Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Arthur Reginald Walsh was born in Ottawa in Canada on 16th June 1895. Before Arthur enlisted in World War I, he was a sailor living in Port Pirie South Australia. On Arthur’s records, it lists that he was single, but according to letters written to him when he was in the Australian Military forces, it shows that Arthur wasn’t single but that he desired to marry Kathleen May Hall, who was having his child. Arthur was a Roman Catholic and his next of kin was his brother Patrick Walsh, who lived in Broken Hill, NSW, Australia.

Arthur enlisted in World War I on 4th February 1917 when he was 21 years and 8 months old. He enlisted as a Private in the 10th Battalion, 24th Reinforcement. He was 5 feet and 6.5 inches tall, weighing 62.60 kg with a chest size between 33.5 and 35.5in. He had a dark complexion, with brown eyes and black hair. He had tattoos on both his forearms and his right arm and had 6 out of 6 sight in both eyes.

Arthur trained for war at Mitcham Training Camp in Adelaide, South Australia. He embarked from Adelaide for active service aboard the HMAT A30 Borda.

On 30th July 1917, during the trip to Plymouth, United Kingdom, Arthur was admitted to 20 days of isolation at sea because of an infection and came back to service on 18th August. On 25th August 1917 the HMAT A30 Borda disembarked at Plymouth, UK.

On 19th October 1917, Arthur was admitted to the Military Hospital in Sutton Veny, UK because of Influenza and after 11 days he was discharged back into training. He trained at Musketry School in Tidworth England, until 8th January 1918 when he marched in the 2nd training battalion, Sutton Veny, Tidworth, UK.

About a month later, Arthur went Absent Without Leave (A.W.L) from midnight 5th February to 10:30pm 6th February 1918, where he was severely reprimanded and had to forfeit one day’s pay. Almost a month later, on 2nd March 1918, he left Sutton Veny and proceeded overseas to France, via Southampton.

On 14th March 1918, after landing in France, Arthur and the 10th Battalion were taken on strength, in the field. According to the war diaries, between 11th and 24th March 1918, the 10th Battalion were in Battu HQ in the Creator Dugout. On 24th March, Arthur was wounded in action from gas from the German Spring Offensive and was admitted to the 1st Field Ambulance.

Three days later, because of his gas wound, he was transferred to the 7th General Hospital and on 3rd April 1918, he was transferred to the 7th Convalesce Depot in Boulogne, France. 3 days later, Arthur was discharged back to duty and 14 days later, re-joined his 10th Battalion.

On 6th April 1918, after Arthur was discharged from hospital back to duty, the 10th Battalion, along with other battalions, started moving. They left Boulogne and arrived at 12:25am at Caestre Station and 3 days later, on the 9th of April, went to Vingacourt then onto Rainneville and from Rainneville they travelled to Bivoue Position between Poulainville and Amiens, France.

Between the 10th and 12th May, the 10th Battalion were on the front lines in Hazebrouck, France with 3 soldiers wounded. Throughout the night of the 12th to 13th May, enemy planes raided Hazebrouck continuously for 3 hours.

The 10th Battalion moved on, and on the night of the 2nd to 3rd June, while in an attack in Merris France, Arthur was wounded for the second time, by being gassed. The total number of casualties in this attack were 2 dead soldiers and 9 wounded soldiers. After being hospitalised again, Arthur re-joined his unit in the field 2 days later. 10 days later, on 15th June 1918 he was admitted to the 2nd Field Ambulance with influenza. According to the 2nd field ambulance, there was an influenza outbreak towards the end of the month of June. Nearly 40-50 soldiers were off duty, and after about 2 weeks the outbreak of flu died out.

On 19th June, Arthur was transferred to the 58th CC Station, and a day later was transferred to the 4th General Hospital in Arques, France. 2 days later, on 22nd June, he was transferred to the 6th Convalesce Depot in Etaples, and after 3 days was discharged back to duty and 5 days after that, re-joined his unit in the field.

On 4thJuly, the enemy raided the Number 1 and 2 posts and ended up retiring after suffering several casualties themselves. Through the raid, the 10th Battalion suffered ten casualties - four soldiers were killed and six were wounded.

On 29th July preparations were made for the capture of Merris, France and the attack was launched at 12:15am, on the night of the 29th and 30th July. The 10th Battalion captured Merris with few casualties and Arthur was one of these, having been wounded in action with abrasions to his toes. He was transferred to the 3rd Field Ambulance and then the U.S.A General Hospital in Camiere, France. On 5th August he was transferred to the 6th Convalesce Depot in Estaples.

3 days later Arthur was transferred to Number 3 Employment Base and a day later, marched in to the A.I.B.D (Australian Intermediate Base Depot) at Havre. 7 days later, on 16th August, Arthur re-joined his unit, who were by then in Harbonnieres, France and 4 days later, on 20 August 1918, Arthur was promoted to Lance Corporal.

