Kerin, Arthur Robert
4540 Private Arthur Robert Kerin - 11th Battalion AIF
Arthur Robert Kerin was born in Kingston Victoria in 1880 to Patrick and Eliza Ann Kerin, being one of ten siblings born into the family.
He was educated in Victoria, with the family living at Kingston Ballarat in the 1890's before moving to Hawthorn.
It appears that Arthur was the only one of his family to come to WA.
In 1910 he was a barman at the Commonwealth Hotel Fitzgerald Street North Perth however he then moved to Fremantle; He was now working as a yardman at His Majesty's Hotel in Fremantle. This was then listed at 41A Phillimore Street Fremantle.
On the 23rd October 1915 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 7 inches;
Weight - 132lbs;
Chest Measurement - 35-38 inches;
Complexion - Fresh;
Eyes - Brown;
Hair - Dark Brown.
After his successful enlistment, Arthur was sent to Blackboy Hill Camp where he was initially designed to the training depot. After a few weeks being taken through the basics of infantry work, Arthur was assigned to the 14th Reinforcements to the 11th Battalion AIF.
He trained with this group for two months in WA before they received their embarkation orders. On the 12th February 1916 Arthur and his group boarded the transport ship HMAT Miltiades in Fremantle Harbour and set sail for Egypt, reaching Suez on the 10th March 1916. They were then disembarked and sent to the AIF Reinforcement camp.
He remained with the 1st Australian Division reinforcements in Egypt and departed with them for France on the 29th March 1916, arriving at Marseilles on the 4th April 1916. Arthur and his group were then disembarked and sent on a train to Etaples in Northern France. Arthur was then sent into the 1st Australian Division Base Depot Camp. He remained here through to the 22nd June 1916 when he went to join the 11th Battalion. They were then in the Armentieres sector of the Western Front.
In July 1916 the 11th Battalion moved to the Somme region where the British and French had begun an offensive on July 1st 1916. The 11th Battalion was involved in the capture of Pozieres Village on July 23rd 1916 and subsequent operations against Mouquet Farm in August 1916. Arthur survived these attacks though casualties in his unit had been heavy.
After a short sojourn in Belgium, the 11th Battalion were back on the Somme in November 1916, and they would spend the freezing 1916/17 French winter in this sector. In December Arthur got into trouble for going absent without leave for two days and as a result was given 35 days of field punishment No.2. This punishment often involved hard labour and extra duties.
As a result of the German retirement to the Hindenburg Line in March 1917 the 11th Battalion were involved in follow up operations, notably around Morchies. On April 15th 1917 the 11th Battalion were holding a scattered outpost line in front of Lagnicourt when the Germans attacked their and neighbouring units positions. Despite an initial breakthrough the Germans were eventually pushed back. However many from the 11th Battalion were captured including Arthur.
The captured men including Arthur were soon sent back to Germany where he was interned at Limburg and then Friedrichfeld. He was put on farm work for a while and then was sent to another prison camp at Parchim. He would spent the rest of the war in German prison camps. After the Armistice was declared on 11th November 1918 the Prisoners of War were repatriated back to England. Arthur arrived back in the UK nearly two months after the Armistice, arriving back on the 11th January 1919.
After arriving back in England, Arthur reported to AIF HQ in London and was granted a month's leave. After his return from leave Arthur was sent to No.2 Group Camp at Weymouth to await his departure for home. On the 19th April 1919 Arthur boarded the transport ship Marathon and set sail for home, reaching Fremantle on the 31st May 1919. He was then discharged from the AIF on the 16th July 1919.
His brother Ambrose who served in WW1 enlisted in Queensland (1705) and was badly wounded in 1917 while serving with the 47th Battalion which resulted in the amputation of the leg. Ambrose died in Victoria in 1920.
Another brother Austin enlisted in Victoria in 1915, and survived the war but died in 1928. Another brother Joseph Linus Kerin enlisted in Perth in 1914, served in the 28th Battalion, and survived the war and died in 1961.
After Arthur returned home in 1919 he resumed work in Fremantle but then received a job offer in Claremont Hotel as a barman and then moved to live at Willis Rd Claremont. Arthur was here through the 1920's but then moved to Harvey where he worked at The Weir, before moving in 1934 to the State Mill Jarrahdale.
Arthur then retired and moved to 11 Guildford Rd Maylands.
He died on the 19th June 1947 aged 67. He was buried at Karrakatta Cemetery plot Roman Catholic JC 0219.