(Arnold is the son-in-law of Richard Welch & Lilias, nee McMillan)

Arnold Markey was a Corporal in the 6th Field Ambulance Corp. He joined up on 18th January 1915 and sailed to the front in November 1915. He was awarded the Military Medal for Bravery while in France. At the age of 24, he wrote to his parents.

Taken from the “Murrumbidgee Irrigator” 3rd November 1916

“I have very trying experiences, lately as regimental stretcher bearer, and thank God, I got through it alright, as I had others with me killed; in fact, blown to pieces. I shall never forget it although one gets hardened to seeing dead lying everywhere. You will know by this that I have won the Military Medal [for Bravery] although I will always do the same again if I am spared. We had been bearing, which I guarantee is the hardest and most strenuous work there is, for 5 days and nights without a stop and encountering experiences I am sure if I told you what I went through with my comrades, it would not make you feel happy. We had practically little trench left and dead bodies lying everywhere, some blown to pieces, and the cruel part of it was to have to walk on your own dead which in this particular part of the trench was numerous. We lived with the dead and the smell was cruel. The flies – why they nearly flew away with you. It was a sad sight and many a tear I shed to see these brave Australians lying there; also to think what a mother goes through to rear them and then to be killed like they were here. No one will ever know, unless at this great Somme battle what the wounded suffered, and the way the boys bore their wounds. It makes you love being Australian, and feel proud to be one if spared and return to Australia. I volunteered with some other comrades to go and get the wounded which were at very close distance to the German line. I will relate my experiences, and you will consider that the good God above us was carefully watching over me. We hopped the first line of trenches and proceeded on our way, and hadn’t gone far before old Fritz was after us. Talk ab0ut shelling! Why it takes about ten tons of lead to kill a man. Anyhow, we arrived at this particular part of the trench to get the Australian wounded out, but our bad luck was to see about four Australians to about 8 to 10 Germans [wounded] alive. They were down a German dug-out like worms. Dead and Blood everywhere and all mixed up together. We counted 8 Australians dead and God knows how many Germans. The Germans, most of them could speak English begged us to get them out, offering all sorts of things, but we came to get the bravest and best ever born, Australians, so we started. We had to get an oilsheet and drag them through a hole which was part of the dug-out and the pain they suffered was cruel. They never complained only saying, “You stretcher bearers deserve the Victoria Cross”, and thanking us all the while. We started leaving the Fritzes to be blown to pieces, although if I could have saved any of them I would have, but delay meant death to all of us. We gave them a nip of water, also a cigarette. As we proceeded back my cobber – one of the bravest born, a WA boy got wounded. I bound his wounds up after which he carried the stretcher for some time. Then I called for volunteers; and volunteers were hard to get at this time as everyone’s nerves were settled, for at this time we had twelve days and nights with very little sleep; and the smell of the bodies and the lice and fleas and with very little decent food we weren’t the best. Anyhow, two lads volunteered and we started. By this, the German artillery was cruel. We hadn’t got 20 yards when a coal box got us and blew the lads’ heads practically off, also blew me and the poor devil up in the air and then we got buried, the four of us. The sensation I will never forget. I have been buried a lot of times, but this particular occasion was cruel. What saved my life was a sand bag and the position in which I lay. I was soon dug out. I was covered in blood off the lads that had their heads blown off. The chap on the stretcher was still alive but died seconds later. I was taken to the Doctor’s First Aid post, but refused to go away as I heard in the meanwhile that I had been posted missing and knew the anxiety young Hector and you would be wondering all the worst at home. My officers treated me  like a gentleman and poor Hector, you would think he was a father to me. He is one of the best and works like a nigger and is always happy and the most popular boy at camp. Well parents, I will say good-bye, as we have left the Somme battle and are now somewhere in Belgium, and I hope the luck will stick with me.

Best love to all………………………

In WW2, Arnold Markey was a Sergeant Major, attached to the Records Branch, Eastern Command.

