Max Kenneth Dick ARKELL MID

ARKELL, Max Kenneth Dick

Service Number: 341
Enlisted: 8 July 1915, RANR; Naval trainee at Newcastle.
Last Rank: Lance Sergeant
Last Unit: 30th Infantry Battalion
Born: Rockdale, New South Wales, Australia, 13 January 1887
Home Town: Newcastle, Hunter Region, New South Wales
Schooling: Cook's Hill Public School, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia
Occupation: Clerk
Died: Wounds, 55th Casualty Clearing Station, France, 28 August 1918, aged 31 years
Cemetery: Daours Communal Cemetery Extension, France
Plot VII, Row B, Grave 21
Memorials: Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Newcastle East Roll of Honour, Newcastle High School Honour Roll, Newcastle Hunter District Water Supply & Sewerage Board Roll of Honour, Newcastle Surf Club Life Saving Brigade Honor Roll
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World War 1 Service

8 Jul 1915: Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 341, 30th Infantry Battalion, RANR; Naval trainee at Newcastle.
9 Nov 1915: Involvement Private, 341, 30th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '16' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Beltana embarkation_ship_number: A72 public_note: ''
9 Nov 1915: Embarked Private, 341, 30th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Beltana, Sydney
17 Jul 1916: Wounded AIF WW1, Private, 341, 30th Infantry Battalion, GSW/SW to back
1 Mar 1917: Promoted AIF WW1, Corporal, 30th Infantry Battalion
4 Oct 1917: Honoured Mention in Dispatches, Gallant conduct November 23rd to December 12th, 1916. He guided a lost unit to their right lines whilst acting as runner and also brought three prisoners in singlehanded.
8 Aug 1918: Promoted AIF WW1, Lance Sergeant, 30th Infantry Battalion
28 Aug 1918: Involvement 341, 30th Infantry Battalion, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 341 awm_unit: 30th Australian Infantry Battalion awm_rank: Lance Sergeant awm_died_date: 1918-08-28

Help us honour Max Kenneth Dick Arkell's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.

Biography contributed by Evan Evans

From Gary Mitchell, Sandgate Cemetery
 
2 Fallen Brothers of The Great War awaiting memorialisation at Sandgate Cemetery, have they been forgotten?

103 years ago today, on the 28th August 1918, Lance Sergeant Max Kenneth Dick Arkell (M.I.D.), 30th Battalion (Reg No-341), junior clerk (stenographer, Accounts Branch at the Hunter District Water Supply and Sewerage Board Head Office), from 13 Scott Street, Newcastle, New South Wales, Died of Wounds received at Amiens, age 21 years 7 months.

http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article137969386 - report that the Arkell brothers at presentation hosted by the Newcastle Rugby Union Football Club.

Admitted to hospital 21.5.1917 (scabies), 31.3.1918 (not stated), accidently injured 22.6.1918 (sprained ankle), and wounded in action - 17.7.1916 (GSW and shrapnel, back, Fromelles), 27.8.1918 (GSW right knee, right arm and left leg at Amiens), Max is resting at Daours Communal Cemetery Extension, France. Plot VII Row B Grave 21.

Mentioned in Despatches - Awarded, and promulgated, 'London Gazette', second Supplement, No. 30107 (1 June 1917); 'Commonwealth Gazette' No. 169 (4 October 1917). Recommendation date: 9 March 1917.

Mentioned in Despatches for gallant conduct. He guided a lost unit to their right lines whilst acting as runner and also brought three prisoners in singlehanded.

Mr. Arkell’s name has been inscribed on the Newcastle East Public School Roll of Honour, The Hunter District Water Supply and Sewerage Board Roll of Honour (photo courtesy of Ed Tonks, OAM, unveiled on the 28th September 1915, 4 names originally inscribed, 30 names now inscribed, 5 Fallen), Newcastle High School Honour Roll, Newcastle Surf Club & Life-Saving Brigade Honor Roll, and the Book of Gold. Name not inscribed on the Cooks Hill Superior Public School Roll of Honour.

Older brother Eric Charles Douglas (born 1894, 30th Battalion, Reg No-340, KIA 20.7.1916, Battle of Fromelles, age 21) awaiting memorialisation same location.

Both brothers reared by their grandmother Eliza Dick (Grace Darling of Australia, 1863, died 1918, from 13 Scott Street, Newcastle, New South Wales, sleeping here ).

Well known in the swimming and surfing community.
Brothers Max and Eric Charles enlisted same day, consecutive regimental numbers.

There is no memorial inscription on the family’s headstone to tell us of the supreme sacrifice of these 2 brothers during The Great War, so November 2015 I placed 2 memorial crosses adorned with poppies on the gravesite, taken a photo of the memorialised grave and uploaded the photo onto the Northern Cemetery website as a permanent record of their service.

Lest We Forget.

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Biography contributed by Evan Evans