Beesley, Arthur

5802 Private Arthur Beesley - 27th Battalion AIF

Arthur Beesley was born in Blackburn England in 1886 to Henry and Jane Beesley and was one of eight children, his siblings being, William (1876), John (1878), Margaret (1880), Albert (1882), Emma (1884), Percy (1887) and Walter (1889).

Arthur was educated in Blackburn and after leaving school took up employment as a cotton weaver.

The Beesley family came to Western Australia prior to 1910 and took up residence in the Fremantle area before moving to Jandakot.

Arthur Beesley became a Market Gardener in the Fremantle, Spearwood and Jandakot area.

Sadly on the 2nd January 1916 his mother Jane died in Fremantle, and this was followed ten months later by the death of his father William in October 1916.

On the 26th April 1916 Arthur had enlisted into the AIF in Fremantle. He was found to be fit for service with the medical examiner recording his physical attributes as;

Height - 5 feet 4 inches tall;

Weight - 128lbs;

Chest Measurement - 34-36 inches;

Complexion - Fresh;

Eyes - Brown;

Hair - Brown.

After his successful enlistment, Arthur was sent to Blackboy Hill Camp where he was assigned to No.70 Training Depot. He was taken through the basics of infantry work in this depot. On the 21st June 1916 Arthur was added to the 17th Reinforcements to the 28th Battalion, however on the 5th September 1916 he was transferred into the 16th Reinforcements to the 27th Battalion.

Though the 27th Battalion was a South Australian unit it took two reinforcement groups from WA.

He trained with this group at Belmont Camp WA for the next few weeks. On the 30th October 1916 Arthur and his group went to Fremantle Harbour where they boarded the transport ship Port Melbourne and set sail for England, arriving at Devonport on the 28th December 1916.

After being disembarked Arthur and his group were sent to the 7th Training Battalion at Rollestone Camp on the Salisbury Plains. He had just over a month in England as on the 9th February 1917 was sent to France. He was taken on strength of the 27th Battalion on the 12th February 1917.

The 27th Battalion were then situated on the Somme battlefield. Arthur subsequently served with his unit at the actions of Lagnicourt in March 1917 and Bullecourt in May 1917.

He survived these battles unscathed and in June 1917 the 27th Battalion was pulled out of the line for a three month rest.

In September 1917, the 27th Battalion took part in the Third battle of Ypres, seeing action at the Battle of Menin Road, Polygon Wood, Zonnebeke, Broodseinde and Passchendaele. Arthur survived these actions.

From November 1917 to March 1918 the 27th Battalion were helping to hold the front line between Messines and Ypres. On the 24th January 1918 Arthur was granted a two week furlough to England, returning on the 10th February 1918.

On March 21st 1918 the Germans broke through the British front line and were making a speedy advance. The Australian Divisions left the Messines front and headed south to help stop the German advance. The 27th Battalion as part of the 2nd Division headed to the Somme.

From April to July 1918 the 27th Battalion saw much action around Morlancourt and Villers-Bretonneux. Arthur again came through these actions unscathed.

In July 1918 Arthur was detached for duty for two weeks with the 172nd Tunnelling Company but he returned on the 4th August 1918.

On the 8th August 1918 Arthur took part in the successful advance from Villers-Bretonneux with the 27th Battalion capturing all their objectives. For the next two months the Australians pressed the Germans back.

At Peronne on the 1st September 1918 Arthur was wounded in the left arm as the 27th Battalion advanced on the German positions. He went to the 15th Field Ambulance were his wounds were initially dressed. He was then sent to the 53rd Casualty Clearing Station where further treatment was given. The following day Arthur was admitted to No.6 General Hospital at Rouen.

Arthur was only there for a day as he was then shipped to England and was admitted to the 1st Southern General Hospital at Monyhull Birmingham. Arthur was in hospital until the 2nd November 1918.

Sadly, while he was in hospital news came through that his brother Walter, who had been serving with the 44th Battalion had died of wounds received in France on the 29th September 1918.

After being released from hospital, Arthur was then granted two weeks leave which coincided with the signing of the Armistice so no doubt the leave was enjoyed. After his leave he was to report to No.4 Command Depot and Hurdcott Camp. He reported back a day later than planned, and technically while absent without leave, the Camp Commanding Officer only fined Arthur one day pay.

Arthur was to remain at No.4 Command Depot Camp while he was waiting to be assigned a berth on a troopship home.  Arthur took four days unofficial leave from the 11th to 15th December 1918. As a punishment he had to undergo four days of Field Punishment No.2 and was fined 8 days pay.

Arthur had a good reason for his absence as on the 12th December he married Margaret (Maggie) Bates in Blackburn Lancashire.

However his Field Punishment No.2 was curtailed as on the 18th December 1918 Arthur boarded the transport ship Aeneas and set sail for home, disembarking at Fremantle on the 27th January 1919. He was then sent to No.8 Australian General Hospital in South Terrace Fremantle for a medical checkup.

On the 19th March 1919 Arthur was discharged from the AIF. He went back to being a Market Gardener in Spearwood. His wife Maggie soon came from England to join him.

Another brother William Beesley would return safely from the Great War in August 1919.

From his marriage with Maggie they would have three children Raymond (1921), Kenneth (1922) and Edith.

Unfortunately, it seems that Arthur was in ill health after the war and spent much time in hospital. The following article was in the Fremantle Advertiser in October 1925.