COATS , Arnold Thomas
| Service Number: | 17407 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 20 October 1915 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | Army Medical Corps (AIF) |
| Born: | Upper Sturt, South Australia, 11 March 1885 |
| Home Town: | Hilton, City of West Torrens, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Shunter |
| Died: | 1950, cause of death not yet discovered, place of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
Barmera Cemetery, South Australia |
| Memorials: | Adelaide South Australian Railways WW1 & WW2 Honour Boards, District of Upper Sturt Methodist Church Honour Board, S.A. Railway Goods Dept. Mile End Roll of Honor, Upper Sturt and District Roll of Honour WW1 WW2 |
World War 1 Service
| 20 Oct 1915: | Enlisted | |
|---|---|---|
| 30 Sep 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1 | |
| 23 Jun 1917: | Involvement Private, 17407, Army Medical Corps (AIF), --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '23' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Borda embarkation_ship_number: A30 public_note: '' | |
| 23 Jun 1917: | Embarked Private, 17407, Army Medical Corps (AIF), HMAT Borda, Adelaide |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Heathfield High School
Arnold Thomas Coats was born on 11th of May 1885 in Upper Sturt. Arnold was the son of Thomas Coats and Clara Jane Coat and was the youngest of 8 children. Arnold had short dark brown hair and grey-blue eyes. He was of a healthy stature and weighed 71 kg. Before he enlisted, Arnold worked in the railway industry as a shunter. On the day he enlisted in Adelaide, Arnold was older than the average enlister at 31 ½ and was the average height being 1.7 m tall. Arnold was married to his loving wife Matilda who recently had their first baby Ralph. Previously, Arnold hadn’t been able to join the army due to poor teeth quality which could create an infection. The second attempt at joining the army his teeth were healthier, and he was accepted to the field ambulance division.
Arnold embarked from Adelaide on the 23rd of June in 1917, he then disembarked in Plymouth on the west Coast of England on the 25th of August 1917. Once prepared, Arnold was marched out to the field on the 13th of November 1917 as a field ambulance worker. Arnold was a very lucky man as he attained no serious injuries. He served in the war for several months catching the common cold four times. Each time, Thomas would bravely return to the field to help the wounded soldiers protect the people around them and their allies. Infection could make the smallest of cuts a disaster and it would easily spread through the soldiers on the field, so Arnold was eager to return to assist the soldiers with minor injuries.
After Arnold returned to Australia, he returned to his home in Upper Sturt and lived a quiet life at home. Arnold then moved to a house near the river Murray in Berri. Arnold raised one son Ralph, born in 1914 with Matilda at his side. Arnold died at the age of 65 in 1950 and was buried at Barmera Cemetery, in Berri. Ralph lived a very quiet life with less of an exciting life than his father. Ralph died at 82 in 1996 and was buried at the Barmera Cemetery with his mother and father.
Other sources:
https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Coat-96
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