Cpl
Arthur Shoobridge Atkins
Information about birth
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Year of birth: 1878 |
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Place of birth: Coventry, Warwickshire, England, United Kingdom |
General information
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Last known residence: 48 Fairlight Street, Fairlight, New South Wales, Australia |
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Profession: Orchardist |
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Religion: Church of England |
Army information
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Country: Australia |
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Force: Australian Imperial Force |
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Rank: Corporal |
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Service number: 2763 |
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Enlistment date: 09/06/1916 |
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Enlistment place: Hobart, Tasmania, Australia |
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Units: — Australian Infantry, 40th Bn. (Last known unit) |
Information about death
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Date of death: 04/10/1917 |
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Place of death: Abraham Heights, Zonnebeke, Belgium |
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Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.) |
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Age: 39 |
Cemetery
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Tyne Cot Cemetery Plot: XXXV Row: D Grave: 7 |
Points of interest 4
| #1 | Place of birth | ||
| #2 | Last known residence | ||
| #3 | Enlistment place | ||
| #4 | Place of death (approximate) |
My story
Arthur Shoobridge Atkins was born about 1878 in Coventry, Warwickshire, England. He is the son of Charles James Atkins and Kate Elizabeth Atkins. In addition, he has a brother, C.N. Atkins, who served with the Royal Army Medical Corps in Gallipoli. When Arthur was three, he moved with his parents to Australia, where he worked as a fruit grower and where he remained until enlisting in the Australian Imperial Force. In Australia, he met his wife Annie Scott Atkins, with whom he had a son, Arthur James Atkins. They lived at 48 Fairlight Street, Fairlight, New South Wales, Australia. Before World War I broke out, Arthur had served in the military police in South Africa and after 1914 he joined two reconnaissance services in south-west Tasmania as a topographer. Arthur eventually enlisted in the Australian Army on nine June 1916 in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia and served in the 40th Battalion Australian Infantry Regiment (10th Brigade, 3rd Division) during the war.
On Thursday 4 October 1917, the Battle of Broodseinde took place. The 3rd Division attacked with the 11th and 10th Brigades. The 40th Battalion was drawn up in a line from Waterend House to Jacobs House. At Zonnebeke Creek, the battalion encountered considerable difficulties in advancing because of the very wet state of the ground. When the Germans fired an initial barrage, most of it landed within range of the battalion, which suffered about 20 casualties. At 6 am, the Australian barrage opened and the 10th Brigade advanced: the 37th Battalion was to reach the first objective, from Bourdeaux Farm to Windmill Cabaret, the 38th Battalion was to reach the second objective, also called the Red Line, from Jodah House to Springfield Farm, the 39th Battalion was to reach the third objective, from Abraham Heights and Hamburg to Seine and the 40th Battalion was to reach the fourth objective, also called the Blue Line, from above Hamburg to Dash Crossing.
The first objective was achieved with a few casualties. When the battalion moved from the 1st objective to the 2nd objective, the ground became very wet. This combined with German barrage and machine-gun fire caused several casualties. On the way from the 2nd to the 3rd objective, the Germans brought a lot of machine-gun fire. After passing the 3rd objective, the ground became very boggy. Heavy machinegun fire came from Hamburg Dab Trench, but when the Australians were able to reach the trench, the Germans surrendered with 3 machine guns. They then moved to the 4th objective and started digging in at 9.12 am. Ten minutes later, battalion headquarters had moved to Beecham Farm. There, a telephone line was laid to the front line, which was maintained all the time. At 10.30 am they saw Germans gathering at Tyne Cot Cemetery, but Australian consolidation continued under reasonably comfortable conditions. In the afternoon, the Germans gathered the wounded under a Red Cross flag. At 2 pm, the Germans began moving from Passchendaele towards the New Zealand sector on the left. Several SOS signals were sent out during the night.
