Hepburn, Arthur
2525 Private Arthur Hepburn - 43rd Battalion AIF
Arthur Hepburn was born in Middlesborough Yorkshire England in June 1874 to John and Isabella Hepburn. He was one of six siblings, with, John (1865), Isabella (1867), William (1870), Maude (1875) and Margueritte (1879). He initially resided and was educated in Middlesborough however the 1891 census lists Arthur and his family living at Redcar, Yorkshire England.
Arthur appears to have arrived in Western Australia circa 1898. He worked as a Lighthouse Keeper on Jarman Island at Cossack from 1898 to 1903. However, a few years later Arthur was working out of Onslow as a Pearler. Prior to the Great War Arthur became a mail contractor.
Arthur enlisted into the Australian Imperial Force on the 26th June 1916 in Perth. He was passed as fit for service with the medical examiner recording his physical attributes as;
Height - 5 feet 8 & 1/2 inches tall;
Weight - 160lbs;
Chest measurement - 38-41 inches;
Complexion - Fresh;
Eyes - Grey;
Hair - Dark Brown.
Upon his successful enlistment Arthur was sent to Blackboy Hill Camp where he was assigned to No.75 Training Depot. He was then transferred into the 5th Reinforcements to the 43rd Battalion. He trained with this group in WA for the next few months. On the 9th November 1916 Arthur and his group entrained for Fremantle Harbour where they boarded the transport ship HMAT Argyllshire on the 9th November 1916. After the long sea journey to England the ship arrived at Devonport Harbour on the 10th January 1917.
After being disembarked Arthur and his group were sent to the 11th training Battalion on the Salisbury Plains. He trained here for the next few months. On the 25th April 1917 Arthur was sent across to France and went into the 3rd Australian Division Base Depot.
Arthur joined the 43rd Battalion on the 1st May 1917. The 43rd Battalion were then in the vicinity of Ploegsteert Wood in southern Belgium. Arthur would serve with his unit at the Battle of Messines in June 1917 and at Warneton on the 31st July 1917.
The 43rd Battalion remained in the Messines sector till the end of August 1917. On the 6th September Arthur was sent to hospital with an injured right knee. He was sent to the 58th General Hospital at St Omer and was then transferred to the 2nd Canadian Stationary Hospital. It appears his knee was improving as he was transferred to the 7th Convalescent Camp at Boulogne on the 21st September 1917. He remained here for the next few weeks and on the 2nd October 1917 was transferred to the 3rd Australian Division Base Depot at Rouelles. However after another two weeks in the depot his knee issue recurred and Arthur was then sent to England.
On the 18th October 1917 Arthur was sent to No.2 Command Depot Camp at Weymouth. He would remain based at No.2 Command Depot Camp for the next fifteen months, until after the Armistice.
On the 27th February 1918 Arthur had married 30 year old Mary Florence Brown from New Moston.
On the 1st February 1919 Arthur was transferred to No.1 Command Depot Camp and was going to prepare for the journey home but instead he applied for some Non Military Employment. From 1st April to 1st July 1919 Arthur applied for further experience in boiler making. He was sent to Dornan, Long and Co. in Middlesbrough.
On the 25th September 1919 Arthur and his wife Mary boarded the transport ship Mahana and set sail for home, reaching Fremantle on the 3rd November 1919.
Arthur was discharged from the AIF on the 20th December 1919.
After their return the children born were, Jessie in 1920 and Florence in 1921.
Arthur remained in the Fremantle district and then took up pig farming at Bulls Creek Road in Melville (present day Leach Hwy) and then changed to poultry farming.
He remained farming here through to 1929 when an incident occurred that made news through the state.
The Truth newspaper of 6th October 1929 printed another version with more information of the Hepburns.
Miraculously Arthur recovered from his five bullet wounds though it necessitated a long stay in hospital. The Hepburns remained poultry farming in the district through to 1947. The family then moved to New South Wales, taking up residence at Point Frederick, Gosford NSW. The family remained here through the 1950's.
Arthur Hepburn died on the 22nd July 1959 at Gosford Robertson New South Wales aged 84.



