The AIF Project

Arthur Alfred Baron BALDWIN

Regimental number43
Place of birthSurry Hills, Sydney, New South Wales
SchoolFive Dock Public School, New South Wales
ReligionChurch of England
OccupationCarpenter
Address91 Salisbury Road, Stanmore, New South Wales
Marital statusSingle
Age at embarkation19
Height5' 8"
Weight142 lbs
Next of kinFather, Arthur John Baldwin, 91 Salisbury Road, Stanmore, New South Wales
Previous military service31st Infantry; Served as a Sergeant in the Citizen Military Forces.
Enlistment date19 August 1914
Date of enlistment from Nominal Roll19 August 1914
Place of enlistmentPaddington, New South Wales
Rank on enlistmentLance Corporal
Unit name1st Field Company Engineers
AWM Embarkation Roll number14/20/1
Embarkation detailsUnit embarked from Sydney, New South Wales, on board Transport A19 Afric on 18 October 1914
Rank from Nominal RollSergeant
Unit from Nominal Roll1st Field Company Engineers
Recommendations (Medals and Awards)

Military Medal


Recommendation date: 2 August 1916

Silver Star 2nd Class


Recommendation date: 3 September 1916

Meritorious Service Medal


Recommendation date: 12 October 1916

FateKilled in Action 21 September 1917
Place of death or woundingPolygon Wood, Belgium
Age at death from cemetery records22
Place of burialTyne Cot Cemetery, (Plot XLII, Row F, Grave No. 21), Belgium
Panel number, Roll of Honour,
  Australian War Memorial
23
Miscellaneous information from
  cemetery records
Parents: Arthur John and Kate BALDWIN, 'Franklyn', Waterview Street, Five Dock, New South Wales.
Medals

Cross of Karageorge - 2nd Class (with swords (Serbia)


Source: 'Commonwealth Gazette' No. 169
Date: 4 October 1917

Family/military connectionsBrother: 1377 Sapper Harry Franklin BALDWIN, 1st Field Company Engineers, died of wounds, 2 February 1917.
Other details

War service: Egypt, Gallipoli, Western Front

Proceeded to join Mediterranean Expeditionary Force (Gallipoli Campaign), 3 March 1915.

Promoted 2nd Corporal, Gallipoli, 25 May 1915.

Admitted to 3rd Field Ambulance, 5 July 1915 (influenza); transferred to 1st Australian Casualty Clearing Station, 5 July 1915; to Fleetsweeper, 5 July 1915; landed at Malta, 18 July 1915; transferred to All Saint's Convalescent Camp, Malta, 27 July 1915; to Overseas Training Base, Mustapha, Egypt, 23 August 1915; embarked Alexandria for the front, 30 August 1915; rejoined unit, Anzac, 9 September 1915.

Disembarked Alexandria, 27 December 1915 (general Gallipoli evacuation).

Embarked Alexandria to join the British Expeditionary Force, 21 March 1916; disembarked Marseilles, France, 28 March 1916.

To be Temporary Sergeant, France, 27 May 1916.

Promoted Sergeant, 1 June 1916.

Awarded Silver Star 2nd Class by the King of Serbia in recognition of distinguished services during the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force Campaign, 3 September 1916.

Granted furlough to the United Kingdom, 14 December 1916; rejoined unit, 30 December 1916.

To be Acting Company Sergeant Major, 9 January 1917; reverted to rank of Sergeant on return of Company Sergeant Major, 9 March 1917.

Awarded Cross of Karageorge 2nd Class with swords by King of Serbia.

On leave to Paris, 14 June 1917; rejoined unit, 21 June 1917.

Missing believed killed, Belgium, 21 September 1917; reported killed in action, 21 September 1917 [2155 Sapper R.C.W. Brown, 1st Field Company Engineers, stated that Sergeant Baldwin was cut off from the remainder of his party during a counter attack at Glencourse Wood on 22 September 1917. He returned the following morning and saw Baldwin lying dead 'just to the right of Clapham Junction corner', he had apparently been hit in the right hand and head by a shell. This was clarified by 2215 Sapper A Wright].

Statement, Red Cross File No 0200904F, 196 F.T. MEADE, 13 November 1917: 'Baldwin was a Sgt. and Hamilton (76 J.M. HAMILTON] a Cpl. The same shell killed both. It was at Lone House Hooge and the date Sept. 21. I was with them in a party widening and deepening a sap from the supports to the front line - it ran through the ruins of an old house. I had just taken a wounded man away and just after I left - so I heard an hour after from Spr. Johnston - a shell came through the bank of the trench burying them. Johnston got them out but they were dead and badly injured. They must have been killed instantly. Baldwin had a pipe in his dead hand when taken out ... we intended to bury them but the barrage made it impossible. We had made the crosses - beautiful ones, but we were relieved by an English Regt. and they buried them.'

Second statement, Lt S. McConnel (patient, 3rd London General Hospital, Wandsworth, England), 9 November 1917: 'Both these men were killed at about 5 to 6 p.m. 21/9/17 by enemy shell on the Western side of Polygon Wood. They were buried close to where they fell.'

Medals: 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal
SourcesNAA: B2455, BALDWIN Arthur Alfred Baron
Red Cross File No 0200904F

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