The AIF Project

Arthur Hurtle MORPHETT

Regimental number340
Date of birth1878
Place of birthAdelaide, South Australia
SchoolSt Peter's Collegiate School, Adelaide, South Australia; Queen's School
Other trainingRoseworthy Agricultural College, South Australia
ReligionChurch of England
OccupationGrazier
AddressWoods Point, Murray Bridge, South Australia
Marital statusSingle
Age at embarkation38
Height6' 1"
Weight160 lbs
Next of kinMother, Mrs Mary Francis Morphett, Morphett Vale, South Australia
Previous military serviceNil
Enlistment date23 June 1915
Place of enlistmentKeswick, South Australia
Rank on enlistmentPrivate
Unit name32nd Battalion, A Company
AWM Embarkation Roll number23/49/1
Embarkation detailsUnit embarked from Adelaide, South Australia, on board HMAT A2 Geelong on 18 November 1915
The 32nd Bn (Headquarters, Signallers, A, B, C, and D Companies) embarked from Adelaide, South Australia, on two ships, HMAT A2 'Geelong', on 18 November 1915, and HMAT A13 'Katuna', on 24 November 1915. The Embarkation Roll does not distinguish between these ships, and it is therefore not possible from the Embarkation Roll to ascertain on which ship an individual embarked.
Rank from Nominal RollPrivate
Unit from Nominal Roll32nd Battalion
FateKilled in Action 20 July 1916
Age at death from cemetery records38
Place of burialNo known grave
Commemoration detailsV.C. Corner (Panel No 4), Australian Cemetery Memorial, Fromelles, France
Panel number, Roll of Honour,
  Australian War Memorial
121
Miscellaneous information from
  cemetery records
Parents: John Cummuns and Mary Frances MORPHETT, 'Cummins', Glenelg, South Australia
Other details

War service: Egypt, Western Front

Embarked Adelaide, 18 November 1915; disembarked Suez, 18 December 1915.

Admitted to No 8th Field Ambulance, Outpost Road Head, 14 April 1916 (diarrhoea); transferred to No 2 Australia Casualty Clearing Station, Ferry Post, 18 April 1916 (haemorrhoids); discharged and rejoined 32nd Bn, Ferry Post, 27 April 1916.

Promoted to Lance Corporal, Ferry Post, 26 May 1916.

Embarked Alexandria to join the British Expeditionary Force, 17 June 1916; disembarked Marseilles, France, 23 June 1916.

Posted missing, 20 July 1916.

Court of Enquiry, held in the field, 12 August 1917, pronounced fate as 'Killed in Action, 20 July 1916'.

Note on Red Cross File No 1820710: 'No trace Germany. Cert. by Capt. Mills. 10.10.19.'

Statement, 665 Pte G.M. ADAMSON, B Company, 32nd Bn, 28 February 1917: ''We were retreating from German lines about 4 .m. on 20th July under very heavy machine gun fire. I finished up in German wire in No Man's Land and on regaining my senses discovered a man groaning by my side. I probably went off into a stupor and was awakened by something cold inside of my face.It was this man's elbow and he was dead. I could not see him squarely but recognised him for a L/Cpl whom I had seen several times in Egypt nd who was in A. Co. of this unit. On reaching hospital I met a Sgt. of A. Co. whom I knew. I described the man who died in No Man's Land andalso the one I had seen so often in Egypt and the Sgt. said that mut be L/Cpl Morphett ... It was too close to [the] German parapet to interfere with the man as regards taking his disc or clearing his pockets. I reckon a machine gun bullet caught him in the body as were many others.'

Medals: 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal
SourcesNAA: B2455, MORPHETT Arthur Hurtle
Red Cross file 1820710

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