Arthur Patrick Joyce

Arthur Joyce 4th from right ,2nd row from back
courtesy N Browning
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; weight 155 lbs(70.3 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 Actiuon 1 Mar 1917 near Armentières
Monument	Banjup
Medals	British War Medal Victory Medal

War Service

Original member of the 44th Battalion, which was raised in Western Australia.

On the way to England the ship 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 Lark Hill camp to undertake field training. While training Arthur spent 41 days in both Bulford and Fovant hospitals with VD. 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 1 Mar 1917 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 caused by enemy shell fire.

Treated first by the 11th Australian Field Ambulance, and then the 2nd Australian Casualty Clearing Station he is sent to the 13th General Hospital in Boulogne 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.

Discharged 5th Military District 22 Jan 1918, a pension of 40/- per fortnight was granted 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.

Served with the Army Citizen Military Forces during WW2 with Regimental No. W67813.

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