MACULLY, Arnold Alexander
| Service Number: | 5689 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 7 August 1915, Adelaide, South Australia |
| Last Rank: | Gunner |
| Last Unit: | 14th Field Artillery Brigade |
| Born: | Adelaide, South Australia, 16 July 1894 |
| Home Town: | Brighton, Holdfast Bay, South Australia |
| Schooling: | St Peter's College, Adelaide |
| Occupation: | Farmer |
| Died: | Died of wounds, Tremont, France, 23 October 1918, aged 24 years |
| Cemetery: |
Premont British Cemetery Plot I, Row A, Grave No. 7 , Premont British Cemetery, Bohain-en-Vermandois, Picardie, France |
| Memorials: | Adelaide National War Memorial, Adelaide Rowing Club WW1 Pictorial Honour Board, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Brighton Arch of Remembrance, Brighton WW1 Roll of Honour, Hackney St Peter's College Fallen Honour Board |
World War 1 Service
| 7 Aug 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 5689, Adelaide, South Australia | |
|---|---|---|
| 11 Oct 1915: | Involvement AIF WW1, Gunner, 5689, 3rd Field Artillery Brigade , Enlistment/Embarkation WW1, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '3' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Nestor embarkation_ship_number: A71 public_note: '' | |
| 11 Oct 1915: | Embarked AIF WW1, Gunner, 5689, 3rd Field Artillery Brigade , HMAT Nestor, Melbourne | |
| 8 Aug 1918: | Involvement AIF WW1, Gunner, 5689, 14th Field Artillery Brigade , "The Last Hundred Days" | |
| 28 Sep 1918: | Involvement AIF WW1, Gunner, 5689, 14th Field Artillery Brigade , Breaching the Hindenburg Line - Cambrai / St Quentin Canal | |
| Date unknown: | Involvement 5689, 54th Infantry Battalion |
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Surname mis-spelled McCully on the Embarkation Roll (static.awm.gov.au)
This information courtesy of the Adelaide Rowing Club records.
Studio portrait of 5689 Gunner Arnold Alexander Macully, 3rd Field Artillery Brigade who was a 21 year old farmer from Brighton, South Australia when he enlisted on 7 August 1915.
From the book Fallen Saints - Arnold Alexander Macully of ‘Dunluce’ at Brighton South Australia was born in Adelaide and during his time at the Collegiate School of St Peter served five years in the cadets. After leaving school Arnold took up farming and at the time of enlistment on 7 August 1915 was serving as a sergeant in the 22nd Light Horse, Citizens Force.
On 11 October, Gunner Macully sailed from Melbourne aboard HMAT Nestor with the 11th quota of reinforcements for the 3rd Field Artillery Brigade. After reaching Cairo in November was taken on the strength of the 1st Divisional Ammunition Column and posted to Number 2 Section.
On 16 March, he was admitted to hospital with a head injury and remained there until discharged to the Overseas Base at Zeitoun at the end of the month.
At the beginning of April, he reported for duty with the 1st Division Ammunition Column and upon being posted to 57 Battery at Ferry Post remustered to Driver. He obviously enjoyed being on leave for he was twice charged for being absent without leave during his lead up training. He proceeded to France on 18 September 1916 and joined the Australian Base Depot at Étaples, France two days later.
On 7 November he was transferred to 5th Division Artillery and then to the 54th Battery, 14th Brigade Australian Field Artillery on 3 December. After enjoying a period of approved leave in England 21 January -8 February 1918 he returned to his unit and attended a signallers course at the divisions signal school. Suffering with trench fever, he was taken to the 61st Casualty Clearing Station on 9 May and admitted to 12 General Hospital, Rouen for rest and treatment and after rejoining his battery in the field on 10 July, he was remustered to Gunner at his own request.
Gunner Arnold Macully was wounded in action on 22 October evacuated to the 55th Casualty Clearing Station and died there the next day; he was 24 years of age.
In a letter to the School Magazine dated 24 September 1917, William Riley (OS) mentioned Arnold and a number of old blues he had seen during that month.
We have just come out of the line, my pal Fearn still with me. We are attached to 13th Field Artillery Brigade, but am expecting to get back to the 5th Division. We had a very lively time up in Belgium, and was not sorry to leave there. Have run across several old boys – Jack Murray, Keith Catchlove, Arnold McCully, (sic) Jack LeMessurier, and several others, all looking very well. [i]
Reports and witness statements [ii]
In a letter to the Red Cross dated 22 November 1918, Reverend James P Fleming stated Arnold Macully was admitted to No 55 Casualty Clearing Station on 23 October 1918 suffering from gunshot wounds to his left leg and thigh. Reverend Fleming who worked in the CCS also stated Arnold had died on the day of admission and was buried in the British Cemetery Premont near Bohain the next day.
Driver John Saunders when interviewed in late December 1918 said Macully was a single, aged about 20 and was in the 54th Battery. ‘I first met him about the middle of April when I joined the Battery near Bonnay. He was the only man of that name in the Battery. I did not see him killed but from 200 yards away I saw the shell burst which caused his death. It happened at dusk one evening late in October. He was in his dug out in the wagon lines when hit, and badly wounded in the left thigh and side. I and my mate, Driver John Edwards, who was with this unit when I left it on 7th December last went up to him, picked him up and placed him on the stretcher and carried him to an Ambulance by the road - side. He was quite conscious and chatted to us cheerfully telling us how to apply the Field Dressing. He was then taken away and I learnt some days afterwards that he had died. I do not know where his death occurred. Two other men were killed and 12 others wounded by the same shell.’
Shortly before he was wounded, Arnold Macully had been recommended to attend officer training in England with a view to being commissioned in the Artillery.
[i] St Peter’s School Magazine - W K Thomas & Co, Adelaide, December 1917, p. 48
[ii] Australian War Memorial, Red Cross Wounded and Missing Enquiry Bureau files - Arnold Alexander Macully / 1900602, viewed 21 January 2006
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