On 2nd September, Arthur was again wounded in action at Mont ST Quentin/Peronne, France where he was gassed and admitted to the 3rd Field Ambulance. A day later, he was transferred to the 5th General Hospital in Rouen and on 3rd September was invalided (removed from active service in the armed forces because of injury). Because of his gas shell wounds, he was returned to England on 7th September and was admitted to the War Hospital in Bath.

On 8th September, a day after he was brought to the War Hospital in Bath, Arthur was granted furlough (where he could leave the War, due to his injuries). He was to report to the No.1 Command Depot on 22 October 1918.

Arthur marched into O/S training brigade in Longbridge Deverill, England on November 7th, 1918 where he stayed until 10th January 1919, and was then admitted to 1st Birmingham War Hospital, UK, again because of influenza. 6 days later, he was transferred to the Australian General hospital in Sutton Veny, UK.

On 22 January 1919, Arthur was discharged from the Australian General Hospital and approximately a month later, he left England to return to Australia, on the Oroa. 5 days into the boat journey back to Australia, he was again admitted to hospital at sea because of appendicitis and was in hospital for approximately 9 days, before being discharged.

On 29th March 1919, the Oroa arrived and disembarked at Adelaide, South Australia and Arthur was discharged from the Australian Imperial Force (A.I.F ) in Adelaide.

It is unknown what Arthur did in his later life after World War I, but he died on 18th May 1971 in Adelaide, South Australia and his head stone is in Centennial Park Cemetery, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.

ANZAC Spirit

The simple meaning of the Anzac Spirit is helping Australia and the soldiers in it, no matter what the cost. It means showing patriotism, courage, mate ship and determination with closeness and loyalty and many more trustworthy and honest qualities that are shared feelings found among any group of ANZAC soldiers.

The meaning according to official war historian C.E.W. Bean is: “stood, and still stands, for reckless valour in a good cause, for enterprise, resourcefulness, fidelity, comradeship and endurance that will never own defeat." [1] Whatever the true definition of ANZAC Spirit is; I believe it is showing overall patriotism, courage, determination with strength, loyalty and trust, and these qualities were found in every ANZAC soldier in WW1.

Arthur Reginal Walsh showed his true ANZAC Spirit by his simple, but very brave task of signing the papers to enlist himself in World War I. This simple task meant that he understood what he was about to do but was still prepared to risk his life and fight for his country. Arthur, although he did not die, still enlisted, served and fought for his country which shows as much ANZAC Spirit, as any other soldier, whether they died or not.

The ANZAC Spirit that was found in Arthur was patriotism. When he stepped up and fought for his country even getting wounded several times. Courage, when in the 10th Battalion he fought on the front lines, planning many attacks, for example the attack on Merris or when he, with his 10th Battalion, managed to stop an attack on posts 1 and 2. His daily tasks of just being in the war which took strong courage and patriotism, which was shown in not just Arthur, but in every ANZAC soldier in WW1, and for which we should always remember – Lest we forget.

Bibliography

1.          National Archives of Australia n.d., Your Story our History - Record Search, Australian Government, accessed 22 February 2019, < https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/DetailsReports/ItemDetail.aspx?Barcode=8361232&isAv=N

2.          UNSW Australia n.d., The AIF project, Canberra, accessed 22 February 2019, https://www.aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=312267

3.          NAA: B2455, WALSH ARTHUR REGINALD n.d., accessed 22 February 2019, https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Gallery151/dist/JGalleryViewer.aspx?B=8361232&S=1&N=31&R=0#/SearchNRetrieve/NAAMedia/ShowImage.aspx?B=8361232&T=P&S=7

4.          Memorial Glossary - Australian War Memorial n.d., accessed 22 February 2019, https://www.awm.gov.au/learn/glossary/o 

5.          AWM4 26/45/33 - June 1918 - Australian Imperial Force unit war diaries, 1914-18 War n.d., accessed 22 February 2019, https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C1351906

6.          Virtual War Memorial n.d., accessed 9 March 2019, https://vwma.org.au/explore/people

7.          AWM4 23/27/29- March 1918 - Australian Imperial Force unit war diaries, 1914-18 War n.d., accessed 19 March2019,  https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C1341861

8.          AWM4 23/27/30 - April 1918 - Australian Imperial Force unit war diaries, 1914-18 War n.d., accessed 19 March2019, https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C1341863

9.          AWM4 23/27/31 - May 1918- Australian Imperial Force unit war diaries, 1914-18 War n.d., accessed 19 March2019, https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C1341864

10.       AWM4 23/27/33 - July 1918- Australian Imperial Force unit war diaries, 1914-18 War n.d., accessed 19 March2019, https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C1341866

11.       AWM4 23/27/34 - August 1918 - Australian Imperial Force unit war diaries, 1914-18 War n.d., accessed 19 March2019, https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C1355645

[1] Burke, A n.d., The Spirit of ANZAC, accessed 24 March 2019, https://anzacday.org.au/spirit-of-anzac