Bright, Arthur William

348 Sergeant Arthur William Bright MM - 36th Heavy Artillery Group & 676 HQ Artillery Fremantle Fixed Defences

Arthur Willim Bright was born in Tipperary Ireland on the 27th November 1883. 

From 1900 to 1912 Arthur served in the Ox and Bucks Regiment in England and in 1912 he arrived in Western Australia.

On the 27th May 1913 Arthur enlisted as a Gunner into the Australian Permanent Forces. He served at the Fremantle Artillery Barracks and was quartered locally, mostly at the Barracks but he also had a friend at 162 Alexander Street Fremantle.

Arthur served at the Fremantle Artillery Barracks until the 1st June 1915. He and his fellow Gunners then enlisted to serve overseas and they would form part of the Heavy Artillery Siege Brigade.

The Gunners who enlisted in WA were then sent to Victoria where the other Artillerymen of the Permanent Forces were gathering. On the 17th July 1915 Arthur and the others of the original Australian Siege Brigade departed from Port Melbourne aboard the transport ship HMAT Orsova which took them to England.

After a few months of training in England, Arthur and the 36th Heavy Artillery Group arrived in France on the 27th February 1916.

Arthur served with the 55th Siege Battery through 1916 and 1917 participating in such actions as the Battle of the Somme in 1916 and the Third battle of Ypres in 1917.

On the 10th September 1917 Arthur reported sick and was away from his unit for a few weeks but returned in time to participate in the Battle of Cambrai in November 1917. Arthur had been promoted to Bombardier earlier in the war and was now made a Corporal.

In January 1918 Arthur was transferred from the 55th Battery to the HQ section of the 36th Heavy Artillery Group. In February he was then attached to the Signal sub section.

In March 1918 Arthur was promoted to Sergeant and he served with the 36th HAG for the remainder of the war.

In 1919 he returned to England and boarded the transport ship Somalia on the 1st June 1919 and returned to WA.

For his bravery during the war Arthur was decorated with the Military Medal and in 1919 was awarded the French Medal Militaire, the French equivalent of the Military Medal.

Arthur was discharged from the Australian Imperial Force in 1919 and then re-enlisted into the Permanent Forces of the Australian Army.

In 1919 on his return to Fremantle Arthur married Myrtle Hicks and they continued to live in Fremantle at 173 South Street. Unfortunately two of their children died shortly after birth but in 1922 their son William was born.

Arthur continued to serve with the Australian permanent artillery through the 1920's and 30's, mainly based in Fremantle but also in the Albany Barracks.

With the onset of World War Two Arthur was again called on to serve with the Heavy Artillery and also the HQ Artillery of the Fremantle Fixed Defences. In 1943 having reached the age of 60, Arthur was retired from service.

He then returned to live at his residence at 58 Carrington Street Fremantle.

Arthur died in 1952 aged 68. He is buried in Fremantle Cemetery plot - Congregational Mon DD 0110

The Army Museum of WA have digitised some of Arthur's Collection of photos and documents

BRIGHT, Arthur William - 348, 676 - WA Military Digital Library