Gunner Arthur Hubert Day
by Bev Day
No. 34336, Gunner Arthur Hubert Day, 3rd Division, Australian Imperial Forces
Arthur Hubert, known as Hubert or Hugh, was the elder son of Arthur Joseph (Art) Day and Annie Jordan Cope. His father was the eighth child of Alexander Day and Beata Stratton, and was born at “Chocolyn”, Camperdown, in 1872. Art’s parents were the first of the Days to migrate from Pewsey, Wiltshire, England in the mid 1850’s. Hubert’s uncle, Albert Thomas (Bert), was fatally wounded at Gallipoli, Turkey in August 1915.
Hubert was born at Hawthorn, Victoria on February 19th, 1899. His father, Arthur Joseph (Art) Day was a civil servant, the chief draughtsman in the Lands Department of Victoria. The family lived in Kew and later Box Hill, and after Art’s retirement, moved to the property, “Dingley Dell” on Kangaroo Ground Road, Warrandyte, where Days’ had purchased a few parcels of land.
Hubert Day grew up in Box Hill and attended a Grammar School in Kew, possibly the same school attended by his uncle Bert Day some years earlier. His family believe he was a member of the cadets for four years at this school. After leaving school he worked as a clerk until enlisting for World War One in 1917, a few weeks short of his 18th birthday.
After initial training at Maribyrnong, Gunner, A.H. Day, No.34336, embarked for overseas duty on the HMAT Ascanius on May 11th, 1917. Further training followed in England before Hubert was sent to Belgium and France to join the 3rd Division of the Australian Imperial Forceon the Western Front.
Hubert’s son wrote the following note recalling his father’s stories:
“I have some diaries that Dad kept whilst in France and some letters that he wrote to Eva (Bruce’s mother). Unfortunately the diary notes became briefer as the war dragged on until they ceased altogether after about six months. His enlistment certificate has a penciled note in the top left hand corner which seems to indicate that he was drafted to the 7th Field Artillery Battery as a Gunner. From his reminiscing he also was used as a gunner in a Howitzer battery for a short time, as a gunner firing mortars — very scary because the shells were fired at a steep angle so they would fall almost vertically into the enemy trenches. But they were visible in the air to the naked eye so your firing position was quickly located. The drill was to fire 4 or 5 shells as fast as possible then dismantle the gun and move away quickly before any return fire could arrive. He was hit, whilst in the Field Artillery, six weeks before the armistice whilst having a short rest from firing a field gun. He said he never knew whether it was an enemy shell burst or one of our own shells exploding prematurely. He had his leg bound with a tourniquet and then evacuated to a field dressing station on a stretcher where he waited for seven hours before he got medical attention. He always maintained that this long wait was the reason he lost his leg. He spent some time in a British Hospital at Reading and then was shipped home on a ship carrying only limbless Australian soldiers”
An entry from Hubert’s diary of October 1917:
“Tuesday 9th
We are now ready to move into the line. Moved up to the other side of Ypres, spent a very cold and miserable night under a piece of tank. The mud on the roads was past one’s boot tops. These roads are crammed with a continuous stream of motor transports, ambulances, miles of men on foot, everything going as fast as it can. This afternoon we moved into the line. It was simply murderous struggling through the mud carrying ammunition. All the time we were under shell fire. This night we slept in shell holes about 1500 yards from front line. Fritz was shelling like hell and we spent a miserable night.
The following is an excerpt from a letter written by the 19 year-old Hubert to Eva, also 19 years old.
“France
March 14th
My Dear Little Girl
. . . . I think you would have been very proud of our Victorian boys if you had seen them going over the top to take Passcbendale they were absolutely slaughtered but kept on and gained their objective but then found the New Zealanders had been stopped on their left so that they had to fall back over the ground that had cost so much. This was where my chum was killed.
You said in your letter that I was to relate my experiences, it is rather difficult to do but I will have a try. When first going into the line rather surprised myself as I was not affected with nerves very much but on the morning of October 12th I had a rough time on two occasions have men killed at my side. On the last occasion I went into the air but landed on the ground without a scratch. I looked around to see the other chap lying on the ground with one side of his face wiped out. He died shortly afterwards. I could not describe to you the awful sights I have seen. In that battle it was nothing but a ‘hell on earth’ and it was here that I think affected my nerve. I have been in the line constantly since then but nerves are not what they were.
