Arthur James Byrnes

Arthur James Byrnes (junior) was born in Wollongong 1897, the third of 13 biological and 2 adopted children of Arthur James Byrnes (senior) and wife Mary Elizabeth Smith.

He worked as a labourer when he enlisted at Wollongong subsequntly serving in the 13th and 20th Battalions under the service number: 6348. His brother Richard Percy Burns, a school teacher, enlisted in 1917. Their uncle Norbert Joseph Byrnes, part of the 47th Battalion, was killed on 9 August 1917 at Messines Belgium and is commemorated at Ypres Menin Gate (N.B some records show that Norbert was brother to Arthur James Byrnes Jnr and Richard Percy Burns - this is incorrect).

Arthur served in Belgium and France before being wounded on 21 September 1917. A shell blew in a trench and he was buried but luckily recovered and returned to serve in the 19th Battalion. In France on 8 August 1918 he suffered a gunshot wound to head. He was treated at the 6th Australian Field Ambulance, then transferred to the 61st Casualty Clearing Station and onto the 13th USA General Hospital Boulogne, 1st London General Hospital Camberwell, and finally the 1st Australian Auxiliary Hospital in Harefield.

Arthur was discharged from Harefield October 23 1918, before being re-admitted to hospital - 1st A.D.H. Bulford V.D. 20 on November 1 1918 and not discharged until December 23 1918.

He married Ivy Lily Smith in Wollongong on 31 January 1920 and worked as a linesman for the Snowy Mountains Hydro Electric Scheme.