Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Archibald Stanley Muirhead was a South Australian soldier enlisted to the military on the 19th of August 1915 to the 9th Light Horse Regiment.

Muirhead was born in Magill and raised in Campbelltown. In 1894, he was born into a family of 6 which included his parents, himself and 3 other siblings. At the age of 23, Muirhead was 5 feet and nine inches and had brown hair and blue eyes. He was also a natural born British subject (Australian). This was his second enlistment as he was deemed unfit to join the army before. Once a Shoeing Smith before the war, Muirhead went from working to make shoes for horses to being enlisted to the front lines.

On the 19th of August 1915, Muirhead was enlisting into the army. Muirhead did not have any problems with his body as he passed all the examinations and tests.

Created in Australia and trained in Melbourne, On the 11th of February 1915, the 9th Light Horse Regiment used the ships HMAT A10 Karoo and the HMAT A26 Armadale. The HMAT A10 Karoo was the first ship used to enter Gallipoli for the unit. The regiment was said to support but they did not have the company of their horses. It is assumed that Muirhead was taken/reunited with the 9th Light Horse Regiment a little after the 16th of September 1915 on the HMAT Geelong A2.

In March of 1916, the 9th Light Horse Regiment was sent to follow up turkeys' retreat over the desert in Egypt. In August the unit was a part of defending the Suez Canal which led to the defeat of the Ottoman. For the few months that followed, the unit was a part of an allied advance over the Sinai leading to the fall of Bir el Mazar.

In December the advance of the 9th Light Horse Regiment led them to the Palestine frontier, in which the unit helped fight to secure the Turkish outposts. Around this time Muirhead was in hospital for a period of 4 days. This led to the 19th of December 1916, when he was back to duty.

On the 7th of November 1917, the Turkish position in the south of the Philistines started to collapse. This led into the British operations in which they were sent to Jordan Valley.

The unit was in pursuit which led to the capture of Jerusalem in December 1917.

Early May 1918, the 9th Light Horse Regiment was a part of the Es Salt raid. The raid was a failure, and it alerted the Turkish about their advance through Jordan Valley. Their target was Amman. Around this time Muirhead was sent to do some physical training. On the 19 of September 1918, the units a part of this operation progressed into the terrain to battle the Turkish. On the 31 of October the Turkish surrendered.

The 9th Light Horse Regiment was called to stay back a bit longer to restore order. After their final order, on the 10th of July 1919, the 9th Light Horse Regiment set sail towards Australia where they were later disbanded.

Muirhead survived the war but what he did after is unknown. Muirhead died on the 7th of March 1926, and he was buried at AIF Cemetery (Row 8 East, Grave 17), West Terrace, Adelaide, South Australia.