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George Henry Gordon Arnott - Information

George Henry Gordon Arnott was born in Stawell, Victoria on the 26th of August 1885. During the war, George and his wife, Milicent, moved to Campbelltown, residing on Broughton St. Here, he supported his family working at the Train Station as a railway shunter. When he was 32, George sent in an application to join the AIF, and eventually signed up in Sydney on the 27th of October 1917. He was then transferred from the Royal Showground Camp to the Recruit Depot in Broadmeadows, Victoria to join the Railway Unit. Ready for war, he sailed out of Melbourne onboard the HMAT Port Sydney on the 9th of November 1917.

George landed in Suez, Egypt in mid December. On the 18th, he was transported to Southampton, and was marched out to the Australian Railway Operating Company Details at Longmoor. In March 1918, he was taken to France, joining the 2nd Australian Light Railway Operating Company. In May, George was charged with wilfully absenting himself from duty, however, despite this infraction continued to work hard with the men in his unit to maintain the support lines. Meanwhile, back in Australia, Milicent was struggling without her husband, relocating many times, first to Ningan, Clifton Hill and then to Victoria. George served with the Railway Unit until after the war ended. In February 1919, George accidentally injured his right hand. Then in March, he assisted a soldier that was in lawful custody to escape prosecution and provided him with a revolver. For his actions, George was Court Martialled on the 8th of May. He was found guilty and sentenced to two years imprisonment at hard labour. He was taken from London to Lewes Detention Centre, however, luckily in July, his sentence was suspended. He was then sent back to Australia in early September and was discharged. George returned to Milicent, however, his civilian pay was docked to pay fines he incurred for military infractions.