Cole, Arthur Owen
4320 Private Arthur Owen Cole - 48th Battalion AIF
Arthur Owen Cole was born in Fremantle WA on the 25th June 1886 to Lionel and Esther Cole. He was one of eleven children, with Mary (1884), Owen (1888), Frank (1892), William (1894), Esther (1896), John (1899), Harry (1901), Alex (1905), Dorothy (1910) and Edna (1913).
The family lived at 545 Edmund Street in Fremantle (later renumbered to 73 Edmund) and Arthur was educated at Fremantle Boys School.
After leaving school he took up work as a plumber apprenticeship, working for three and a half years for a Mr. J Perry and then for two and a half years with the Bradbury's.
After his apprenticeship was over Arthur went to the countryside. He found employment in the Pingelly district.
In 1911 in Pingelly Arthur married Ellen Elizabeth Alberta Mader. They were living in Narrogin but when Arthur enlisted into the AIF Ellen moved to the Cole family home in Edmund Street.
On the 22nd February 1917 in Katanning Arthur enlisted into the Australian Imperial Force. He was found to be fit for enlistment with the medical examiner recording his physical attributes as;
Height - 5 feet 9 & 3/4 inches tall;
Weight - 138lbs;
Chest Measurement - 37 inches;
Complexion - Fair;
Eyes - Blue Grey;
Hair - Black;
Distinctive Marks - Tattoo of a sailing boat, fore and aft.
After his successful enlistment Arthur was sent to Blackboy Hill Camp. He was initially sent to the training depot where he was taken through basic infantry training. On the 16th June 1917 he was then transferred into the 12th Reinforcements for the 2nd Pioneer Battalion.
He trained with this group in WA for the next few months. On the 30th October 1917 Arthur and his group entrained from Fremantle Harbour where they boarded the transport ship HMAT Aeneas. They then set sail for England, reaching Devonport Harbour on the 27th December 1917.
After being disembarked Arthur and his group were sent to the Pioneer Training Battalion at Sutton Veny on the Salisbury Plains. A few days later Arthur was nominally attached to the 32nd Battalion and was transferred to the 15th Training Battalion at Codford.
Arthur spent the next few months training here but on the 1st April 1918 proceeded to France. He was now re-assigned and would be joining the 48th Battalion.
On the 6th April 1918 Arthur was taken on strength of the 48th Battalion. They were then in the front line at Dernancourt. They soon moved to the Villers-Bretonneux front and on May 3rd 1918 launched an attack on Monument Wood. Arthur survived this action and remained with the unit through June and July 1918.
On August 8th 1918 the 48th battalion took part in the advance on the Amiens front. Arthur took part in this and subsequent advances up till the 18th September 1918 when they were relieved from the front line for a rest.
On the 12th October 1918 Arthur was sent to hospital ill, initially being sent to the 41st Stationary Hospital. He was diagnosed with venereal disease and after a few days was transferred to the 1st Stationary Hospital at Rouen. Arthur spent the next few months in hospital in France and 9th January 1919 was sent to England.
On arrival in England Arthur was sent to the 1st Australian Dermatological Hospital at Bulford. Arthur remained a patient here till the 7th July 1919. He was then sent to No.2 Depot Camp.
On the 31st July 1919 Arthur was admitted to Tidworth Military Hospital with nasal polyps but returned to the Depot Camp after a short time.
Arthur was now waiting to be assigned a berth on a troopship home. On the 5th September 1919 he boarded the transport ship Plassy and set sail home for Australia. The ship arrived in Fremantle on the 17th October 1919. After being disembarked Arthur was sent to No.8 Australian General Hospital in South Terrace Fremantle.
After being discharged from the AIF on the 6th December 1919.
Arthur then returned to his pre war career of plumbing and took up residence in Pilbarra Street White Gum Valley.
After his return, Arthur and Ellen would have a daughter called Thelma Ruby Cole born in 1921.
Arthur would live at 6 Pilbarra Street for the rest of his life, and would stay as a Plumber for his working career.
Arthur died on the 26th July 1974 aged 88. He was buried in Fremantle Cemetery Plot Anglican Mon A6 0417