S5275
WAIT, Arthur Albert
| Service Number: | 4539 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 32nd Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Redbanks, Mallala , 1893 |
| Home Town: | Mallala, Mallala, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Motor Expert |
| Died: | 20 July 1950, cause of death not yet discovered, place of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
Centennial Park Cemetery, South Australia |
| Memorials: | Dublin War Memorial, Gawler Council Gawler Men Who Answered the Call WW1 Roll of Honor, Two Wells WW1 Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 25 Mar 1916: | Involvement Private, 4539, 27th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '15' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Shropshire embarkation_ship_number: A9 public_note: '' | |
|---|---|---|
| 25 Mar 1916: | Embarked Private, 4539, 27th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Shropshire, Adelaide | |
| 11 Nov 1918: | Involvement Private, 4539, 32nd Infantry Battalion |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Xavier Two Wells
Arthur Albert Wait was born 24th of April 1892, the son of Dorothy Wait and Thomas Wait. He was born in Port Gawler and moved to Redbanks Mallala, South Australia. On the 10th of January 1916, Wait was 23 years old when he enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force. He was described to have brown hair, a medium complexion and hazel eyes. He was 5 feet tall and weighed 70.7kg. Before he enlisted, he worked as a Mechanic. He embarked 25 March 1916 for the Middle East.
In July 1916 he was hospitalised with measles and once recovered rejoined his unit on 19 July. Wait proceeded to France at the start of the following month. Within weeks he was ill with bronchitis and was treated in French hospitals. He was diagnosed with Catarrh a complication from the bronchitis. He was diagnosed with a severe case of the mumps 9 November 1916 and was transferred to England for further treatment. Wait rejoined his unit 19 March 1917.
Wait was treated in hospital for 67 days from August 1917 due to an infection. He rejoined his battalion at the end of January but within days was back in hospital. He took leave in March and went to the UK for two weeks. However, he was only back with his unit a day before he returned to hospital with an infection, remaining there for 87 days. He was sent to the UK to No 2 Command Depot to convalesce with lighter duties. Wait returned to France 24 October 1918 to rejoin his unit
On the 14th of November 1916, Wait got bronchitis again and was treated in France. During WW1 on the 14th of November 1916 he was admitted to hospital in England, In his service file, the entry “Rejoined Unit ex sick” indicates that Wait had been temporarily separated from his unit while he was receiving medical treatment for an illness, after recovering and being decaled fit for duty, he re-entered the field and resumed normal service with the 32nd Battalion on the 2nd of November 1918.
Wait embarked for Australia 20 June 1919. He was discharged 4 August 1919. Arthur Albert Wait passed away on the 20th of July 1950.
He married a woman named Annie and had a child. Years later, his son wrote a formal letter seeking guidance on how to apply for the new ANZAC medal in Honor of his late father’s service, writing:
“ Would you please advise how to make formal application for the new ANZAC medal to which I think my late father Arthur Albert Wait would have been enlisted? He was private no. 4539, being ultimately discharged from the 32nd. I am his only son. Yours faithfully”
Arthur Albert Wait passed away on the 20th of July 1950 and is buried at Centennial Park Cemetery