Name
Arthur Melville Lilburne (MC)
4 December 1888
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
11/07/1918
31
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Lieutenant
Australian Field Artillery
6th Bde.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Military Cross
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
BROOKWOOD MILITARY CEMETERY
IV. C. 6.
United Kingdom
Headstone Inscription
SPE ET AMORE PRO PATRIA ET LIBERTATE NON SIBI FIDELI CERTA MERCES
UK & Other Memorials
Digswell House Australian Hospital Memorial, St John's Church, Digswell
Pre War
Arthur Melville Lilburne was born on 4 December 1888 in Ballarat, Grampians, Victoria, the son of Arthur and Clara Lilburne of Oxford Chambers, Bourke Street, Melbourne, Victoria.
He was educated at Grenville College, Victoria and Melbourne University and worked as Maths Teacher and Lecturer at the Treachers' Training College, Melbourne University. He lived at 8 Drummond Street, Ballarat.
Wartime Service
He enlisted on 18 February 1916 initially as a Gunner from 11 April 1916, then as a 2nd Lieutenant from 1 September 1916 with the Australian Field Artillery, 120th Howitzer Battery. He embarked on 3 October 1916 on HMAT Aeneas, from Melbourne. On 2 May 1917 he was gassed and suffered a gunshot wound to the hand later the same year and was sent to England to convalesce. The hospital notes from Digswell House show that he was wounded on 2 August 1917 at Ypres by a fragment of shell casing causing large and dirty laceration of the knuckle of second finger and lacerations on other fingers and back of the hand. His hearing was also impaired in both ears and the right ear had bled for two days on two occasions. By 4 November he had almost recovered and was discharged to duty on 26 November 1917.
He re-joined his unit and was gassed again in early 1918. He won the Military Cross on 13 May 1918. "For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. While the battery was being subjected to very heavy shell fire he, at great personal risk, supervised the evacuation of all ranks to places of safety. On the following day, observing one of the gun pits received a direct hit, he, assisted by a N.C.O., collected a party of men and got under control the fire which had broken out, thus saving a large amount of ammunition. He showed great courage and coolness throughout."
He was promoted Lieutenant, 6th Field Artillery Brigade but became ill and was sent to England, and died of a cerebral haemorrhage syncope in 3rd London General Hospital, Wandsworth on 11 July 1918, age 29.
Additional Information
His father, A E Lilburne Esq, Box 170 GPO, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, ordered his headstone inscription: "SPE ET AMORE PRO PATRIA ET LIBERTATE NON SIBI FIDELI CERTA MERCES".
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
aif.adfa.edu.au
