Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Arnold Heinrich Leopold Graff, 1896-1973
Service No: 4/1507
Unit: New Zealand Tunnelling Company
Relationship: 1st Cousin twice removed = 3rd Cousin
Arnold Heinrich Leopold Graff was born on February 29, 1896, in Thomastown, Victoria, Australia, his father, Charles, was 27 and his mother, Catherine, was 23. He had three brothers and three sisters.
Charles, his father, was of German descent, the son of John (Johann) Graff and Augusta Paulina/Auguste Pauline (nee Roy) born on 12 December 1868 at Germantown. Charles married Catherine Storey daughter of Frederick Storey and Catherine Delaney.
Germantown is approximately 15 kilometres north of Melbourne. A German farming community was stablished in that area, known as Westgarthtown.
Arnold was living at Waiuta in New Zealand and working as a miner when war broke out. He enlisted at Greymouth on 9 October 1915. was appointed as Sapper, No. 4/1507 in the New Zealand Tunnelling Company. He trained at Avondale Racecourse at Auckland from 11 October, then embarked at Auckland aboard the Ruapehu on 18 December 1915. After stops at Montevideo and Dakar, he arrived at Plymouth on 3 February 1916.
Arnold’s unit camped at Falmouth for training purposes, then left for France on 9 March. On 15 March, the New Zealand Tunnelling Company was posted to the Labrynth Sector between Roclincourt and Ecurie, near Arras but two weeks later it moved to Chantecler, one kilometre south. He and the other sappers worked around the clock, in eight-hour shifts, tunnelling under the German lines.
Arnold’s first posting to the Western Front was cut short when he became ill with gastritis and appendicitis on 20 May 1916. After being admitted to various hospitals in France, he was sent back to England on 19 June. He was transferred from hospital at Netley to Brockenhurst on 4 July, then to Depot at Codford on 8 August. He was then discharged to duty on 12 October but did not embark for France until 3 July 1917.
He received a gunshot wound in action on 22 August 1917, but rejoined his unit five days later, so the wound to his forearm must have been slight. However, he was admitted ill to hospital at Etaples in November 1917 and did not rejoin the New Zealand Tunnelling Company until 2 February 1918.
Then near Arras on 31 March 1918, during the German Spring offensive, he was wounded in action for the second time. He received wounds to the right leg, head, left thigh, and left buttock, caused by shrapnel.
Evacuated to England on 5 April and admitted to No. 2 New Zealand General Hospital at Walton he did not rejoin his unit in France until 7 October 1918, just prior to the Armistice. He left for England again on 30 December 1918 and embarked for New Zealand aboard the Port Melbourne at London on 25 January 1919. He was discharged from the NZEF on 15 May 1919 ‘no longer physically fit for war service.’ He then returned home to Australia.
Arnold was unemployed and living in the Salvation Army Home in Melbourne when he re-enlisted on 29 July 1940 during the Second World War. He was allocated to the 12th Garrison Battalion, 4th Garrison Guard (V4729) but served only briefly and was discharged on 3 January 1941 as medically unfit. He later served with the Civil Construction Corps from August to November 1942 at Seymour and Lake Boga before being discharged as medically unfit. From then on, he lived in various inner Melbourne suburbs such as Kensington, North Melbourne, Fitzroy, East Melbourne, Richmond, Northcote, Prahran, St Kilda, Elwood, and Hawthorn.   

Arnold was living at the Ivy Grange Guest House at Malmsbury Street, Hawthorn when he was found drowned in the Yarra River on 26 October 1973, aged 77. The coroner concluded he died on or about 23 October 1973. His doctor, who had treated him for eight years, testified that Arnold had ‘suffered a great deal in recent years’ from his war injuries.
As well as at Fawkner, where he was cremated, Arnold’s name is commemorated on the Honour Rolls of the Thomastown Methodist Church and Epping RSL, and at the recent memorial plantation at Thomastown. His name was also included on the now destroyed Honour Roll at Thomastown State School. A plaque honouring his service during World War 2 is located at Springvale Cemetery.
NZ Campaign Medals were the same as the UK and Australia