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Arthur Charles Daly - Information

Arthur was born in Picton in 1900 to Augustine and Muriel Daly. The Dalys later resided at 100 Hay St in Leichhardt, while Arthur worked as a clerk. The war would have a large effect on the Daly family. Arthur’s father and brothers signed up and left for war. Sadly, Augustine died of illness while at sea in 1915. Arthur desperately wanted to serve but was too young. Concealing his age, he signed up on the 23rd of July 1916 in Goulburn, claiming to be 18. He was just 15. He was originally accepted, however, discharged a week later for being underage. Arthur’s mother, Muriel, then moved to Enoba on Grosvenor St in Croydon, while the family was dealing with the grief. Arthur tried again on the 2nd of July 1917, enlisting at the Royal Naval House in Sydney. Commencing his training at Liverpool, he was made a Private with the 8th Reinforcements, 36th Battalion. He was then sent overseas, departing Sydney onboard the HMAT Miltiades on the 2nd of August 1917.

Arthur set down in Glasgow at the beginning of October, and was taken to the 69th Training Battalion. On the 6th of February 1918, he departed Southampton for France. He joined the 36th Battalion a week later. On the 21st of March, the Germans launched their Spring Offensive; a major campaign designed to crush the Allies. It was initially successful with the Germans pushing through the lines. The Allies desperate to halt their advance, conducted many counter assaults to curb the onslaught. The 36th stood firm at Hangard Wood and helped to repel the attack on the village of Villers-Bretonneux on the 4th of April. Here, on the first day, Arthur was wounded in action, hit in the left shoulder. On the 10th, he was evacuated to England to Bath War Hospital. Still recuperating when the war ended in November, he was then shipped back to Australia on the 16th of January 1919.