Arthur Robert Landy (1875 - 1917)

Biography

Arthur Robert Landy was born in 1875 in Emerald Hill, Victoria (Australia). He was the third and youngest son of George Landy and Jane Ross. ^[1]

On 25th February 1916 Arthur enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (AIF), his young nation's overseas expeditionary force for the (First World) War. ^[2] Following basic training he was allocated to reinforcements for the 39th Australian Infantry Battalion, with whom he embarked aboard HMAT Shropshire A9 at Melbourne on 25th September 1916 for Europe. ^[3] He joined the battalion, then training in England, and deployed to the Western Front in France in November; in time for winter in the trenches. The 39th was a unit of the 10th Brigade, 3rd Division. The 39th fought in its first major battle at Messines, Belgium, between 7-9th June 1917. During its march to the start-line for this operation the battalion suffered heavily from a German gas bombardment and less than a third of the troops earmarked to attack actually did so. The battalion, however, captured all of its objectives. ^[4]

Aged 42 years, he died of his wounds on 4th August 1917 and is buried in the Trois Arbres Cemetery, Steenwerck, France. ^[5] Arthur Robert Landy's name is located at panel 131 in the Commemorative Area at the Australian War Memorial, Canberra, and on the Cenotaphs at South Melbourne and Warracknabeal, Victoria. ^[6]

Following war's end, his long-widowed mother was issued both his British War Medal and Victory Medal.

Sources

1. ↑ Victoria Birth Index #2172/1875
2. ↑ Australian War Memorial nominal roll: 2105 Private Arthur Robert Landy; accessed 28 Feb 2022
3. ↑ Australian War Memorial embarkation roll: 2105 Private Arthur Robert Landy; accessed 28 Feb 2022
4. ↑ Australian War Memorial unit record: 39th Australian Infantry Battalion; accessed 28 Feb 2022
5. ↑ Virtual War Memorial Australia; accessed 28 Feb 2022
6. ↑ Australian War Memorial roll of honour: 2105 Private Arthur Robert Landy; accessed 28 Feb 2022