HANCOCK, Arthur James
| Service Number: | 2793 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 34th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Not yet discovered |
| Home Town: | Not yet discovered |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Not yet discovered |
| Memorials: |
World War 1 Service
| 25 Nov 1916: | Involvement Private, 2793, 34th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '17' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Beltana embarkation_ship_number: A72 public_note: '' | |
|---|---|---|
| 25 Nov 1916: | Embarked Private, 2793, 34th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Beltana, Sydney |
Our Family ANZACS - A J Hancock
Arthur James Hancock
Enlisted 10 November 1916 - 34th Infantry Battalion – No 2793
Arthur was the only one of six brothers to serve in the First World War. He enlisted at the age of 26 at Rutherford and was assigned to the 34th Battalion of the 3rd Division. Arthur was a cousin to the Lattimore boys and the only cousin to still live in the old family area on the Williams River, near Dungog.
He enlisted on the very same day as his cousin Roy Lattimore but as they enlisted at different places and into different Battalions, it was probably mere coincidence.
The 5 foot 6 inches, brown haired and brown eyed Arthur left Sydney on 25 November 1916 on board the Beltana and arrived in England for training before going to France in June 1917. Arthur arrived in time to take part in the Battle of Messines and he managed to avoid the severe gas bombardment.
Following the successful Battle of Broodseinde Ridge in October 1917 the 34th Battalion took part in other fighting around Passchendaele. Arthur served a time as a runner carrying messages, often under fire. That battle was a failure for the Australians and the Battalion suffered a casualty rate of 50%. Arthur was promoted to Lance Corporal in November (likely as a replacement for someone killed or wounded).
The 3rd Division led the Australian forces in the Battle of Amiens starting on 8 August 1918 and Arthur managed to survive unscathed until 31 August when he was shot in both the right thigh and left arm. He was evacuated by ambulance to the 12th General Hospital in Rouen.
His parents received a telegram saying that the wounds were severe and that he was being sent to the Southwark Military Hospital in London. Another telegram later advised them that Arthur was now progressing favourably.
The 34th Battalion had a nominal strength of 1,000 men or so, with recruits arriving periodically to replace casualties. By the end of the war in November 1918 the Battalion had cumulative casualties of 481 killed and 1,727 wounded or gassed.
The losses by August 1918 were so great that the Australian Prime Minister, Billy Hughes, had the 34th and other Battalions pulled out and rested. They were to take no further part in the war which finished in November 1918. In December 1918 Arthur was invalided back to Australia on the Karoola, arriving on 1 February 1919.
Arthur married Hilda Bertero in 1922 and lived until 1973 when he was 83.
Glen O'Connor 2015
Submitted 9 January 2015 by Glendon O'Connor