Private
Arthur Rathbone
Arthur Rathbone was born on the 9th of July 1897 in Nerang, Queensland, to Mr Richard Rathbone and Mrs Hannah Mary Rathbone (nee Oldham) as the youngest of their five children. His older siblings were (from eldest to youngest) Emily, Lilian, Mabel and Richard.
| Service Number: | 126 |
| Place of Enlistment: | Brisbane |
| Age of Enlistment: | 18 Years |
| Date Of Enlistment: | 7th January 1916 |
| Embarked: | 12th July 1916 |
| Transport Ship: | A30 HMAT Borda |
| Medals: | British War Medal, Victory Medal |
| Place of Death: | Wounded in action, France 3rd of July 1917, east of Messines |
| Again Wounded in action, Belgium 29th of September 1917 | |
| Died of wounds Battle of Passendale, Belgium 14th October 1917 | |
| Resting Place: | Commemorated Menin Gate Memorial Ypres Panel 31 belgium |
| Unit: | 11th Australian Machine Gun Company AIF |
Arthur Rathbone was born on the 9th of July 1897 in Nerang, Queensland, to Mr Richard Rathbone and Mrs Hannah Mary Rathbone (nee Oldham) as the youngest of their five children. His older siblings were (from eldest to youngest) Emily, Lilian, Mabel and Richard. Both of his parents were born and married in England and the familly moved to Australia in the mid 1880's after the birth of their two eldest daughters. Prior to his enslistment in the 11th Machine Gun Company A.I.F, Arthur worked as a farmer near Nerang in Queensland.
Machine Gun Companies were units attached to the Brigade with the same numeric designation, i.e. the 11th Brigade. Later in the war they were absorbed into the 3rd Machine Gun Battalion when they were controlled by Divisional HQ. They were equipped with the Vickers Medium Machine Gun. This weapon was operated by a crew of three and was mounted on a tripod.
Private Rathbone was killed supporting an infantry advance on the 14th of October. It is worth noting that Private Rathbone had been injured in a grenade attack two weeks earlier but had remained on the line. 11th Machine Gun Company suffered 16 men killed, 15 injured and 12 gassed in this four-day operation. Private Rathbone's body was never recovered - a tragically common fate in the Battle of Passendale where the bodies of the fallen vanished into the mud. He is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial.
The Battle of Passendale was the final action in the British Commonwealth 1917 Ypres offensive and was marked by heavy rain which turned the shell churned battlefield into a muddy quagmire. Many veterans considered it the worst battle of the entire First World War.
The Last Post Ceremony Menin Gate Ypres - Video Youtube Blackmore-Heal Media
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The history of the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial - Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Medals & Awards
Colour patch for 11th Australian Machine Gun Company, AIF, consisting of a light blue horizontally aligned oval above two crossed guns in yellow.
Worn as a distinguishing unit indication at the head of each sleeve from 1915
The War Medal is a campaign medal of the British Empire which was awarded to the officers and men of British and Imperial forces for their service in the First World War.
The Victory Medal was awarded to all those who served in the armed forces during the First World War. Civilians who worked with the armed services as well as those who served in military hospitals also received this medal.
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