

On 30 April 1917 the 39th Battalion were in the front lines near the Belgian town of Ploegsteert. At around 4 am the Germans began an intense artillery barrage and launched a raid against part of the Australian line. Men of the 39th Battalion managed to drive off a party of as many as 80 enemy soldiers, but suffered more than 60 casualties from enemy shell-fire, including 14 killed. 

Private Carmichael also had two brothers serving with the 57th Battalion AIF, who both survived the war.

Ballarat Courier 10 July 1917. PRIVATE ARCHIE CARMICHAEL.

Writing to Mr James Carmichael of Main Lead, Pte John Bell, of Beaufort (who has since made the supreme sacrifice) describes how his brother, Pte Archie Carmichael met his death in France. Private Carmichael and three others were killed by a German shell. Capt. Chaplain J. Best has forwarded a letter of sympathy to Mr John Carmichael, father of the fallen solder, in the course of which he states that Private Carmichael was a brave lad, a good soldier, and a true man, and we are all very sorry he has gone from us. The shell which caused Private Carmichael's death our Beaufort correspondent writes smashed the trench mortar which Gunner Walter Chibnall, of Beaufort, was attached to. Gunner Chibnall and Sergt. W. Cheeseman (also of Beaufort) were present when the remains of Carmichael were laid to rest in a cemetery at the rear of the line.

Riponshire Advocate 2 June 1917. MEMORIAL SERVICE. A memorial service in connection with the death of the late Private Archie N. Carmichael, of Main Lead, who was recently killed in action in France, was held at St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church, Beaufort, on Sunday morning.

"Private A. R. Carmichael. this lad was born and brought up in this district, and was cut off in the midst of youth and promise, his age being 21 years and 10 months. Like the children around them, he had taken his part in the Sabbath school, having been a diligent scholar and carried off his little prizes in the days gone by. In later times he acted as organist and assisted on Sundays at Main Lead when Presbyterian services were conducted. He had been working at Casterton for some time, two of his elder brothers, being already on active service, one of whom had really gone so that the younger lad might remain. It was not the wish of his parents that their youngest lad should go, as the two others had gone, but they gave way in face of this lad's strong sense of duty. Where he was working, he continually heard how things were going at the front, and that reinforcements were needed, and he was filled with a high dense of duty, and felt that he must offer himself in spite of the wishes of his loved ones. Finally, the parents abandoned their wishes, and he enlisted in the month of July, and in the month of September sailed for the front. At last, very recently came the sad tidings that many of them looked for and feared to hear. Still, at the same time, such news must come to some, and the inevitable must be faced, the brief words, " Killed in action on 30th April," and found a soldier's grave, carried so much in themselves as to want no others. The preacher had seen the numerous tributes received by the bereaved family from various persons, including teachers and others who had known the lad as a boy, fellow-work men, and t hose living in the same house with him prior to enlistment. He had the honor of perusing these messages, and was pleased to learn the high esteem in which this lad was held by those who had come in contact with him. He had met a soldier's end, and apart from their natural sorrow, it would be something for the bereaved ones to be proud of when they spoke of him in times to come, for he had fallen for those things the flag they loved represented—liberty and the peace they all looked for and hoped to be soon partakers of."