Jones, Arthur Edwin
2822 Sergeant Arthur Edwin Jones - 1st Battalion Imperial Camel Corps & 14th Australian Light Horse Regiment
Arthur was born on the 9th May 1880 in Fremantle to Arthur and Mary Jones, being one of 14 siblings in the family. He was educated and grew up in Fremantle.
Arthur had military experience as he was a member of the Fremantle artillery as part of the Colonial forces in the late 1890's. He then saw service in the Boer War service (Regimental number 343) and served as a Trooper 6th Western Australian Mounted Infantry from 1900 to 1902. Arthur would see a bit of action while in South Africa, and an Officer of his unit, Lt Fred Bell was awarded the Victoria Cross.
On the 30th April 1902 Arthur returned to Fremantle and resumed his employment as a Horse Driver. His father died on the 17th September 1906 in Northampton WA.
Arthur was married on the 26th September 1905 to Grace Eleanor Maud Cable and they would have ten children, Arthur 1907, Grace 1909, Ada 1911, Florence, 1913, Alma 1916, Cyril 1920, Kevin 1922, Ronald 1923, Allan 1924 and Shirley 1930.
Prior to the Great War, Arthur and the family were living in Jandakot and he was working as a Market Gardener.
On the 4th January 1916 Arthur enlisted into the Australian Imperial Force. He was accepted as fit for service, with the medical examiner recording Arthur's physical attributes as;
Height - 5 feet 9 inches tall;
Weight - 134lbs;
Chest Measurement - 34-37 inches;
Complexion - Fresh;
Eyes - Green;
Hair - Brown.
After his successful enlistment, Arthur was sent to Blackboy Hill Camp and was assigned to the infantry training depot. He remained here for several weeks being taken through the basics of infantry work. However he had requested to be sent to the Light Horse and was then transferred to No.6 Depot Squadron.
Given his previous service in the Mounted Infantry, Arthur passed all the riding tests easily. He was then assigned to the 19th Reinforcements to the 10th Light Horse Regiment who were training at Claremont Camp.
On the 8th July 1916 Arthur and his group departed from Fremantle Harbour aboard the troopship RMS Mongolia. The ship then set sail for Egypt, arriving there at the end of the month. Upon arriving in Egypt, Arthur was sent to the 3rd Light Horse Brigade Training Regiment. He had a month in this training camp but on the 9th September 1916 was sent to join the Imperial Camel Corps.
Arthur was assigned to No.3 Company of the 1st Anzac Battalion Imperial Camel Corps. Arthur would serve in operations at Magdhaba in December 1917 and Rafa in January 1917. He was now appointed to the rank of Corporal. He would also see action with his unit at Gaza in April 1917. Casualties in this unsuccessful attack were heavy but Arthur came through unscathed.
In the latter half of 1917 further patrols and operations were made around the Turkish Gaza to Beersheba defence line. On the 24th October 1917 Arthur fell ill and so missed the Beersheba action but he returned on the 30th November 1917 and saw further action around Jerusalem in November/December 1917 and Jericho in January 1918.
He was then sent to hospital ill with venereal disease and would have the next few months in hospital. While he was in hospital, the Camel Corps had been disbanded and so Arthur was instead sent to the 14th Light Horse Regiment. He served with this Regiment from July to September 1918. He then fell ill and was then sent to the 2nd Australian Stationary Hospital at Moascar. He was then sent to a Rest Camp and was still there when the Turkish forces surrendered in October 1918 and then the Germans on the 11th November 1918.
On the 2nd December 1918 Arthur rejoined the 14th Light Horse Regiment. He would serve with them in Egypt, including the Egyptian uprising when that was quelled. In May 1919 Arthur was promoted to Sergeant.
On the 24th July 1919 Arthur boarded the troopship Dongola and set sail for Australia, reaching Fremantle on the 17th August 1919. Arthur was then discharged from the AIF on the 6th December 1919.
Arthur then returned home to the family in Jandakot but in the 1930's & 40's were living at Forrest Road Hamilton Hill. His mother died in 1937 in Geraldton.
Arthur also saw service during World War Two and was given the service number W242940. He had enlisted on the 9th October 1939 and would see service with the 10th Garrison Battalion. He would see service around the coast at Fremantle and Swanbourne as well as on Rottnest Island. He was discharged as medically unfit in April 1943.
Arthur and the family would remain in Hamilton Hill over the next twenty years. Arthur died in Beaconsfield on the 11th January 1966 aged 85. He was buried at Karrakatta Cemetery plot Anglican ZW 0102.
Arthur had seen service in the Boer War, World War one and World War Two.