Arthur Charles Grafham
From Our Contribution
 | |
| Personal Information | |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | Not known |
| 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 on 25 Oct 1916 with 515 other tunnelling reinforcments. The journey was via Durban 13 Nov 1916, Capetown 19 Nov 1916, and Freetown 29 Nov 1916 (a 16 day lay over waiting for a convoy). The voyage lasted 65 days from Melbourne to Plymouth.
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]
References
- ↑ "The Drill of the Foot-Hills" (PDF) (1917). Western Australia. Mar 1917. p. 12. Retrieved 16 May 2017 – via State Library of Western Australia.
- ↑ "Family Notices". The West Australian. 66, (20,001). Western Australia. 25 August 1950. p. 37. Retrieved 29 June 2017 – via National Library of Australia.