4 October 1917 brought 257 casualties: 1 soldier went missing, 213 soldiers were wounded and 43 soldiers died in the battle, including 39-year-old Arthur Shoobridge Atkins. He was killed in the muster trench by a grenade, causing a severe blow that killed him instantly. He is buried in Tyne Cot Cemetery (Plot XXXV, Row D, Grave 7). In addition, his name is remembered on the Australian War Memorial, panel 132.
On Thursday 4 October 1917, the Battle of Broodseinde took place. The 3rd Division attacked with the 11th and 10th Brigades. The 40th Battalion was drawn up in a line from Waterend House to Jacobs House. At Zonnebeke Creek, the battalion encountered considerable difficulties in advancing because of the very wet state of the ground. When the Germans fired an initial barrage, most of it landed within range of the battalion, which suffered about 20 casualties. At 6 am, the Australian barrage opened and the 10th Brigade advanced: the 37th Battalion was to reach the first objective, from Bourdeaux Farm to Windmill Cabaret, the 38th Battalion was to reach the second objective, also called the Red Line, from Jodah House to Springfield Farm, the 39th Battalion was to reach the third objective, from Abraham Heights and Hamburg to Seine and the 40th Battalion was to reach the fourth objective, also called the Blue Line, from above Hamburg to Dash Crossing.
The first objective was achieved with a few casualties. When the battalion moved from the 1st objective to the 2nd objective, the ground became very wet. This combined with German barrage and machine-gun fire caused several casualties. On the way from the 2nd to the 3rd objective, the Germans brought a lot of machine-gun fire. After passing the 3rd objective, the ground became very boggy. Heavy machinegun fire came from Hamburg Dab Trench, but when the Australians were able to reach the trench, the Germans surrendered with 3 machine guns. They then moved to the 4th objective and started digging in at 9.12 am. Ten minutes later, battalion headquarters had moved to Beecham Farm. There, a telephone line was laid to the front line, which was maintained all the time. At 10.30 am they saw Germans gathering at Tyne Cot Cemetery, but Australian consolidation continued under reasonably comfortable conditions. In the afternoon, the Germans gathered the wounded under a Red Cross flag. At 2 pm, the Germans began moving from Passchendaele towards the New Zealand sector on the left. Several SOS signals were sent out during the night.
4 October 1917 brought 257 casualties: 1 soldier went missing, 213 soldiers were wounded and 43 soldiers died in the battle, including 39-year-old Arthur Shoobridge Atkins. He was killed in the muster trench by a grenade, causing a severe blow that killed him instantly. He is buried in Tyne Cot Cemetery (Plot XXXV, Row D, Grave 7). In addition, his name is remembered on the Australian War Memorial, panel 132.
Sources 6
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10th Australian Infantry Brigade, (Australian War Memorial, Campbell (AWM), AWM4 23/10/12). https://www.awm.gov.au/ Sources used |
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40th Australian Infantry Battalion, (Australian War Memorial, Campbell (AWM), AWM4 23/57/19). https://www.awm.gov.au/ Sources used |
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Australian Red Cross Wounded and Missing Enquiry Bureau (Australian War Memorial, Campbell (AWM), RCDIG1037994). https://www.awm.gov.au/ Sources used |
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First Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers, 1914-1920, (National Archives of Australia, Canberra (NAA), B2455, ATKINS A S). https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/ Sources used |
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McCarthy, Chris. Passchendaele: The Day by Day Account (Londen: Arms & Armour Press, 1995), p. 113. Sources used |
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Unit embarkation nominal rolls, 1914-18 War (Australian War Memorial, Campbell (AWM), AWM 8). https://www.awm.gov.au/ Sources used |
More information 4
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Commonwealth War Graves Commission Database https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/461777 |
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Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=3b5d8f68-3509-4e62-81d2-af5c702b5863 |
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Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum) https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/7345616 |
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The AIF Project (UNSW Canberra) https://aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=8724 |