Fox, Arthur Gerard
Arthur Gerard Fox was born in Sydney on 26 December 1894. He was the son of Arthur A Fox and Winifred Anne Fox (née Phillips). From school, he went straight to Military College Duntroon. He left Military College in December 1913, and soon after the war began, he enlisted in the army in New South Wales. He was accepted into the 13th Infantry Battalion as a commissioned officer.1 He enlisted with the 1-8 reinforcements from December 1914 to August 1915. On 11 February 1915, he embarked from Sydney on board the HMAT Seang Choon A49.2
The above photo is of Arthur Fox courtesy of the Australian War Memorial H00330; copyright expired. https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/H00330/
Serving with the Battalion at Gallipoli, during which time he suffered medical problems, including dysentery and influenza. By November, he rejoined his unit and was promoted to Lieutenant, then to Captain in early 1916.3 From Gallipoli, the A.I.F. was evacuated to Egypt, and then on to France in June 1916. On 14 August 1916, the Battalion was engaged in an attempt to capture the heavily defended Mouquet Farm, or Moo Cow Farm as the diggers called it, near Pozières. Captain Fox was severely wounded in the right buttock and taken prisoner. He was interned in Germany. First at Gutersloh, then he was moved to Gefangenenlager Ströhen. His family were advised he had been injured and then captured. A report in the Sydney press said he had been injured, then returned to his unit. Late in 1917 he was moved to Le Grand Chalet Rossiniere in Switzerland, and finally to England in December 1918. Whilst in London, Captain Fox married Dora Betschen, whom he had met in Interlaken, Switzerland, a member of the banking family from that city. He returned to Australia with his wife in February 1920. On return he was found to be suffering from Tuberculosis of the right lung, and other respiratory ailments.4 Between the wars, Captain Fox concentrated on his farm “Maryvale” in South Australia.5
In 1939, when war was again declared, Captain Fox once more offered his services to his country. He held the rank of Major, and then was promoted to acting Lieutenant Colonel on 13 May 1940. He enlisted and served in New Guinea.
After the war in 1945, Colonel Arthur G Fox was appointed Assistant Director of UNRRA in Europe.6 The United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration was given the task of moving the eleven million non-German displaced persons who were living in camps in Germany. They had been used as forced labour during the war, and were from all over Europe. A position he held for 18 months.
Researched and compiled by Jim Nelson, a volunteer with the Campbelltown Library 'Digital Diggers' group.
References
- Observer (Adelaide, SA : 1905 - 1931) Saturday 6 February 1915 p 29
- 2022. Arthur Gerard Fox First World War Embarkation Roll. [online] awm.gov.au. Available at: <https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/R1765404> [Accessed 16 May 2022].
- https://www.aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=102566
- http://www.memorial.act.gov.au/person.php?id=4178
- http://www.memorial.act.gov.au/person.php?id=4178
- News (Adelaide, SA : 1923 - 1954) Monday 9 July 1945 p 3