ARBUTHNOT, Stephen John
| Service Number: | 876 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 1 December 1914, Bonnie Doon, Victoria |
| Last Rank: | Trooper |
| Last Unit: | 8th Light Horse Regiment |
| Born: | Bonnie Doon, Victoria, 21 August 1894 |
| Home Town: | Bonnie Doon, Mansfield, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Bonnie Doon State School |
| Occupation: | Grocer's assistant |
| Died: | Killed in Action, Gallipoli Peninsula, Canakkale Province, Turkey, Gallipoli, Dardanelles, Turkey, 7 August 1915, aged 20 years |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" Lone Pine Memorial, Gallipoli Peninsula, Canakkale Province, Turkey |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Bonnie Doon Lone Pine Memorial, Bonnie Doon War Memorial, Lone Pine Memorial to the Missing, Mansfield War Memorial Gates |
World War 1 Service
| 1 Dec 1914: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 876, Bonnie Doon, Victoria | |
|---|---|---|
| 7 May 1915: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 876, 8th Light Horse Regiment, Enlistment/Embarkation WW1, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '2' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Palermo embarkation_ship_number: A56 public_note: '' | |
| 7 May 1915: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 876, 8th Light Horse Regiment, HMAT Palermo, Melbourne | |
| 5 Aug 1915: | Involvement AIF WW1, Trooper, 876, 8th Light Horse Regiment, ANZAC / Gallipoli | |
| 7 Aug 1915: |
Involvement
AIF WW1, Trooper, 876, 8th Light Horse Regiment, The August Offensive - Lone Pine, Suvla Bay, Sari Bair, The Nek and Hill 60 - Gallipoli, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 876 awm_unit: 8 Light Horse Regiment awm_rank: Trooper awm_died_date: 1915-08-07 |
Trooper Stephen John Arbuthnot
From Peter Barnes, Australia and NZ in WWI
The photograph is of Trooper Stephen John Arbuthnot, 8th Light Horse Regiment. He was from Bonnie Doon, Victoria.
He was killed in action on the Gallipoli Peninsula on the 7th of August 1915, at the age of 21. He landed at Gallipoli on the 5th of August 1915 and was killed two days later during the charge at The Nek. He has no known grave.
The charge at The Nek, on the 7th of August 1915, the day Trooper Stephen Arbuthnot died, the Australians were met with a torrent of gunfire. The charge was one of the tragedies of WW1.
The attack was made against a small section of the Turkish line at Gallipoli. Through an error in timing, the preliminary bombardment of the enemy lines ceased seven minutes before the assault, allowing the Turks plenty of time to prepare for the Australians.
Of the 600 Australians from the 3rd Light Horse Brigade who took part in the attack, there were 372 casualties. The 8th Light Horse Regiment charged with 300 men and 234 became casualties and 154 were killed, including Trooper Stephen Arbuthnot. 138 out of the 300 men from the 10th Light Horse Regiment became casualties, of whom 80 were killed. Information for Turk losses vary, with none being killed to eight dead.
When Australian Commonwealth burial parties returned to the peninsula in 1919 after the war's end, the bones of the dead Light Horsemen were still lying thickly on the small piece of ground.
The Nek Cemetery now covers most of no-man's land of the tiny battlefield, and contains the remains of 316 Australian soldiers, most of whom fell during the 7th of August attack, of whom only five could be identified.
The action is best known through its depiction in the film Gallipoli (1981). Photograph came from the Australian War Memorial (AWM) and information came from Wikipedia and the AWM.
Submitted 13 April 2019 by Evan Evans
Biography contributed by Elizabeth Allen
Stephen John ARBUTHNOT was born in 1894 in Bonnie Doon, Victoria
His parents were Michael ARBUTHNOT and Annie REDFERN
Biography contributed by Houssam Arbid
Stephen John Arbuthnot was the second son of Michael and Annie (Redfern) Arbuthnot, and was born on the 21st of August 1894, in Bonnie Doon, Victoria, Australia. Michael and Annie had 9 children including Stephen (Eliza (Elizabeth) Mary, George James, Matilda, William Michael (died as a child), Dorothea (Dorothy) Frances (McConnell), Kathleen Helen, Mary Elizabeth (Mutton) and William). Michael and Annie were grocers in Bonnie Doon, however prior to his enlistment, Stephen was grocer's assistant and a labourer. They lived on a farm called "Ancona", via Marton. He was raised in the Roman Catholic faith and attended Bonnie Doon State School.
Arbuthnot had a fair complexion and fair hair. He had blue eyes, and he was 5 foot and 9 inches. Arbuthnot looked like his father. Arbuthnot was 20 years old when he enlisted and, at the time, was in good health and had never been convicted of a crime.
Arbuthnot enlisted into the Australian Imperial Force on the 1st December, 1914 and given the service number 876. Enrolled as a Private in the 8th Light Horse Regiment. On the 7th May, 1915 Arbuthnot left Melbourne on the "Polermo" for the Front.
Arbuthnot had at least two relatives also involved in the War, a cousin named James (enlisted 26/8/1914 - Born 12/5/1891) and an uncle John (enlisted 23/9/1915 - Born 15/8/1886). Both relatives survived the war, but Arbuthnot did not.
Arbuthnot landed at the Gallipoli Peninsula, Turkey, on the 5th August, 1915, and was killed two days later during the charge at The Nek, along with 465 other members of his unit. He was only involved in the war for 3 months.
His mother's family have planted a pine tree to commemorate his life and service. This tree was propergated from the original Lone Pine of Gallipoli and is located in Bonnie Doon.
Arbuthnot's family received a Victory Medal for his service.
Click images to start slideshow.