Arthur Leeman FULTON

Date of birth18 November 1894
OccupationSoldier
Address12 Pilgrim Street, Footscray, Victoria
Marital statusSingle
Age at embarkation20
Height5' 10.5"
Weight160 lbs
Next of kinMother, Mrs M Fulton, 12 Pilgrim Street, Footscray, Victoria
Enlistment date3 November 1914
Rank on enlistmentLieutenant
Unit name7th Light Horse Regiment, C Squadron
AWM Embarkation Roll number10/12/1
Embarkation detailsUnit embarked from Sydney, New South Wales, on board Transport A31 Ajana on 19 December 1914
Rank from Nominal RollMajor
Unit from Nominal Roll47th Battalion
FateKilled in Action 7 August 1916
Commemoration detailsAustralian National Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux, France

Villers-Bretonneux is a village about 15 km east of Amiens. The Memorial stands on the high ground ('Hill 104') behind the Villers-Bretonneux Military Cemetery, Fouilloy, which is about 2 km north of Villers-Bretonneux on the east side of the road to Fouilloy.

The Australian National Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux is approached through the Military Cemetery, at the end of which is an open grass lawn which leads into a three-sided court. The two pavilions on the left and right are linked by the north and south walls to the back (east) wall, from which rises the focal point of the Memorial, a 105 foot tall tower, of fine ashlar. A staircase leads to an observation platform, 64 feet above the ground, from which further staircases lead to an observation room. This room contains a circular stone tablet with bronze pointers indicating the Somme villages whose names have become synonymous with battles of the Great War; other battle fields in France and Belgium in which Australians fought; and far beyond, Gallipoli and Canberra.

On the three walls, which are faced with Portland stone, are the names of 10,885 Australians who were killed in France and who have no known grave. The 'blocking course' above them bears the names of the Australian Battle Honours.

After the war an appeal in Australia raised £22,700, of which £12,500 came from Victorian school children, with the request that the majority of the funds be used to build a new school in Villers-Bretonneux. The boys' school opened in May 1927, and contains an inscription stating that the school was the gift of Victorian schoolchildren, twelve hundred of whose fathers are buried in the Villers-Bretonneux cemetery, with the names of many more recorded on the Memorial. Villers-Bretonneux is now twinned with Robinvale, Victoria, which has in its main square a memorial to the links between the two towns.

Panel number, Roll of Honour,
  Australian War Memorial
143
Other details

Special graduation from Royal Military College, 3 November 1914, and gazetted Lieutenant from that date.

War service: Egypt, Gallipoli, Western Front

Proceeded to join the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force, Gallipoli, 15 May 1915.

Appointed Temporary Captain, 1 August 1915.

Wounded slightly, 8 August 1915; remained at duty.

Admitted to 1st Australian Casualty Clearing Station, 23 September 1915 (enteritis), and transferred to Hospital Ship for Mudros; temporary rank cancelled, 24 September 1915; embarked for England, 26 September 1915, and admitted to 3rd London General Hospital, Wandsworth, 9 October 1915 (jaundice).

Rejoined unit at Gallipoli, 7 December 1915.

Promoted Captain, 1 March 1916.

Transferred to 47th Bn, Serapeum, 12 March 1916.

Embarked Alexandria to join the British Expeditionary Force, 2 June 1916; disembarked Marseilles, France, 9 June 1916.

Promoted Major, 29 July 1916.

Killed in action, 7 August 1916.

Statement, Lt Col A.P. IMLAYA, CO, 12th Train Bn: 'Major A.C. FULTON was killed instantly by Field Gun Fire on the 7th August, 1916 in the O.G. 2 Trench at POZIERES, whilst in charge of "B" Company, 47th Battalion at about 1600 in the Tramway Trench, Map Reference 57D R. 35.C. It is regretted that at this juncture the exact information regarding the death of this Officer cannot be supplied, nor is there any indication that his body was recovered. The point at which he was killed, contained a lot of bodies which were, during the bombardment there being continually interred and re-interred. The above Map Reference will give, no doubt, the approximate position where his body lies.'

Medals: 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal
SourcesNAA: B2455, FULTON Arthur Leeman
Digitised Diary: 1 Jan to 6 August 1916