Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Son of Thomas and Annie Argall, of Anglo Sq., Kogarah, New South Wales.

Leader Orange, NSW, Friday 26 April 1918, page 7

PRIVATE PRESTON ARGALL

INQUIRIES AS TO HIS FATE.

Mr. Thomas Argall, mail guard on the western line, who is on six months' accumulated leave, which he is spending in and around Sydney, has been making assiduous inquiries as the fate of his son, Preston Argall, reported wounded and missing. His letter to the "Leader'' on the subject will be read with sympathetic interest by the friends of the Argall family. It reads as follows: —

"I have always been on the look-out for information concerning my son, Press, who was reported wounded and missing before I left Orange, and have seen several returned soldiers who belonged to his battalion. They knew him, but could give me no definite news. Some said he was slightly wounded and taken to England; but last Monday week I received a letter from the Red Cross, and this was the information they conveyed through Private N. G. Carruthers, who belonged to the same battalion:

"We enclose you copy of a statement which has been made to us by Acting Corporal N. G. Carruthers, who has returned to Sydney, and which we thought you would like to see. We are sorry that this does not give you very definite news, and we regret to say that, so far, he has not been reported a prisoner of war.

"Yours faithfully "LANGER OWEN." 

"Informant described Argall as about 5ft 5in high, slight build, fair complexion, age about 20. Left Australia with informant in the Wiltshire on 22.8.16. Was with informant in Liverpool Camp, and right up to the time he was wounded. Informant states that they both belonged to B Co. On 20.9.17 the battalion was attacking Anzac Ridge, or Polygon Wood, at about 3 p.m. Informant saw Argall lying badly wounded just near the German lines. They had to retire, and Argall had to be left where picked up by the Germans. He was unconscious. Informant added that Argall was very popular with his mates, and always had a smile for everybody, —Informant N. G. Carruthers, 5326, B Coy, 17th Battalion."

I wrote to Carruthers and made an appointment to meet him. Poor Carruthers, I may state, has lost one eye, and can only distinguish light from darkness with the other, so it's only a short time when he will totally blind, besides suffering from other injuries. He told me that poor old Press was hit on the head—his head covered in blood, and a pool of blood where he lay. He lifted him up and spoke to him, but his head dropped back, his tongue was out, and he never got any response from him. He had to leave him, but he went back at night to the spot, but he was gone. Only the stain of the blood was left, and he said there was a good bit of that. Of course, when I told him what I heard from other comrades—that he had been taken to England, he said he would not swear that Press was dead. He remarked that there was a large grave about 8 feet away, where a lot were buried. One of the men who was with Carruthers said that he was dead, so that was the sad news that I received from him.

Then, on top of this, last Saturday morning I received another letter from the front, from Private W. H. Back, who wrote to me when I was in Orange, that he had buried Press on the battlefield. He only went on to confirm what he had told me in his last letter so, after receiving that letter, my hopes of my son being alive in England were crushed. I have seen some sorrowful sights since I have been in Sydney, especially at the Anzac Buffet—mother and sweetheart with broken hearts, also seeing officers with their limbs off crying. I tell you it was too much for Mrs. Argall and myself. We had to get out with broken hearts.

Preston Edwin Argall was born in Paddington in 1898 to Thomas and Annie Matilda Argall. One of six children, Preston grew up in Orange and attended Orange East Public School.

Preston enlisted in WWI in March 1916, 8 months after his older brother Herbert. He embarked from Sydney in August and joined the 17th Battalion in France in December. He served for just three months before being hospitalised with a severely blistered heel, most likely a condition caused by continual marching.

Private Argall was not released from hospital until March. After furlough he rejoined his unit in France in August, only to be killed in action in Belgium a month later. He was originally reported as “wounded and missing”; it wasn’t until 10 May 1918 that this status was upgraded to “killed in action”.

Following his death, fellow soldier Private William Beck wrote to Preston’s mother to convey his “most heartfelt sympathy in the very sad bereavement which you have suffered in the loss of your dear son.” Another comrade, Private NG Carruthers, described Argall as “very popular with his mates, and always had a smile for everybody”.

Preston’s older brother Herbert was killed in action in France in June 1916.

Preston Edwin Argall’s name appears on the following honour rolls, alongside that of his brother Herbert: Orange Returned Services League, Orange Railway Ambulance Rifle Club, Orange East Public School, Methodist Church Orange and the Paddington Methodist Church (now Uniting Church). Preston is also remembered in Newman Park in Orange.

In 1923 the Anzac Memorial Avenue of trees was planted along Bathurst Road to commemorate fallen WWI soldiers. A tree was planted in honour of “Private P Argall”; the tree was donated by EH Waddy.