Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Name: Arnold Warner
Service Number: 6606
Place of Birt: Kersbrook
Date of Birth: 18 September 1897
Place of Enlistment: Adelaide
Date of Enlistment: 21 August 1916
Age at Enlistment: 18 years
Next of Kin: Mother, Phoebe Warner
Occupation: Labourer
Religion: Methodist
Rank: Private
Arnold joined the 10th Battalion and left from Melbourne on board HMAT A16 Port Melbourne on 21 October1916, reaching Devonport, England on 28 December. He proceeded to France with his battalion on 5 April 1917. From February to July 1918 Arnold was hospitalised with scabies.
He was wounded in action in France on 18 September, sustaining a fracture of the right knee. His mother was notified of his wounding on that day. Arnold was admitted to the 8th General Hospital at Rouen, France on 20 September, where he underwent 4 operations for the removal of bone and then had the femur wired. Shortly afterwards he was invalided to the Southern General Hospital, Oxford, England.
There was little improvement in Arnold’s knee in the six months after being wounded. Consequently, he was recommended for discharge as being permanently unfit for general service by Medical Officer Captain S.R.Hecker. Arnold Warner was awarded the Military Medal on 24 January 1919.

Name: Arnold Warner
Service Number: 6606
Parents: Edward and Phoebe Ann Warner (nee Verrall)
Place of Birth: Kersbrook
Date of Birth: 18 September 1897
Place of Enlistment: Adelaide
Date of Enlistment: 21 August 1916
Age at Enlistment: 19years 11 months
Marital Status: Single
Next of Kin: Mother – Phoebe Ann Warner
Occupation: Labourer/ at Grunthal which was renamed Verdun in 1918 under the South Australian Nomenclature Act 1917.
Religion: Methodist
Rank: Private 10th Battalion/ 21st Reinforcement.
Memorials: nil
The Advertiser of 26 September 1916, stated a farewell special was tendered in the Grunthal Methodist Church “to privates W. Greenhill, B.Grivell and Arnold Warner who will be leaving shortly”.
Arnold served for 18 months with the 74th Battalion Senior Cadets prior to enlisting in the A.I.F. in 1916. He embarked HMAT A40 Port Melbourne at Melbourne on 21 October 1916 and disembarked at Devonport, England on 22 December. Arnold was then marched into the 3rd Training Battalion at Durrington. He proceeded overseas to France from Durrington Camp on 5 April 1917.
He was admitted to the 1st Australian Field Ambulance on 18 February 1918 with gonorrhoea and transferred to the 2nd Australian Casualty Clearing Station then the 39th General Hospital, Havre, on 21 February. He was discharged from venereal disease treatment on 11 April. From 12 April to 23 May, Arnold was treated for scabies at the 39th General Hospital, rejoining the 10th Battalion in the field on 9 June.
Arnold was admitted to the 3rd Australian Field Ambulance on 23 June with impetigo and was discharged to duty on 5 July.
On 18 September while in action near Bussu, France, he sustained a gunshot wound and fracture to the right leg. Arnold was admitted to the 1st Australian Field Ambulance then transferred to 56th Casualty Clearing Station. Army Base Records, Melbourne advised Arnold’s mother, Phoebe, on 8 November that her son was progressing favourably. 1. From there he was sent to 8th General Hospital, Rouen, where he underwent 4 operations for the removal of bone and then had the femur wired 2. With further treatment required, Arnold was sent to England where he was admitted to the 3rd Southern General Hospital on 29 September, and then the 1st Australian General Hospital in Sutton Veny on 29 January 1919.
Arnold was awarded the Military Medal on 24 January 1919 with the following recommendation “On the night of 26th July (1918) when his platoon was holding a forward post near Merris, he went out by himself with some bombs and bombed an enemy machine gun post which he had observed, killing two men and causing one to run away. He crawled up to the post and found the machine gun tethered and was unable to shift it. He then returned to his platoon and took out a party of three men who brought the gun in. On the night of the 29/30th the enemy attacked his post with bombs and wounded 6 of the 20 men including the sergeant. L/Cpl Warner took charge and succeeded in driving the enemy off with bombs and Lewis Gun fire, though one of the guns was out of action by an enemy bomb. His conduct throughout inspired confidence and was of the greatest value at a critical time when the post was threatened.” Commonwealth Gazette 21/1/19.
Arnold commenced his return to Australia on board HT Wandilla on 31 March 1919 and disembarked in Adelaide 16 May. He received additional treatment for the wound to the right knee at No.7 Australian General Hospital at Keswick on 17 June and was discharged (termination of period of enlistment) on 9 August 1920.
The Advertiser of 22 January 1921 announced in the family Notices section, “Mr.and Mrs.Arnold.E.Warner of Melville road Campbelltown a son, Maxwell Lawrence.”.
Arnold was awarded the Military Medal, British war Medal and the Victory Medal. He died on 29 March 1974 and was buried at Centennial Park Cemetery, Adelaide.

Private Arnold Warner MM
Source:www.naa;B2455;Warner.A. Barcode 8366824; www.aif.adfa/ Warner.A.
www.trove.nla/ A.Warner
1.&2. C.Collins To Verdun and Back

The details provided are taken from the book "Stealth Raiders - a few daring men in 1918" written by Lucas Jordan, published 2017, refer to page 277. Prior to the war he was a labourer of Grunthal SA. He enlisted 21st Aug 1916 aged 19 years. He served with the 10th Infantry Battalion, and was awarded a Military Medal for his activities. He survived the war, departiang the UK for home 31st March 1919.