Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Arthur was the son of James HILL & Eliza PALMER and was born on the 17th of December 1895 in Brompton, SA.

His parents were married on the 28th of January 1891 in Hindmarsh, SA.

His father was the son of Francis HILL & Harriett WORSLEY and was born on the 29th of May 1868 in Bowden, SA.
His mother was the daughter of Edward William PALMER & Maria SMITH and was born around 1870 in Hindmarsh, SA.

Arthur was the third child born into this family of 4 children.

His father was a carrier and the family lived at Drayton Street, Bowden.

Arthur was 2 years old when his father died on the 1st of August 1898 and they buried him the following day in the Hindmarsh Cemetery; Section Lower, M83.

On the 27th of January 1903 his mother remarried to John Thomas EVANS and the family moved to 12th Street, Bowden.

Arthur gained another sister; Selina Westorpe EVANS on the 8th of April 1903, followed by Florence Sarah, on the 23rd of June 1909.

His mother died on the 26th of February 1914 and they buried her in the Payneham Cemetery.
Arthur appears to have lived with his aunt, Mrs Jane Ramage nee HILL, at 57 Manton Street, Hindmarsh.
Jane was his father’s sister and had married James RAMAGE on the 25th of July 1900 and they had 2 sons; Frank James Hill and Harold Richard.

Arthur then joined the 76th Battalion (Pt Adelaide).

At the age of 19, Arthur enlisted into the AIF on the 10th of August 1915 in Adelaide, SA and was allotted the service number 3768 and posted to C Company, 2nd Depot Battalion.
His aunt, Jane had given her consent for Arthur to enlist as he was underage.

On the 16th of September he was transferred to 10th Battalion, 12th Reinforcements.

Arthur embarked from Adelaide on board RMS Malwa on the 2nd of December 1915 and after spending Christmas 1915 on board the ship he disembarked in Egypt on the 11th of January 1916.
The previous day, his younger brother; Herbert Thomas, enlisted into the 32nd Battalion on the 10th of January 1916 (2626).

Whilst Arthur was here his little sister Florence died on the 27th of February 1916 in the Adelaide Children’s Hospital and was buried with his mother in the Payneham Cemetery.

After just a few weeks training in Tel-El-Kebir Arthur embarked for France and served with the 10th Battalion, suffered from Trench Feet, and was then transferred to the 1st Machine Gun Battalion.

His brother Herbert embarked from Adelaide on board HMAT A9 Shropshire on the 25th of March 1916.
He was taken on strength with the 47th Battalion in Tel-el-Kebir, but 6 weeks later he was classed as physically unfit and was returned to Australia for discharge.

Arthur embarked for England on the 3rd of February 1919 and after another 2 months he embarked on the 12th of April 1919 on board HT Suffolk and disembarked in Adelaide on the 31st of May.

He was discharged from the AIF on the 25th of June 1919.

Arthur died on the 20th of May 1921 in the Myrtle Bank Soldiers Hospital and was buried 2 days later in the Hindmarsh Cemetery; Section Lower, M83, with his father.

HILL — THE FRIENDS of the late Mr. ARTHUR ROBERT HILL (late AIF, 10th to the 12th Battalion) are respectfully informed that his Funeral will leave the residence of his aunt (Mrs J. Ramage), 57 Manton-street, Hindmarsh, on SUNDAY, at 3pm, for the Hindmarsh Cemetery.
F. T. ELLIOTT, Undertaker.

Military

At the age of 19, Arthur enlisted into the AIF on the 10th of August 1915 in Adelaide, SA and was allotted the service number 3768 and posted to C Company, 2nd Depot Battalion.
He listed his sister, Mrs Myrtle MARTIN, of Pt Adelaide, as his next of kin.
However, he later changed his next of kin to his aunty; Mrs Jane Ramage nee HILL, of 57 Manto Street, Hindmarsh.
Jane had given her consent for Arthur to enlist as he was underage.

On the 16th of September he was transferred to 10th Battalion, 12th Reinforcements.

Arthur embarked from Adelaide on board RMS Malwa on the 2nd of December 1915 and after spending Christmas 1915 on board the ship they disembarked in Egypt on the 11th of January 1916.

After just a few weeks training in Tel-El-Kebir Arthur embarked from Alexandria on board RMS Saxonia with the 10th Battalion on the 29th of March 1916.
They disembarked in Marseilles on the 2nd of April, entrained 3 days later for Godewaersvelde and marched into billets at Moolenacker, near Metren.

Here they spent time in training and instruction in the new kind of gas helmet and after 2 weeks they proceeded to Metren, near Sailly on the 20th.
Arthur was taken on strength with the Battalion on the 26th of May and they moved to the Petillon sector.

On the 6th of June they went into the front line for the first time and remained here for the entire month until they marched from Sailly on the 1st of July back to billets at Moolenacker.
Here they trained and reorganised before moving to Mt Descats on the 9th and marched to the Godewaersvelde railway station and entrained to Doullens.
They then marched via Candas, Montrelet, Caples and Halloy to Naours where they trained for 4 days before marching to Forceville and Albert and then onto Sausage Valley.
On the 22nd of July they proceeded via Black Watch Alley to the trenches to support the 9th Battalion for the attack on Pozieres.

After 3 days without sleep and living in trenches that were trenches no longer, but mere shell holes of churned and beaten soil, buried, dug out, gassed and tired, they staggered out from the battered trench line with mangled bodies.

