John ARNOLD

John Arnold, Service No. 2816, was born at Kilmore in 1894. He was the eldest of 10 children born to Joseph and Matilda (nee Lamb) Arnold. The family may have lived in Kilmore only briefly and may have moved around a lot as subsequent children were born at various locations in Victoria.

John enlisted at Melbourne in September 1916 aged 22 years and 8 months. His occupation was given as driver. He had been with the Senior Cadets four years and had been part of the Citizens Forces for the same period. Following a short period of training John embarked for overseas service aboard the “Port Lincoln” in October 1916. He transferred to the “Benalla” at Sierra Leone from which he disembarked at Devonport in January 2017. Following further training he proceeded to France. In July of 2017 he was wounded in action sustaining severe gunshot wounds to the leg, arm and neck. He was transferred to Middlesex War Hospital for treatment.

He remained in England until January 1918 when he returned to active duty in France attached to the 2^nd Machine Gun Battalion. In August John was again wounded in action when he sustained a shell injury to the right buttock. He was invalided back to England for treatment where he saw out the rest of the war. John returned to Australia in January 2019 aboard the “Demosthenes”. Discharge from the army followed in January 2019.

Post war John returned to his former occupation of driver. He married Nellie “Dolly” Elizabeth Keddie in 1921 with whom he had one child. John died in 1960.

He was awarded the British War Medal, the 1914/15 Star and the Victory Medal. His name appears on the Kilmore Honour Roll.

Compiled by Kilmore Historical Society.

2^nd Machine Gun Battalion. AWM