BEARD, Arthur Earnest
| Service Number: | 281 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 24 August 1914 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 10th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Maryborough, Victoria, Australia, 1894 |
| Home Town: | Gawler, Gawler, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Steamer mate |
| Died: | Wodonga, Victoria, Australia, 29 June 1940, cause of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
Wodonga Cemetery, Victoria |
| Memorials: | Gawler Council Gawler Men Who Answered the Call WW1 Roll of Honor, Gawler Salvation Army Honour Roll |
World War 1 Service
| 24 Aug 1914: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 281, 10th Infantry Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 20 Oct 1914: | Involvement Private, 281, 10th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '10' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Ascanius embarkation_ship_number: A11 public_note: '' | |
| 20 Oct 1914: | Embarked Private, 281, 10th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Ascanius, Adelaide |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Adelaide Botanic High School
Arthur Earnest Beard was born around early May 1894 in Maryborough, Victoria, Australia. His known family consisted of his mother and father, Collyer Ann and George Beard, and his brother Victor Alexander Beard who served in WW1 and WW2. He was a steamer mate, and had 4 years of prior military experience in the militia. He was 20 years old at the age of enlistment and was described as having a fair complexion, with blue eyes and fair hair.
Beard was given the regiment number 281 and deployed into the 10th Battalion which was paired with the 9th, 11th, and 12th Battalions to create the 3rd Brigade. Before departing from Australia, Beard trained at Morphettville in September and early October, before departing on the A11 Ascanius. Upon disembarking in Alexandria, Beard would train more before fighting.
Beard travelled from Alexandria to the island of Lemnos to prepare for the Gallipoli landing. Beard was part of the Gallipoli landing force and stayed there for three months holding the Anzac advances. But on the 18th of July 1915, he was sent to hospital as he became sick. He arrived on the 28th of July and was admitted to St. Andrews hospital in Malta with bronchitis. He was later transferred to St Patricks hospital then transferred to St Georges hospital in Stamford. He was temporarily attached to duty at Administrative Headquarters 5th October 1916 the day after he married Jessie Bailey on the 4th of October 1916.
He was then promoted to Temporary Corporal on the 19th of August 1917. Around a year later on the 20th of August 1917, he was admitted to the 1st Australian Auxiliary Hospital for a medical board to see if he was still fit to serve. 2 days later he was discharged from the 2nd Auxiliary hospital to H.Q. for the medical board. He was likely assessed to have a disease of heart making him unfit for service, but before returning to Australia he was temporarily attached to administrative headquarters on the 5 of November. On the 20th of December, he marched out to the second command depot in Weymouth and a day later he embarked on the HMAT Persic A34 to return to Australia. Beard was later discharged on the 22nd of March 1918.
Little is known about Beards life after the war. He died on the 29th of June 1940 at the age of 46, the cause of death is unknown. He was buried at Wodonga Cemetery in Victoria.
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