Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

From François Berthout

2nd Lt Arthur Archibald Cameron,
9th Australian Infantry Battalion,
3rd Brigade, 1st Australian Division
 
Today, under a new winter sun which spreads its rays through the red fields of poppies of the Somme, stand silent and solemn, thousands of young men who, more than a hundred years ago, in the mud and the blood of the trenches gave their youth under the howls of the shells and which, side by side, united in a common front, went over the top with bravery in the name of peace and freedom and under the fire of the machine guns, in the barbed wire, a whole generation of heroes were mowed down in the flower of their lives. Brave and resolute, they fought the good fight and for their country, for France, they paid the supreme sacrifice so that we can have a better tomorrow, a tomorrow in which I would put my heart so that the memory of these young men live forever watching over them so that they are never forgotten, so that their courage inspires us and that their names, their faces, in the flame of remembrance and in our hearts can live forever.

Today, it is with the deepest respect and infinite gratitude that I would like to honor the memory of one of these men, one of my boys of the Somme who gave his today for our tomorrow. I would like to pay a very respectful tribute to Second Lieutenant Arthur Archibald Cameron who fought in the 9th Australian Infantry Battalion, 3rd Brigade, 1st Australian Division, and who was killed in action 106 years ago, on February 26, 1917 at the age of 40 on the Somme front.

Arthur Archibald Cameron was born in 1877 in Allora, Queensland, Australia,had a brother,William Alexander (1873-1914), and was the son of Alexander Cameron (1839-1882) and Esther Ann Cameron (née Johnston,1846-1944). He was educated at the Normal School, Brisbane, Queensland and after graduation, worked as a compositor and married Elizabeth Cameron (née Taylor,1882-1952), of "Radnor", O'Keefe Street, South Brisbane with whom he had three sons, John Alexander, Arthur Bruce and Keith Johnston and lived at "Cameron House", Darling Downs, Allora. Before the outbreak of the war, Arthur known military life and fought for a year and 96 days in the Boer War.

Arthur enlisted on April 1, 1916 as a Second Lieutenant in the 14th Light Horse Regiment, A Squadron, but was soon transferred to the 9th Australian Infantry Battalion which was nicknamed "The Guards Of Queensland" and "The Fighting Ninth" and whose motto was " Pro Aris Et Focis" (For God And Our Homes), under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Harry Lee. After a short period of one month of training, Arthur embarked with his unit from Sydney, New South Wales, on board HMAT A72 Beltana on May 13,1916 and sailed for England.

On July 10, 1916, Arthur was disembarked in England where he joined the AIF Headquarters Depot with which he remained until January 13, 1917, when he proceeded overseas to France and was disembarked at Etaples the next day then marched out to battalion on February 4, was taken on strength in the 9th Battalion on February 8 at Albert, on the Somme front where he supervised the training of his men until February 20, then the next day, alongside his comrades, he marched for Bazentin-Le-Petit where they relieved the 11th Australian Infantry Battalion on 22 February and joined the front line at Le Barque, near Bapaume the following day then occupied the "Bank Trench", "Oat Lane", and "Wheat trench" on February 25 under heavy fire from the German artillery but also from snipers and very active machine guns in this sector where unfortunately, after only three days in the trenches, Arthur met his fate and was killed in action by a shell on February 26, 1917, he was 40 years old.
At first Arthur was reported missing as his body was not immediately found until the men of the 11th Australian Infantry Battalion relieved the 9th Battalion and found Arthur's body which was buried by Sergeant Black and Corporal Buxton.

Today, Second Lieutenant Arthur Archibald Cameron rests in peace alongside his men, comrades and brothers in arms at AIF Burial Ground, Flers, Somme, and his grave bears the following inscription: "Such was he, his work is done, let his great example stand."

Arthur, Sir, you who bravely answered the call of duty under the flag and colors of Australia and who, alongside your men, joined the battlefields of the Somme where you fought and gave your life, I would like today to express to you my gratitude, my respect, my admiration that I feel for you and all your brothers in arms who served proudly and valiantly on the sacred soils of the north of France on which the poppies grow and which remind us of the sacrifices of a whole generation of men who, in trenches and barbed wire, under skies torn by shells and flames, shed their blood in the name of peace and freedom for which they gathered and for which they charged with determination and conviction through the hellfire of no man's land in screams and fury, bayonets forward in the face of enemy machine guns and rifles that decimated whole waves of heroes who did their duty without ever backing down who, alongside their mates, their brothers and fathers, in tears and pain , gave their lives for the hopes of a better world.United and guided by the spirit of ANZAC, a spirit of camaraderie, loyalty, honour, gallantry and sacrifice, they stood as brave as lions in the darkest hours of history in a war that marked the beginning of the bloodiest century in history but despite the horrors they went through and saw, they remained united and strong behind a sense of humor that defined the Diggers who served throughout the campaign of the Somme and the price of each step forward, for the freedom of France, was paid in the sacrifice and in the blood which was shed in Pozieres, Flers, Gueudecourt, Bazentin, Amiens, Villers-Bretonneux, towns which carry on their walls, the traces of the war but also the bravery and the remembrance of the Australian soldiers in a few words written in gold letters on the schools and which evoke in me the pride which I feel for these young boys, my boys of the Somme, words that are also engraved in my heart "Do not forget Australia".More than a hundred years have passed and the trenches, still visible, have become silent under the poppies, the machine guns, the mournful howls of artillery have disappeared to make way for peace and silence but the men who fought and fell here, will never be forgotten, they always stand proud and tall, always smiling and courageous, watching over the lands that are now theirs and for which they gave their lives far from home but after the sufferings they endured and the death which was a step that many took, they found, in the peaceful and flowery fields of the Somme, the serenity and peace of their last resting place and will always be loved by the French people, they will always be considered with love and respect as our sons over whom I would always watch with gratitude and dignity so that their lives never stop. I will keep their memories strong and alive, their stories, the stories of men who, in the face of adversity, united in camaraderie and brotherhood and fought together in common causes so that today we may live in peace and for all this, I would give them my today, my everyday so that their names live forever.Thank you so much Arthur,for everything. At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember him,we will remember them.