From: ‘The Riverine Grazier’ Tuesday 3rd October 1916

Private Arnold Markey is a native of Hay, where he was born 23 years ago, and where he has spent practically all his life. For some years he was engaged at Messers G.H. Harrison and Sons and then went to Sydney to learn hairdressing, after which he came back to Hay and started on his own account. His parents are at present living in Leeton.

       Private Markey was also attached to the 30th Battalion, but at latest advices was acting as a stretcher bearer. No recent letters from him are available, and it is not yet known for what conduct he has earned this distinction. His brother Hector Markey who is also in the firing line in France, writing to his parents on August 2nd said: Putting the whole time that was on the Peninsula and the three months spent in another part of France together, it goes far from balancing what I have seen here this last three weeks. I think this time the Australians have earrned undying glory.  As for stretcher bearers well, it was said on the Peninsula that everyone of them earned distinction, but here one cannot think enough of them. It is absolutely marvellous to see the way they stand the strain. I am glad to to say that Arnold is amongst them. They say that self praise is no recommendation, but I am prouud to say that Arnold is as good as any man in this unit and many others. Although he has had the top of his steel helmet dinted in with a shell, he still keeps going on strong.

       Prior to enlisting, Private Markey was conducting the hairdressing saloon at the corner of Moffatt and Lachlan Streets where he was working up a very good business and those who are in a position to judge consider he made a material sacrifice in going to fight for his country.

Taken from; “The Riverine Grazier” Friday, 20 October 1916.  p.2.

Writing to a relative in Hay, Private Arnold Markey describes how he won the recent military distinction:- “I was regimental stretcher bearer for five days and nights without sleep or any decent food. of course we could get plenty of bully beef and biscuits out of dead heroes’ haversacks, but water was very scarce. On paper I shall never be able to explain as only God above and the lads left with me will ever know what we went through. Word came along the line that there were eight Australians wounded in a German dug-out and they wanted volunteers to get them out. Although I was not fit to go, God gave me strength, and I yelled out to my ‘cobber’, one of the bravest ever made to come with me. Some of the boys tried to stop us, but on we went. We walked over our dear lads in the hopping-out sap, they were lying in all positions, never to return to their loved ones. After a good walk with our stretchers we got to the dug-out expecting to find eight Australians alive. The dug-out was practically blown  in, and the shell fire was terrific. We then started to go down the dug-out, and it was full of German wounded and about a dozen Australians –  only four alive. After lighting matches and having a good look at our lads, to bind their wounds and finding out who was dead, we started to get them up. We had to put them on an oiled sheet, and then pull them up steep steps and through the little hole which was once a big dug-out entrance. The pain they went through no one can imagine, as their wounds were cruel. The Germans wanted us to get them out – they were just like worms, and all sitting in a puddle of blood. We gave them a cigarette each and a small nip of water and then started back to get to the first aid post. We walked up and down shell holes, which are here in millions, and every few lines bodies of Germans and our lads – the smell was cruel, as they cannot be buried, although every possible means is taken to do so, and great risks incurred. All of a sudden a shell burst about ten yards off us and hit my ‘cobber’ through the shoulder. I encouraged him to stick to the stretcher until we got to a deep shell hole, and then I would bind his wound. Anyhow, with all his pain, he managed to stick to the stretcher, till he got to the hopping-out sap, and then I bandaged his wound, and called out for a couple of volunteers to help me. At that moment it was very hard to get volunteers as this sap I talk of was just a mass of dead Australian bodies. At last I got two, and away we went, but we had only gone about 20 yards when a “coal box” [we call them that] landed on us. I went sailing up in the air, but soon landed, and was buries and the two things that saved my life were that a sandbag fell across my head and my stretchers sling slipped off. The next thing I felt was blood trickling down my face, and it was from one of the lads who had his head blown practically off. All that I thought of was breathing and felt that I was ripped to pieces. A few minutes elapsed and I felt dirt being pulled away, and a chap say, ‘They’re all dead.’ But I was well and alive – and the only one; the lads who volunteered when I called them both had their head practically blown off. The poor chap that volunteered to get was cut in the forehead again, and died just as the boys pulled the stretcher out. The next thing I remembered I was down the aid post. I was covered in blood off the others. I got the doctor to examine me,  but thank God, I escaped with only bruises and shell shock. I then made haste to get back to the field ambulance, staying in the hospital that night, and was found by my brother, Hector who was nearly silly about me, as I had been posted missing. It cost us seven volunteers, and we got back with three.

