Arthur William Symonds

Arthur William Symonds

Personal Information
Date of Birth	unknown "unknown" contains an extrinsic dash or other characters that are invalid for a date interpretation.
Place of Birth	Clare, South Australia
Death	9 Oct 1917
Place of Death	Broodseinde Ridge, Belgium
Age at Enlistment	39 years, 2 months
Description	5'8 ½" (1.74m) tall ; 144 lbs 65.317 kg ; fair complexion ; blue eyes ; fair hair
Occupation	Sleeper hewer
Religion	Roman Catholic
Address	Bedfordale, Western Australia
Next of Kin	Sister , Mrs Katherine Parks
Military Information
Reg Number	3473
Date of Enlistment	6 Aug 1915
Rank	Private
Unit/Formation	11th Battalion, 11th Reinforcement D Coy / 3rd Brigade, 1st Division
Date of Embarkation	2 Nov 1915 ‒ 26 Nov 1915
Ship Embarked On	HMAT A38 Ulysses
Fate	Died of Wounds received 9 Oct 1917 at Broodseinde Ridge.
Monument	Armadale War Memorial (Bedfordale panel) Bedfordale Roll of Honour Armadale and Districts Roll of Honour Menin Gate Memorial Australian War Memorial
Medals	1914-15 Star British War Medal Victory Medal

Pre War

Arthur Symonds was born in Clare, South Australia on 23 October 1876. He moved from Clare to the West Australian goldfields in or prior to 1896. Records about his time on the goldfields are scarce and limited to registration of several mining claims and newspaper accounts of disputed claims. It appears that Arthur never struck it rich on the goldfields as by 1915 he was working as a sleeper hewer in Bedfordale.

1916 Electoral Roll gives Arthur's address as Bedfordale, occupation sleeper hewer.

War Service

Arthur entered Blackboy Camp on 6 Aug 1915 and after preliminary training with the 21 Depot Battalion he was allocated to the 11th reinforcement draft for the 11th Battalion. On arrival in Egypt he undertook further training before being taken on strength by 3 Platoon, A Company 11th Battalion where he was allocated to 'D' Company on 2 Mar 1916 at Bir el Habieta. Arthur sailed with the battalion to Marseilles from Alexandria on the HMT Corsican, arriving there on 5 Apr 1916. The battalion spent three months in what was referred to as the 'Nursery Section' near Armentieres in Flanders.

Arthur's last letters home were dated June 1916. This corresponds with the battalion moving south in July 1916 to join the fierce fighting on the Somme, including action in Pozieres and Mouquet Farm. Prior to relocating, the 11th Battalion fought in the battle of the Menin Road on 20 September 1916.

Back home his sisters in Adelaide and family friends in Perth were writing to Base Records asking about his welfare. They had not received any notification about him being wounded or killed and were worried as his letters started being returned to them variously marked 'In Hospital', 'Unable to Trace' and 'Killed'.

Arthur's sister and next of kin, Katherine Parks asked her son, Captain Edward Joseph Parks, adjutant of the 16th Battalion to make enquiries with the adjutant of the 11th Battalion and also in London re the fate of her brother. Captain Park's enquiries revealed that Arthur was evacuated after the 'first Posieres stunt' and that his unit had no further record of him. Arthur's sister Katherine then asked the Red Cross in Adelaide to write to Base Records on her behalf. Finally on receipt of the envelopes stamped 'Unable to Trace', Base Records in Melbourne despatched a cable to AIF headquarters in London requesting Arthur's disappearance be investigated.

Eventually in May 1918 an enquiry was conducted in London to determine Arthur's fate. This enquiry found Arthur was reported wounded and missing on 9 October 1917 and that there was no evidence to show he was ever admitted to a Field Ambulance, Clearing Station, or Hospital in France. Eye witness accounts describe what they knew about Arthur's movements - that he was on Anzac Ridge, well behind enemy lines at Passchendaele and taken away by stretcher bearers. There was very heavy shelling at the time and one eye witness was not sure if it was possible to be taken away by stretcher.

This enquiry was unable to come to a finding about the fact that Arthur's last service payment was deposited in his bank account about 15 months before he was reported wounded.

Between his arrival in France and his death over a year later, Arthur's records are silent. The Initial entry on his records for 9 Oct 1917 was that Arthur was wounded and, later wounded and missing, and finally that he had Died of his Wounds.

In Arthur's Red Cross file held by the Australian War Memorial. 5163 Cpl E.J. Mullins of his platoon (3 Platoon A Coy) said

"...that Symonds was wounded on the night of 8th Oct. Near Anzac Ridge at Westhoek. We had just been relieved from the line and stayed the night at a pill box. Symonds was wounded in the knee and taken away by stretcher bearers...."

Another report, this one by 4652 Pte F. W. Baker says

"I knew him well...On the 9th October we were at Passchendaele holding the line. We made an attack, had been relieved, and gone out of the line when Symonds was hit by a stray shell. He was taken to the Dressing Station and died there."

"...Went to Egypt , and then with the 51st to France, in July, 1916. He and Frank Dowell were great friends."

• 

  Menin Gate Memorial Ypres 2015 photo
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  11th Battalion panel

Notes

Memorialised at YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL. Son of James and Catherine Symonds. Native of Clare, South Australia.

A Miss E Trotter write to Military Authorities in December 1916, asking after Arthur as she has not heard from him in 6 months and that she hasn't seen his name on any Casualty List. At this time Arthur was alive and with the 11th Battalion. His sister, and NOK Katherine Parks also wrote to them in Feb 1917 similarly asking after him, so Arthur was no correspondent. Another of his sisters also enquired after him on 23 Apr 1917. Katherine writes again on 28 May 1917 advising the authorities that through Capt Parks she had been advised that the Adjutant of the 11th Battalion had advised "Private Symonds was evacuated after the first Pozieres stint. No further record of him." The officer had made enquiries in England to no avail.

His sister, Maggie again wrote on 14 Jul 1917, seeking information as there has still been no contact, and Katherine again wrote on 20 Nov 1917 repeating the information that she had, and noting that all their letters are returned, stamped "Not with his unit". Miss Trotter wrote again on 19 Nov 1917.

The Red Cross became involved and advised that letters were now being returned marked "In hospital"; "Unable to trace"; and "Killed 28/8/16". As late as March 1918, the family were being told there was no official news.

In Mar 1918 the family was told that Arthur was said to be Wounded and Missing. On 24 Jun 1918 his NOK was finally aware that he has been declared to have died from his wounds. [Court of Enquiry 29 May 1918].

External Links

• AIF Project
• RSL Virtual War Memorial