Soldier’s Pay Book: Gunner Arthur Jones, Z5A Medium Trench Mortar Battery, AIF

ID Number    PERS012.01

Title                Soldier’s Pay Book: Gunner Arthur Jones, Z5A Medium Trench Mortar Battery, AIF

Maker             Albert J. Mullett, Government Printer, Melbourne

Object Type   Personal Equipment

Place made     Australia, Victoria, Melbourne

Date made      1915

Physical          Cardboard; linen; paper

Description

Description

Army Book 64, Soldier's Pay Book for use on Active Service, with brown glazed linen cover and 16 pages. Period covers 27 October 1915 - 22 February 1917. Owner's details printed on page 3: ‘Regiment or Corps, 23 Batt; Squadron, Battery, or Company, 6 Rfts (this has subsequently been crossed and 58^th and later Z5A T.M. B’ty has been added); No., 2673; Rank, Pte (crossed out and replaced with Gunner); Name in full, Jones Arthur; Date of Attestation, 2/8/15; Age on Enlistment, 27 7/12.

Summary

Arthur Jones was a 27 year old wheeler from Wonthaggi, Victoria when he enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) on 2 August 1915. 2673 Private Jones embarked for overseas on board HMAT A38 Ulysses on 27 October 1915 with the 6 Reinforcement of the 23 Battalion.  He disembarked at Alexandria Egypt on 24 November 1915. Jones was admitted to the 3 Australian General Hospital from 18 to 28 January 1916. He was transferred to the 58 Battalion on 23 February. On 5 March 1916 he transferred to the 59 Battalion and was sent to Ferry Post and the Suez Canal Defences. Jones embarked at Alexandria on 18 June and disembarked on 29 June at Marseilles, France.

On 5 July 1916 Private Jones transferred to the Z5A Trench Mortar Battery and his rank became Gunner. After almost a year of operations, including participation in such battles as Poziers and Ypres, he was granted leave to the United Kingdom, lasting from 28 April to 13 May 1917.  From 9 August to 5 September 1917 Gunner Jones attended a course of instruction at the 5 Army Trench Mortar School. He was admitted to hospital sick with knee injury from 17 September to 17 October 1917.

Gunner Jones transferred to the 10 Australian Trench Mortar Battery on 28 January 1918. He was granted a second leave to the United Kingdom, lasting from 9 to 26 February 1918. Jones was admitted to hospital sick with scabies from 10 April to 10 May 1918. He was wounded in action, gun shot wound to his hand, near Mont St Quentin on 19 August 1918 and was sent to the 9 Field Ambulance, then to the 55 Casualty Clearing Station and subsequently to the 6 Australian General Hospital, Rouen. On 21 September 1918 Jones was evacuated to the United Kingdom and admitted to Portsmouth Military Hospital. He marched into the Overseas Training Brigade, Hurdcott, on 30 November 1918.

Gunner Jones left the UK on 8 January 1919 and arrived in Melbourne Australia 27 February. He was discharged on 21 April 1919.

Also see PERS012.02.