HAMILTON, Arthur
| Service Number: | 2783 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 1 June 1915, Keswick, South Australia |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 52nd Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Bowden, South Australia, 23 June 1896 |
| Home Town: | Adelaide, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Moonta Mines School |
| Occupation: | Labourer |
| Died: | Killed in Action, Belgium, 22 October 1916, aged 20 years |
| Cemetery: |
Chester Farm Cemetery, Ypres, Flanders, Belgium Plot 2, Row E, Grave 14 |
| Memorials: | Adelaide National War Memorial, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour |
World War 1 Service
| 1 Jun 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 2783, Keswick, South Australia | |
|---|---|---|
| 21 Sep 1915: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 2783, 12th Infantry Battalion, Enlistment/Embarkation WW1, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '10' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Star of England embarkation_ship_number: A15 public_note: '' | |
| 21 Sep 1915: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 2783, 12th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Star of England, Adelaide | |
| 22 Oct 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 2783, 52nd Infantry Battalion, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 2783 awm_unit: 52nd Australian Infantry Battalion awm_rank: Private awm_died_date: 1916-10-22 |
Headstone
"Loved in life, Honoured in Death, Cherished in Sweet Remembrance"
Submitted 9 August 2016 by Stuart Hamilton
Biography contributed by Trinity College
Arthur Hamilton (2783) was born on the 23rd of June 1896 in Bowden, South Australia. He was the eldest and loving son of Mr Donald Bath Hamilton and Mrs Amelia Elizabeth Hamilton of 5 Henley St Torrensville, South Australia.
At an early age Arthur excelled within his schooling, beginning and graduating at Moonta Mines School; approximately 165km northwest of the state capital of Adelaide. His boyhood was spent within the Moonta district with many friends and was loved by all who knew him. After completing his schooling at the age of 18, Arthur began working as a labourer within Adelaide.
On the 8th June 1915 at the age of 19, Arthur officially began his journey into the war where he swore to ‘truly serve [the] Sovereign Lord the King in the Australian Imperial Force… until the end of the War… unless sooner lawfully discharged, dismissed or removed.” (Further demonstrated in Figure 1.) Through service in the 12th Infantry Battalion, Arthur battled as a signaller in Egypt from 1915-1916 where he was promoted to a first-class signaller.
As a veteran, he was then recruited to the 52nd Infantry Battalion and fought in France and Flanders (1916-1918). The Battalion fought in its first major battle at Mouquet Farm on the 3rd September 1916.
The Battle of the Somme (1916) transformed everything for Arthur. British losses continued to grow and Arthur’s chances became slimmer and slimmer. As a signaller, Arthur operated the radio/telephone and relayed messages for field commanders at the front line. Within the war, Arthur was close to front-line troops and in constant danger due to significant enemy shelling. In a forward position, Arthur assisted fellow individuals with artillery and provided information on their enemy targets. In this constant position as a signaller, Arthur became vulnerable and isolated (shown in example 1.)
Arthur Hamilton was killed in action on the 22nd of October 1916, aged at only 20 years old.
A fellow soldier, he claimed:
‘At Ypres he was killed by a shell, in dug-out…He was taken out dead… [and] carried out and pioneers buried him.’
He was buried at Chester Farm Cemetery in West-Vlaanderen Belgium at Plot 2, Row E, Grave 14, along with 416 other casualties.
Processed 6 days later, Arthur’s ‘Casualty Form of Active Service’ was completed (illustrated in Figure 2)
Later, Arthurs’ parents were notified with a letter sent to their home address (Figure 3), where they were then further notified where Arthur had been buried. Their final words of remembrance to their first child read:
‘LOVED IN LIFE, HONOURED IN DEATH, CHERISHED IN SWEET REMEMBRANCE.’
Arthur Hamilton (1896-1916)
Bibliography:
RSL Virtual War Memorial | Arthur HAMILTON. 2017. RSL Virtual War Memorial | Arthur HAMILTON. [ONLINE] Available at: https://rslvirtualwarmemorial.org.au/explore/people/64588. [Accessed 23 September 2017].
Advanced Search | The Australian War Memorial. 2017. Advanced Search | The Australian War Memorial. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.awm.gov.au/advanced-search?query=12th%20infantry&military-events=true&facet_related_conflict_sort=8%3AFirst%20World%20War%2C%201914-1918&facet_related_units=12th%20Australian%20Infantry%20Battalion. [Accessed 23 September 2017].
AWM4 Subclass 23/29 - 12th Infantry Battalion | The Australian War Memorial. 2017. AWM4 Subclass 23/29 - 12th Infantry Battalion | The Australian War Memorial. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C1339172. [Accessed 23 September 2017].
Arthur Hamilton | South Australian Red Cross Information Bureau. 2017. Arthur Hamilton | South Australian Red Cross Information Bureau. [ONLINE] Available at: https://sarcib.ww1.collections.slsa.sa.gov.au/soldier/arthur-hamilton
Biography
"THE LATE SIGNALLER A. HAMILTON.
Mr. and Mrs. D Hamilton, of 94 Sturt street, Adelaide, have been informed of the death of their eldest son. Signaller Arthur Hamilton. He was killed in action in France on October 22. He spent some time in Egypt, and was promoted to a first-class signaller. He left for france five months ago. He was 20 years of age, and was educated at Moonta Mines school. His boyhood was spent in that district and he was loved by all who knew him." - from the Adelaide Chronicle 02 Dec 1916 (nla.gov.au)
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