Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Excerpt from Blood Sweat and Fears: Medical Practitioners and Medical Students of South Australian who Served in World War 1. Courtesy of the Authors

Arthur Kyle Gault was born on July 10th 1894 at Mitcham South Australia. He was the son of Dr Arthur Henry Gault (1864-1917) and Mary, nee Steele. Gault’s father arrived in Mitcham in 1888, aged 24, and carried out his practice from a house called “Ardmeen” on Unley Road which had five acres of gardens, a tennis court, milking cow, chickens and horse stables.  It is now better known as “Lenzerheide”, a popular restaurant. Gault was educated at Prince Alfred College and studied medicine at the University of Adelaide where he enjoyed lacrosse and tennis

Gault enlisted in the AIF at Morphettville on the 19th August 1914 as a 4th year Medical Student.  He had previous experience of 2 years in the AMC reserve. He was 20 years of age, 5ft10ins, weighed 155lbs, of dark complexion, blue eyes and brown hair. Gault was attached to “B “ Section 3 FdAmb. He went with the unit to Gallipoli where he suffered a gunshot  wound to the lower jaw on 1st June 1915 at Gaba Tepe.  He was admitted to 1 AGH at Heliopolis and was repatriated to Australia on 28th July 1915 weighing only 62 lbs. According to family records his return to Australia was expedited by Professor Archibald Watson. It was deemed by the  Military Medical Board on the 30th November 1915 that he was permanently unfit for Military Service. He was refused  a military pension and he resumed his medical studies at the University of Adelaide. However after his graduation in July 1917, Gault enlisted again as a captain in the AAMC having completed 1 year and 107 days in the AIF of which 310 days were in overseas service.  He now was deemed fit for re-enlistment. He embarked for Liverpool from Sydney 8th August 1917. He served as an MO in 2 Com Depot in Weymouth and was taken off strength in October when he requested and was granted leave to return to Australia because of the sudden death of his father. He returned to the 4MD after Transport Duty with his appointment terminated on the 13th August 1918. Gault was issued with the 1914-15 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.

Gault took over his father’s practice and in 1921 he married Ruth Hawker of Bungaree Station, Clare.  His marriage to Ruth ended in divorce and he later married Evelyn. He retired suddenly in 1950.  He left his assistant Dr. Ken Crafter in charge after his retirement. The practice grew to include 5 doctors, and became known as the Sturt Clinic. Eventually the practice moved into a new building next door. It was renamed “The Crafter Medical Centre” in honour of Dr. Crafter. Arthur Kyle Gault died on 7th April 1955 of a ruptured aneurysm and was cremated at West Terrace Cemetery and laid to rest with his parents in Mitcham Cemetery.   He was survived by his former wife Ruth Marjorie Hawker and three children Richard, Yolanda and Avril.   On the corner of Belair and Angus Roads, Memorial Gardens, Hawthorn stands a “DR. A. KYLE GAULT MEMORIAL FOUNTAIN DONATED BY CITIZENS OF MITCHAM 1957.”