Arthur Richard Hammill

Submitted by Mt Kembla Minin... on Fri, 20/01/2017 - 10:39

First Name:

Arthur

Middle Name:

Richard

Last Name:

Hammill

Date of Birth:

Thursday, August 14, 1879

Mother's Name:

Janet Hammill nee Drever

Father's Name:

James Hammill

Date Enlisted:

Saturday, November 27, 1915

Rank at Enlistment:

Private

Rank at Discharge:

Private

Unit:

18th Battalion

Company:

Service:

Infantry

Awards:

British War Medal

Victory Medal

Date of Death:

Sunday, May 19, 1918

Place of Death:

Somme, France

Cause of Death:

Killed in action

Details:

Arthur Richard Hammill (Service No 4442), was born in Adelaide, S.A.

Prior to Arthur's arrival in Sydney, N.S.W., in July 1914, he had served 1 year with the South Australian Military.

In November 1915, he married Edith Arthur, in Sydney, N.S.W.

At enlistment, he was 36 years old, worked as a marble and stone polisher, and lived in Wollongong, N.S.W.

Arthur embarked on HMAT A71 Nestor, with 18th Battalion, 11th Reinforcement, on 9th April 1916. He arrived in England and joined 18th Battalion, A Company, in France, on 23rd September 1916. Arthur saw service on the Western Front and during 1917, he was hospitalised a number of times for illness.

On 15th April 1918, he was wounded in action, and admitted to hospital for treatment of shrapnel wounds to his face. Arthur returned to his unit on 7th May 1918.

Twelve days later, on 19th May, 1918, he was working as a stretcher bearer, attending to the wounded in no mans land during an attack, near Amiens, France, when he was killed in action. Arthur received a bullet wound to the head and was killed instantly. He was buried at the time, but his grave was later lost.

Arthur is commemorated on the Australian National Memorial, at Villers-Bretonneux, France.

Sources:

NAA: B2455, HAMMILL A R