Arthur Patrick Joyce

Arthur Patrick Joyce

The Westralian Battalion, N Browning, page 447
Arthur 4th from right,2nd row from back The Westralian Battalion, N Browning Page 42
Personal Information
Date of Birth	16 Aug 1896
Place of Birth	Gates Head on Tyne, England
Death	16 Aug 1971
Place of Death	Spearwood, Western Australia
Age at Enlistment	20 years
Description	5' 6¼" (1.68m) tall ; 155 lbs 70.307 kg ; fair complexion ; blue eyes ; brown hair
Occupation	Farmhand
Religion	Church of England
Address	Jandakot Post Office (Banjup)
Next of Kin	Father , Mr Patrick Joyce
Military Information
Reg Number	905
Date of Enlistment	17 Jan 1916
Rank	Private
Unit/Formation	44th Battalion, Machine Gun Section / 11th Brigade, 3rd Division
Date of Embarkation	6 Jun 1916 ‒ 21 Jul 1916
Ship Embarked On	HMAT A29 Suevic
Date of Return	31 Jul 1917 ‒ 18 Aug 1917
Ship Returned On	HMAT A63 Karoola
Fate	Wounded in Action 13 Mar 1917 near Armentieres Returned to Australia
Monument	Banjup War Memorial
Medals	British War Medal Victory Medal

War Service

Arthur enlisted on 17 Jan 1916 and in February became an original member of the 44th Battalion, which was raised in Western Australia. On 6 Jun 1916 he embarked on HMAT A29 Suevic in Fremantle for England where the battalion disembarked on 21 July. On the way to England the ship had stopped at Durban and Cape Town where the battalion marched through the cities, and at St Vincent in the Cape Verde Islands. Arthur took some unauthorised leave in Durban. Two soldiers died during the voyage.

Arriving in England they were sent to Larkhill camp to undertake field training. While training Arthur spent 41 days in both 1st Australian Dermatological Hospital at Bulford and the Fovant base hospitals with Venereal Disease from 2 Aug 1916 to 11 Sep 1916. Having completed their training, on 25 Nov 1916 the battalion entrained for Southampton enroute to Le Havre.

Their first billets were at Steenwerck on the French side of the border with Belgium. Arthur was hospitalised again on 6 Jan 1917 with mumps, before rejoining the battalion on 30 Jan 1917. On 13 Mar 1917 he participated in a large raid on the enemy's trenches that was largely unsuccessful and he received a severe wound, including a fractured femur, to his right leg. The 44th Battalion's War Diary entry for the day would suggest his wound was probably caused by enemy shell fire. Losses were 9 killed and 42 wounded, with 12 others missing when they returned to their own lines.

Treated first by the 11th Field Ambulance on 14 Mar 1917, and then the 2nd Australian Casualty Clearing Station he was sent to the 13th General Hospital in Boulogne on 15 Mar 1917 before embarking 24 Mar 1917 on the HMHS Cambria for England where he was admitted to King George's Hospital.

On 3 Jul 1917 he was well enough recovered to be sent back to Australia for further treatment. On arrival home he spent time in the 8th Australian General Hospital before he was discharged by the 5th Military District on 22 Jan 1918. Arthur was granted a pension of 40/- per fortnight from 24 Jan 1918.

Post War

1922 - 68 electoral rolls list him as living in Newton road, Spearwood, a farmer. From 1943 on accompanied by Elsie Jean Joyce. Elsie died on 17 Jun 1979, aged 71.

W67813 Cpl Joyce served with the 2nd (Fremantle) VDC Battalion from 24 Mar 1942.

Mentioned in The Drill of the Foothills. Included on the Banjup War Memorial, but not on the Spearwood Monument

External Links

• WAMDL - Western Australian Military Digital Library has digitised Arthur Joyce's service documents.
• AIF Project
• RSL Virtual War Memorial