From: ‘The Riverine Grazier’ Tuesday, 7 October 1919  p.2

His relatives have been advised that Private Arnold Markey M.M. has sailed for Australia, and is expected to land early November. His brother, Lieutenant Hector Markey of the Flying Corps, has been promoted to the rank of Adjutant.

Taken from “The Riverine Grazier”   Tuesday, 9 December 1919  p. 2

Sergeant Arnold Markey, M.M. who enlisted in 1915 and saw a great deal of fighting on the Western Front, and had some rough experiences, landed back in Hay on Friday’s train. He was to have been tendered a welcome home but the arrival of his train at 2am prevented this taking place. Sergeant Markey has come through a long spell in hospital in England where owing to an old wound breaking out he had to undergo a number of operations. He is not yet by any means his old self, but is now making satisfactory progress towards recovery. His younger brother, Flight Lieut. Hector Markey, is now well on his way to Australia.

Information below from the A. W. M.

• Honours and Awards (Recommendation):Unit 6th Field Ambulance Temporarily Attached 5th Field Ambulance Conflict First World War, 1914-1918 Rank Private
• First World War Embarkation Roll: Conflict First World War, 1914-1918 Rank Private
• Honours and Awards:Unit 6th Australian Field Ambulance Conflict First World War, 1914-1918 Rank Private London Gazette21 September 1916 on page 9205 at position 62 Commonwealth Gazette14 December 1916 on page 3381 at position 9
• First World War Nominal Roll:Unit 6th Australian Field Ambulance Conflict First World War, 1914-1918 Rank Corporal
• Date of enlistment 5 August 1915
• Date of embarkation 9 November 1915
• Date of recommendation honour or award 16 August 1916
• Date returned to Australia 6 October 1919

NSW Fire Brigades Roll of Honour

Born 2 April 1892 Hay, NSW. Occupation: Hairdresser

Service: NSWFB

Appointed Hay Volunteer Fire Brigade 1 March 1915

Resigned 31 July 1915

First AIF

Enlisted 5 August 1915, 1260 Private, 30th Infantry Battalion, 6th Field Ambulance

WIA 18 May 1918 Gun Shot Wound Right Hip

Discharged 17 March 1920

Awarded Military Medal. London Gazette 19 September 1916

1260 Private Arnold Markey

6th Australian Field Ambulance

attached to 5th Australian Field Ambulance

At Pozieres on August 6th 1916, when Division had been relieved this man volunteered for duty of a most dangerous type, namely, to clear away as far as possible all 2nd Australian Division wounded before complete relief of Division. He proceeded to front trenches, previously held by 19th Australian Infantry Battalion. One man was brought down on stretcher amidst a heavy barrage fire, and on the next carry from trenches, a shell burst killing patient and two bearers (Pioneers). He was buried and next found himself at the Ambulance. His work to date has been of uniform excellence.

WWII – Militia

Enlisted 11 October 1939, 246534 (N65747) Staff Sergeant, Headquarters Eastern Command. 
Discharged 5 September 1952

Military Medal

1914/15 Star

British War Medal

Victory Medal

939-45 War Medal

Australian Service Medal 1939-45

Australian Defence Medal
Deceased 1969, Wollongong