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Arthur Samuel Hill - Information

Arthur Samuel Hill belonged to a Campbelltown family. He was born in Campbelltown in 1894 and later attended East Minto School. When he was older, he completed a 5 year apprenticeship becoming a sign-writer. When the war commenced, he was living with his parents and siblings, Charles and Amy, at their family home in Leumeah. At the age of 22, Arthur travelled to the city to join the AIF. He enlisted at the Recruiting Depot at 167 William St in Darlinghurst on the 11th of June 1917. After he joined up, he was allotted to the 8th Reinforcements, 33rd Battalion during training at the Royal Showground Camp in Sydney.

Arthur embarked Sydney on the HMAT Port Melbourne on the 16th of July 1917, and arrived at Liverpool, England in September. Arthur’s unit was marched into the 9th Training Battalion, before going to France in January 1918. By the end of the month, he had joined the 33rd Battalion in the freezing trenches at the front. In March, the Germans launched their Spring Offensive in an attempt to crush the Allies before the bulk of the American forces reached the Western Front. Using specially trained storm troops and reinforcements from the Eastern Front, the Germans broke through the lines. The advance steam rolled the Allied lines, forcing them to retreat. The 33rd Battalion was then stationed to Cachy near Villers-Bretonneux, holding the line against the Germans' blitz. At the beginning of April, Arthur’s B Company was in billets behind the line. On the 3rd of April, about 2pm, Arthur had stood up to brush off his uniform when a shell suddenly hit very close to where he was standing. He was blasted with shrapnel, hitting his thigh, arm and shoulder. Arthur and a Lance Corporal, who was also injured, were immediately taken to the aid post. From there, he was transported to the 12th General Hospital in Rouen. Two days later, on the 5th of April, Arthur died from his wounds. He was buried at St Sever Cemetery, located near the hospital at the Rouen Base in France.