Choked with wounded, stunned and exhausted they were relieved and marched to Berteaucourt for 9 days of reorganising and training before slowly marching their was back to the Battle of Mouquet Farm.
They relieved the 3rd Battalion in the front line on the 19th of August for 12 days before being relieved and moved to Kenora Camp and then Ottavya Camp, near Poperinghe.

The most of September was then spent in the front line at Hill 60, near Ypres before they were relieved and entrained to Branhoek for rest and training.
Most of October was spent in training and by the end of October they were camped at Bernafay Wood.
Here the constant rain had soaked the sides of the trenches until both Parapet and parados collapsed, falling into the already deep mud, making the whole thing an impassable bog.

It was into this that Arthur and his Battalion moved on the 6th of November, near Gueudecourt.

They were weighed down by the extra ammunition, bombs ands things that had to be carried into the front line In the dark, sliding on loose and slippery wet duckboards, with a fair chance of missing them at least once, they plunged into shell holes up to their necks in icy cold mud.

Finally after leaving the duckboards far behind and travelling over what was worse, mud deep and sticky, the trenches were reached. Then the rain came and the water knee and thigh deep in places.
They sank in the mud and when they struggled to release themselves, they sank deeper into the mire until they were pulled out.
Even the men who were fortunate enough to have gum boots had to leave them in the mud and wander in their socks across the mud and mire.

A week of this tried the hearts of even the strongest man.

They then went into the front line in the Flers sector before moving to Bazentin Hose Camp, near Longueval, on the 22nd of December.
They spent Christmas 1916 here before moving to Hobart Camp, near Dernancourt on the 1st of January 1917.
Arthur and his Battalion continued training here until the 14th when they marched to Bresle to continue their training.

By the 1st of February they had moved to Albert and were engaged in fatigue duties before moving to Dernancourt for reorganisation.
On the 9th of March they moved to Shelter Wood Camp to continue training before marching to Bresle on the 22nd.
On the 4th of April they moved forward passing through Montauban and Frimicourt and into the front line.

Arthur was then posted to the 1st ANZAC Corps School in Aveluy, France.
The school ran courses on subjects such as bombing, Lewis guns, trench mortars and signalling.
Here Arthur suffered from Otitis Media (middle ear infection) on the 23rd of May and was admitted into the 2nd Australian General Hospital in Wimereux, near Boulogne.
He was discharged to 2 weeks leave on the 24th of July and returned to the 1st ANZAC Corps School.
Arthur suffered from a Venereal Disease on the 26th of September and was transferred by No.10 Ambulance Train and admitted into the 39th General Hospital in Le Havre.

He spent 3 weeks here before being discharged to the 1st ADBD (Australian Division Base Depot) in Le Havre on the 17th of October, but 3 days later he was readmitted into the 39th General Hospital for 10 days.
He was discharged back the 1st ADBD 6 weeks later but was then readmitted on the 11th of December.
Arthur was finally discharged from hospital and rejoined the 10th Battalion on the 23rd of December who was in the front line near Lindenhoek.
On the 10th of January 1918 they were relieved by the 12th Battalion and moved to Wulverghem Camp as a reserve Battalion and were engaged in working parties.

It was here, 7 days later, that Arthur suffered from Trench Feet & Hands and was admitted into the 1st Australian Casualty Clearing Station at Blendecques and then transferred to the 2nd Australian Casualty Clearing Station at Trois Arbres, near Bailleul.

On the 23rd he was transferred by Ambulance Train and admitted into the 56th General Hospital in Etaples.
Arthur was then evacuated to England and admitted into the Whipps Cross Hospital in Leytonstone and then transferred to the 1st Southern General Hospital in Birmingham.
He spent just over 2 weeks here before he was discharged to the 1st Australian Auxiliary Hospital in Harefield on the 15th of February.

Three days later he was discharged to 2 weeks leave and then reported to No.1 Command Depot in Sutton Veny.
On the 12th of April Arthur suffered from Nephritis and was admitted into the Military Hospital in Sutton Veny for 6 weeks.
He was discharged back to No.1 Command Depot on the 23rd of May and medically classified as B1A3 (fit for overseas training camp in two to three weeks).
Arthur then went AWOL for 1 day on the 4th of June as was awarded 2 days Field Punishment No.2.

He was transferred to the Overseas Training Brigade in Longbridge Deverill, on the 19th of June and 2 days later he was posted to the 2nd Machine Gun Details at Parkhouse.
No sooner had Arthur arrived here he suffered from Influenza and was admitted into the Group Hospital for a few days.

Arthur proceeded back to France on the 12th of September and 6 days later he was taken on strength with the 1st Machine Gun Battalion, 2nd Machine Gun Company who was in the field near Halle.
They were relieved on the 26th and entrained from Tincourt to Mouflers and marched into their billets for training.
Their next move was into new billets at Longpre where they continued training until the 9th of November when they entrained for Hamelet via Guillaucourt and Ruisel, arriving at 3am on the 11th of November 1918.

They had only had a few hours sleep when they received orders to embus at 1pm to billets at Mazinghien. On arrival at Mazinghien at 5:30pm they received the news that the Armistice had been signed.

They then moved to Bohain, Prisches, Avernelles and by the end of November they had reached Beaurieux and they moved to Le Roux in December, where Arthur spent his last Christmas away from his family and friends.
On the 26th of January 1919 they moved to Pont de Loup and 3 days later Arthur marched out to the 1st AGBD in Le Havre for return to England.

Arthur embarked for England on the 3rd of February and after another 2 months he embarked on the 12th of April 1919 on board HT Suffolk and disembarked in Adelaide on the 31st of May.

He was discharged from the AIF on the 25th of June 1919 and awarded the 1914/15 Star, British War & Victory Medals.