RAY, Arthur William
| Service Number: | 3231 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 6 August 1915 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 59th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Sale, Victoria, Australia, 1888 |
| Home Town: | Sale, Gippsland, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Railway employee |
| Died: | Killed in Action, France, 19 July 1916 |
| Cemetery: |
New Irish Farm Cemetery Plot XXXI, Row F, Grave No 11 (Remains discovered and moved in 1921) |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Sale Baptist Church WWI Honour Roll, Sale Cenotaph |
World War 1 Service
| 6 Aug 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 3231, Depot Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 18 Nov 1915: | Involvement Private, 3231, 21st Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '13' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Wiltshire embarkation_ship_number: A18 public_note: '' | |
| 18 Nov 1915: | Embarked Private, 3231, 21st Infantry Battalion, HMAT Wiltshire, Melbourne | |
| 19 Jul 1916: | Involvement Private, 3231, 59th Infantry Battalion, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 3231 awm_unit: 59th Australian Infantry Battalion awm_rank: Private awm_died_date: 1916-07-19 | |
| 19 Jul 1916: | Involvement 59th Infantry Battalion, Fromelles (Fleurbaix) |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Stephen Brooks
Arthur William Ray was the second of three brothers who were killed during WW1. They were the sons of Nicholas and Elizabeth Ray of Sale, Victoria.
His brothers were 174 Tpr. Alexander Leslie Ray 4th Light Horse Regiment, killed in action at Gallipoli 16 September 1915, aged 24 and 1605 Pte. Herbert Ray 7th Battalion AIF, killed in action 20 August 1918, aged 33.
Arthur William Ray was transferred to and taken on strength of 59th Battalion in Egypt on 15 March 1916. He was posted missing, 19 July 1916.
At a Court of Enquiry, held in the field, 29 August 1917, he was pronounced as 'Killed in Action, 19 July 1916'. A handwritten note in his service file states he was presumed to be buried in No Man's Land.
Arthur’s remains were discovered, confirmed by the presence of his identity disc, during 1921. His remains were reinterred in New Irish Farm Cemetery St Jean-Les-Ypres, Belgium, which is about 45 kilometers from Fromelles. His father received the identity disc during May 1922.
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