Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Arthur George Lines – MM
(1898-1973)
Service No:2447
By Christian ( 15yrs ) and David Wright

This Biography is on my Great Great Grandfather, Arthur Lines. The information in this report is mostly from family records; some information collected from historical documents such as military records and gazettes. Some of the information is not complete, and also the historical records kept at that time are not as thorough as hoped. Arthur George Lines was born in Tea Tree Gully, South Australia in March, 1898. He grew up with his parents,Rachel Emmaline Maud Lines and Percy Lines in Fife Street, Klemzig, S.A. Arthur grew up as a gardener in his home town,( which may have assisted in the future with his transfer in 1918 to the war graves detachment) and was an Army Cadet (Senior Cadets) from the age of 14.

He enlisted for the Australian Imperial Force on July 27th 1916 at 18 years old. He was not married, and had no children at the time. He was given the rank of Private, Service Number 2447, and was enlisted in the 48th Infantry Battalion (‘Joan of Arc Battalion’), 5th Reinforcements, and was sent to fight in the Western Front. He departed for the Western Front from Outer Harbour on 28th August, 1916 on the HMAT (His Majesty’s Australian Transport) A68 Anchises. He arrived in Plymouth, England on the 11th October 1916 and then spent seven months in Codford, England, training before being deployed to France on the 29th May, 1917. During his time on the Western Front, from 1917 to September 1918, he was involved in a range of misdemeanours ranging from not wearing correct military attire to being AWOL on up to four occasions, and was docked 18 days pay. This seems to be the typical Australian ‘larrikin’ behaviour that our soldiers became famous for. Yet, when it came to battle, the Australian soldiers were some of the most fearless and brave there were. He was also admitted to hospital several times with “Follicular Tonsillitis” which he struggled with for a few months before being sent back to the field.

During Arthur’s time fighting in France in the period known as ‘The Hundred Days’, Germany started to push towards the west. From the original defence of Villers Bretonneux and its surroundings, his Battalion was involved in operations pushing towards St Quentin near the hamlet of Le Verguier. It was in this battle that Arthur was awarded the Military Medal on the 18th of September, 1918 for bravery in the field. Arthur and his Lewis machine gun company were ordered to move up from the front line to lay covering fire, which he did on multiple occasions until eventually, he was close enough to infiltrate the German trench and open fire. He then continued onto a sunken road and opened fire again on the German soldiers and forced them to retreat. He caused many casualties and enabled the Australians to secure their line. It was at this point where Arthur showed his ANZAC spirit as he showed bravery, courage and initiative above and beyond what he was asked to do. This behaviour encouraged the other soldiers in his unit to be hopeful for victory. He did this by selflessly protecting and avenging his fellow soldiers. It is this courage and fearlessness that earned Australian soldiers their reputation and defined the ANZAC spirit.

Three Letters - While he was in this battle, three letters were sent home to his mother. The first was about him being reported in the London Gazette, ‘Commonwealth of Australia Gazette’ 1919, London Gazette, vol. 115, 10 October, p. 21, accessed 15 March 2015, London Gazette Archives, London Gazette.( part extract ). For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty during the operations near Le Vergiuer on the 18th September 1918. Pte. Lines when his company was held up in front of objective by enemy machine gun fire, with great daring took his lewis machine gun section forward taking up a position from which he was able to enfilade and smother the enemy fire, thus allowing his company to continue their advance.

The second about being awarded the Military Medal, and the third about his bravery.

These letters that must of made his parents proud and relieved as the perception of a letter from the Armed Forces generally brought bade news.
After that battle, Arthur’s unit moved back to the rear for rest and recuperation. Arthur spent from 15th to the 26th October in hospital with ‘Pyrexia’ (a high fever), and then returned to his unit, and on 30th October in a Battalion Parade he was officially presented with his medal.

He was also awarded the general two service medals: one being the British War Medal, and the second one was the Victory Medal.

He remained with his unit in France until the war ended on 11th November 1918. After the war, he was transferred to the Graves Detachment in Villers Bretonneux which enabled him to stay in France longer as during his time in the front, he met and eventually married Emilienne Langlois. They got married in Villers Bretonneux on the 7th April, 1920, and then they both returned to Australia on the HMAT Kigoma on the 20th¬ April 1920.

In Adelaide they had two children: George (born 1921, died 1965) and Yvonne – my Great Grandmother (born 1922, died 2009). Unfortunately, Emilienne died of Tuberculosis in 1926, and Arthur eventually re-married an English woman, who had a dislike for the French and thus children were brought up by their grandparents (Arthur’s parents) so Arthur could start a new life with his new wife. Arthur spent the rest of his life in Adelaide working as a warden in the Adelaide Gaol and lived in Brooklyn Park until he died in 1973. He is buried in the Centennial Park Cemetery.

Over time only sporadic contacted happened between the original children of Arthur and the new siblings upto now where there is no contact at all. But over all this time we have kept in contact with our French relatives and our family has on numerous occasions visited our French relatives and Villers Bretonneux for both historical and family links. We now even enjoy showing our French relatives around Adelaide when they visit, as they have now started to.
I ( Christian ) attended the Anzac Day ceremony in Villers Bretonneux on 25th April 2015 with my father, my Grandmother and our French relatives attended as well, to show our respects to the fallen and renew our family ties in general and to this sacred part of France.