Arthur Ford RITCHIE MM

RITCHIE, Arthur Ford

Service Number: 3449
Enlisted: 4 August 1915, Enlisted at Warwick Farm, NSW
Last Rank: Corporal
Last Unit: 45th Infantry Battalion (WW1)
Born: Leichhardt, New South Wales, Australia, 1894
Home Town: Summer Hill, Ashfield, New South Wales
Schooling: Not yet discovered
Occupation: Clerk
Died: Killed in Action, Australia, 28 November 1919
Cemetery: Rookwood Cemetery & Crematorium
Church of England Section, Row H, Grave 1457 Plaque in the Garden of Remembrance, NSW , Rookwood Necropolis, Rookwood, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Memorials: Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour
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World War 1 Service

4 Aug 1915: Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 3449, 45th Infantry Battalion (WW1), Enlisted at Warwick Farm, NSW
13 Oct 1915: Involvement Private, 3449, 13th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '11' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Port Lincoln embarkation_ship_number: A17 public_note: ''
13 Oct 1915: Embarked Private, 3449, 13th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Port Lincoln, Sydney
14 Aug 1916: Wounded AIF WW1, Lance Corporal, 3449, In the field
21 Jun 1917: Promoted AIF WW1, Lance Corporal, 45th Infantry Battalion (WW1)
5 May 1918: Promoted AIF WW1, Corporal, 45th Infantry Battalion (WW1)
16 Jul 1918: Honoured Military Medal, Dernancourt/Ancre, Citation reads: For bravery and devotion to duty during the operations near Dernacourt from the 1st to 5th April 1918. He showed extraordinary coolness and gallant leadership. Going through a barrage on the morning of the 5th April 1918,when his men became disoriganised he rallied them and led them cheering them up by singing ragtime songs. On the morning of the 3rd April 1918 he stood up in full view of the enemy and directed Trench Mortar fire on a number of Germans who were moving towards our line. This was done amidst a hail of M.G. bullets Commonwealth of Australia Gazette - 27 November 1918 on page 2263 at position 191 London Gazette - 16 July 1918 on page 8333 at position 58
8 Aug 1918: Wounded AIF WW1, Corporal, 3449, 45th Infantry Battalion (WW1), Wounded 2nd occasion. Gunshot wounds to the Left arm and left knee. Invalided to the UK on 15 August 1918
7 Jun 1919: Discharged AIF WW1, Corporal, 3449, 45th Infantry Battalion (WW1), Discharged in Sydney as medically unfit
28 Nov 1919: Involvement Corporal, 3449, 45th Infantry Battalion (WW1), --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 3449 awm_unit: 45 Battalion awm_rank: Corporal awm_died_date: 1919-11-28

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Biography contributed by Carol Foster

Son of Malcolm Hope Ritchie and Frances Ritchie of 13 Morris Street, Summer Hill, NSW

Medals: Military Medal, 1914-15 Star, British War Meda, Victory Medal

8 January 1919 - boarded HT Orsova for discharged in Australia