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Arthur Charles Grafham

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Personal Information
Date of Birth unknown
Place of Birth Sussex, England
Death 14 Feb 1972, aged 77
Place of Death Armadale, Western Australia
Age at Enlistment 21 years, 6 months
Description 5' 8½" (1.74m) tall; weight 157 lbs (71.2 kg); fresh complexion, brown eyes, light brown hair
Occupation carpenter
Religion Church of England
Address Armadale, Western Australia
Next of Kin Father Mr Hiram Grafham (died 28 Aug 1918)
Military Information
Reg Number 5330
Date of Enlistment 10 Feb 1916
Rank Sapper
Unit/Formation Sep 1916 Reinforcement 3rd Tunnelling Coy
Date of Embarkation 30 Sep 1916 - 2 Dec 1916
Ship Embarked On HMAT A23 Suffolk
Date of Return 1 Jun 1919 - 8 Jul 1919
Ship Returned On SS Somali
Fate Returned to Australia
Monument Armadale (West Armadale panel)
Armadale Congregational Church Honour Board
Medals British War Medal
Victory Medal


Pre War

Electoral Roll entries- 1916 a farmhand, PO Armadale, while his parents (father a plumber) live at "Wongong"

War Service

Initially a foundation member of B Company of the 44th Battalion, Arthur's carpentry skills resulted in him being transferred to Engineering reinforcements on 1 Apr 1916, and then sent to Seymour in Victoria for further training. There he was transferred on 1 Jul 1916 to the Miners Reinforcements before embarking for England at the end of the month.

Arriving in England, he was sent to France from Folkestone a month later on the HMT Arundel where he joined the 3rd Australian Tunnelling Company on 15 Jun 1917.

He was sick and away from his unit from 29 Apr 1918 till 11 Jun 1918, being treated first by 3rd Australian Field Ambulance, then the 34th Field Ambulance, the 22nd Casualty Clearing Station and the 39th General Hospital, Le Havre.

Discharged 5th Military District 25 Aug 1919.

"enlisted 10th February, 1916; was in the Engineers' Corps, when he went to the East, joined the Miners and Tunnellers, and sailed in the "Suffolk" to England, 10th October 1916."[1]


Post War

On 25 Aug 1920 he married Effie Estelle Waters. Effie died 27 Jan 1960 aged 58. Son (James Harold. 22 Sep1922 - 4 Aug 2009).

Electoral Roll entries - 1925 - 1949 c/- Post Office Armadale, farm hand; 1954 - 1958 Rowley road Armadale, farmhand; 1968 retired living in Forrest Road, Armadale, alone.

PEARL WEDDING. GRAFHAM

THE FAMILY of MR. and MRS. A. C. GRAFHAM, of Rowley-road. Armadale, wish to announce the celebration of the 30th Anniversary of their parents' Wedding, which took place at St. Mathew's Church of England, Armadale. on August 25. 1920.[2]

Notes

  1. The drill of the Foot-Hills 1917 Feb-Mar edition page12
  2. The West Australian 25 Aug 1950 p.37

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