Arthur William FARMER DCM

Arthur William FARMER DCM Update Details

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FARMER, Arthur William

Service Numbers:	241, 334
Enlisted:	Not yet discovered
Last Rank:	Private
Last Unit:	9th Infantry Battalion
Born:	Normanby Hill, Queensland, Australia, 3 May 1881
Home Town:	Normanby, Brisbane, Queensland
Schooling:	Not yet discovered
Occupation:	Fireman
Died:	Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, 26 January 1969, aged 87 years, cause of death not yet discovered
Cemetery:	Not yet discovered
Memorials:

1 Oct 1899:	Involvement Private, 241, 5th Queensland Imperial Bushmen
6 Mar 1901:	Embarked Australian and Colonial Military Forces - Boer War Contingents, Private, 241, 5th Queensland Imperial Bushmen, AWM Boer War Unit Details, Murray p. 488 notes 5th QIB embarked at Pinkenba 6 Mar 1901 aboard Templemore arriving Port Elizabeth 1 Apr 1901.
24 Dec 1901:	Discharged Australian and Colonial Military Forces - Boer War Contingents, Private, 241, 5th Queensland Imperial Bushmen, Qld State Archives- Boer War Service Paybooks 5th QIB, Bk 2 p. 88, notes invalided returned to Australia aboard Waiwera arriving Brisbane 17 Dec 1901, discharged 24 Dec 1901.

24 Sep 1914:	Involvement Private, 334, 9th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '9' embarkation_place: Brisbane embarkation_ship: HMAT Omrah embarkation_ship_number: A5 public_note: ''
24 Sep 1914:	Embarked Private, 334, 9th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Omrah, Brisbane
30 Aug 1918:	Honoured Distinguished Conduct Medal, 'For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty as transport Sergeant. His work at all times has been worthy of the highest praise, and all duties entrusted to him have been carried out in a most capable manner. He rendered valuable service to his unit during heavy fighting by getting forward rations under the most difficult conditions.' Source: 'Commonwealth Gazette' No. 137 Date: 30 August 1918

Biography contributed by Claude McKelvey

Also served in WW1, Private (rising to Sergeant) S.N.334, 9th Infantry Battalion AIF, and during that service he was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal.

When Arthur William Farmer enlisted in 1901 for the South African War in the 5th QIB, the Boer War Service Paybooks under his entry notes he directed part of his pay to his mother Mrs. E. Farmer, Spring Hill.

Arthur William Farmer was born on 3 May 1881 at Normanby Hill, Queensland, a son to John Farmer and Elizabeth Framer (nee McDonald). He married Elizabeth Lillie Mathieson from Kangaroo Point on 7 Mar 1908 at All Saints' Church, Wickham Terrace, Brisbane, and they had one child.

The heritage committee of Saint Andrew's Uniting Church, Brisbane, undertook a project "Stories from the Honour Boards: Lives, Links and Legacies" to document war veterans appearing on various church honour boards. The following is extracted from their biography for Arthur William Farmer DCM (see links for full bio).

Arthur W. Farmer’s name appears on one of the Wharf Street Congregational Church honour boards in the Merrington Anzac Memorial Peace Chapel.

He was born at Normanby Hill, the youngest of nine children to John and Elizabeth Farmer, with his father passing when Arthur was 13 years old. He commenced working at a young age with Queensland Railways as an Engine Cleaner, and also joined the citizens defence scheme leading to his enlistment for the Boer War.

He was 26 when he married Elizabeth Lillie Mathieson on 7 Mar 1908 at All Saints' Church of England, Wickham Terrace. They initially resided at Petrie Terrace with Arthur progressing to Engine Driver with the railways. Their son was born in 1910 and in 1913 they were living at Normanby Terrace with Arthur working as a Fireman with the railways.

Arthur enlisted for WW1 in 1914 and was appointed to the 9th Infantry Battalion at the rank of Private (S.N. 334). He embarked for Egypt as part of the 3rd Brigade which provided cover for the ANZAC landings on 25 Apr 1915 at Gallipoli, with his battalion involved in establishing and defending the ANZAC beachhead.

In May 1915 he was detached for transport duty in Egypt and appointed Lance Corporal, later rejoining the 9th Battalion when it evacuated from Gallipoli and embarked for the Western Front in Mar 1916. The battalion served in France at Pozières in the Somme valley and at Ypres, in Flanders. He was promoted to Sergeant in Nov 1916 and the battalion was involved in the advance to the Hindenburg Line in Belgium. on 1 Jan 1918 he was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal “for conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty as transport sergeant”.

He returned to Australia in Apr 1919 for discharge. Arthur Farmer rejoined his wife and family at Normanby Hill and resumed his employment as a fireman on Queensland locomotives.

In the late 1940s, Arthur and Lillie Farmer moved to Beaumaris, 25 Ballymore Street, Kelvin Grove where they continued to live after Arthur’s retirement from the railways. They both died in the year 1969, Arthur on 26 January at the age of 87 years and Elizabeth on Anzac Day aged 85.

(Sources- AWM Boer War Nominal Roll, Murray p. 498; Qld State Archives- Boer War Service Paybooks 5th QIB, Bk 2 p. 88; National Archives Australia- WW1 service record; "Stories from the Honour Boards: Lives, Links and Legacies", Saint Andrew's Uniting Church Heritage Committee Project).

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