Arthur Charles Grafham

Personal Information
Date of Birth	Not known
Place of Birth	Sussex, England
Death	14 Feb 1972, aged 77
Place of Death	Armadale, Western Australia
Age at Enlistment	21 years, 6 months
Description	5' 8½" (1.74m) tall; weight 157 lbs (71.2 kg); fresh complexion, brown eyes, light brown hair
Occupation	carpenter
Religion	Church of England
Address	Armadale, Western Australia
Next of Kin	Father Mr Hiram Grafham (died 28 Aug 1918)
Military Information
Reg Number	5330
Date of Enlistment	10 Feb 1916
Rank	Sapper
Unit/Formation	Sep 1916 Reinforcement 3rd Tunnelling Coy
Date of Embarkation	30 Sep 1916 - 2 Dec 1916
Ship Embarked On	HMAT A23 Suffolk
Date of Return	1 Jun 1919 - 8 Jul 1919
Ship Returned On	SS Somali
Fate	Returned to Australia
Monument	Armadale (West Armadale panel) Armadale Congregational Church Honour Board
Medals	British War Medal Victory Medal

Pre War

Electoral Roll entries- 1916 a farmhand, PO Armadale, while his parents (father a plumber) live at "Wongong"

War Service

Initially a foundation member of B Company of the 44th Battalion, Arthur's carpentry skills resulted in him being transferred to Engineering reinforcements on 1 Apr 1916, and then sent to Seymour in Victoria for further training. There he was transferred on 1 Jul 1916 to the Miners Reinforcements before embarking for England at the end of the month.

Arriving in England, he was sent to France from Folkestone a month later on the HMT Arundel where he joined the 3rd Australian Tunnelling Company on 15 Jun 1917.

He was sick and away from his unit from 29 Apr 1918 till 11 Jun 1918, being treated first by 3rd Australian Field Ambulance, then the 34th Field Ambulance, the 22nd Casualty Clearing Station and the 39th General Hospital, Le Havre.

Discharged 5th Military District 25 Aug 1919.

"enlisted 10th February, 1916; was in the Engineers' Corps, when he went to the East, joined the Miners and Tunnellers, and sailed in the "Suffolk" to England, 10th October 1916."

Post War

On 25 Aug 1920 he married Effie Estelle Waters. Effie died 27 Jan 1960 aged 58. Son (James Harold. 22 Sep1922 - 4 Aug 2009).

Electoral Roll entries - 1925 - 1949 c/- Post Office Armadale, farm hand; 1954 - 1958 Rowley road Armadale, farmhand; 1968 retired living in Forrest Road, Armadale, alone.

PEARL WEDDING. GRAFHAM

THE FAMILY of MR. and MRS. A. C. GRAFHAM, of Rowley-road. Armadale, wish to announce the celebration of the 30th Anniversary of their parents' Wedding, which took place at St. Mathew's Church of England, Armadale. on August 25. 1920.