ATWELL, Reuben
| Service Number: | 1788 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 40th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Nook, Sheffield, Tasmania, Australia , 1891 |
| Home Town: | Devonport, Devonport, Tasmania |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Farmer and Carpenter |
| Died: | Killed in Action, France, 17 February 1917 |
| Cemetery: |
Cite Bonjean Military Cemetery, Armentieres III E 26 |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Devonport Cenotaph, East Devonport St Paul's Honour Roll |
World War 1 Service
| 8 Aug 1916: | Involvement Private, 1788, 40th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '18' embarkation_place: Hobart embarkation_ship: HMAT Ballarat embarkation_ship_number: A70 public_note: '' | |
|---|---|---|
| 8 Aug 1916: | Embarked Private, 1788, 40th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Ballarat, Hobart |
Reuben Atwell
Reuben Atwell was born on 12 October 1889. He was the tenth born child and sixth born son of William Atwell and Ann (Smallbon ) Atwell. William and Ann married in Port Sorell on 18 January 1868. Ann was 16 years old and William 33 years old. Originally born in Middlesex England, Wiliam was a farmer and passed away in 1898. At the time of his enlistment Reuben’s mother was a resident at an invalid home in Launceston.
In 1902 when he was 13 years old Reuben had some dealings with the law when he was accused of stealing 9 dozen rabbit skins from a property at Nook. Fortunately for Reuben the case was dismissed. From newspaper accounts it appears he participated in wood chopping events.
Reuben departed by train from Devonport on 15 May 1916. Also on the train was Lemuel Stevenson who was killed on 28 January 1918.
His service history is relatively sparse with little detail of injury etc, before he was killed in France.
Submitted 21 June 2025 by Vicki Purnell
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