I see you were very enthusiastic over the conscription issue. No matter what the papers say about the soldiers vote you can be sure it is a big no majority as there is not more than one in a hundred are for yes. People in Australia seem surprised at the soldiers voting no, but could you imagine anything otherwise, you know girlie most of these men have been in France over a year and they are very fed up, and a yes vote means that they are to continue receiving reinforcements and therefore take part in all the coming battle. If it is a no majority they cannot possibly have us in any more battles as there are no reinforcements and they could not let us be wiped out altogether as the Australian people would not stand it. Can one blame our men for voting no as they are absolutely sick of it.
There is a tremendous rumble of guns going on down South; evidently old Fritz has begun his offensive. I shall consider myself very lucky if I go through this summer without a scratch. Things are going to be rather warm. I reckon still I think somehow I will get back to Aussie alright.”
Unfortunately Hubert’s last diary entry was on 2nd June 1918. His last letter to Eva from the front line was written on 25th July – “. . . . Just look a few facts in the face we have had 9,000 more deaths in our forces than the Canadians, one man out of every eight that has left Australia has been killed. What have the Canadians done this Summer, nothing, spending practically speaking and I can tell you the difference is the Canadians & new Zealanders are under their own government. We are under the British Authorities because we are the Australian Imperial Forces. The Imperial is the cause of it all. It is just about time the people in Australia woke up a bit.
Sir Douglas Haig told a white lie when he said no Colonial troops were engaged in the first great German attack, we were marching day & night to reach the spot. I am quite satisfied about the British they certainly have been great fighters but they are not a patch on the French or Colonial troops.
. . . Do you think you could picture me now, a small dugout about six feet by eight, another chap lying fast asleep and myself writing to you by a dim candle- light, outside everything quiet except for an occasional gun? About those souvenirs, girlie, when I get leave I will send you plenty but cannot get them away from here.”
Hubert was wounded in action in France on September 18th, 1918. He was transferred to England two days later and his right leg was amputated on September 21st 1918.
In 1919 Hubert returned home on the ship, “Czar” which brought over 700 amputees back to Australia to face years of trying to adjust to life with their disabilities.
Hubert eventually won the heart of his Eva and they married in 1921. Despite suffering much pain and several operations over many years, Hubert managed to lead a very active, full life.
While working in clerical jobs he spent his weekends working on the family bush block at Warrandyte and at some time during the depression years travelled to the Mallee to work carting wheat.
Eva and Hubert’s first home was at Box Hill and it was here that their family was born. They travelled to Warrandyte for weekends and holidays for several years before moving there to live full-time. The family’s first home in Warrandyte was on Pound Bend in the house that later became the first Youth Hostel in Victoria. They later lived in “Fairhaven”, Second Street, Warrandyte before moving to their newly built home, “Rookery Nook”, on about 15 acres in Eltham Road, Warrandyte. Eltham Road was later renamed “Research-Warrandyte Road.
In the 1950s Hubert worked as a valuer for the Eltham Shire for many years and was a familiar sight around the local roads, often travelling in a small horse-drawn cart. He also supplemented his war service pension with wood cutting, carting and selling firewood in the Warrandyte area. Despite his disability he was a very strong man and a hard worker. One family anecdote tells of him accidentally falling into a small mine hole while out snigging wood. Laughing heartily, he had to remove his peg-leg to clamber up out of the hole.
In his later years he and Eva, downsized, building a new home in Third Street, Warrandyte.
Hubert passed away at his home in August 1961 and was cremated at the Springvale Crematorium.
The Day children attended school in Warrandyte and were part of the sporting and social life of the district for many years. His daughters, Yvonne and June moved away after their marriages. His son, Bruce, became a civil engineer, living and working in the nearby districts for many years.
Some entries from Hubert’s diary of 1917 and 1918
Wednesday 10th Oct.
At daylight we moved up to line. Mr Watts, our officer, and 9 others were casualties up to date. This night Fritz knew of the attack coming in the morning, he shelled all night without a stop. We spent the night in a narrow trench, wet. It rained during night to add to our discomfort.
Thursday Oct 11th
At daylight we received orders to move across to an old German concrete dugout. The barrage had just opened and the attacking troops were pouring into front line. They were 10th Brigade, Henry’s crowd and 9th Brigade. This attack was badly carried out. The men were not all in line when attack commenced. They were cut to pieces by Fritz fire before going a few hundred yards and when arrived at objectives, wounded New Zealanders on the left had been stopped and so had to return to the old line during the day. We had several men killed by the dug out, Baker, Mossop, West, Burley, Bell and several others. We now went back in reserve and . . . .
Wednesday December 12
Up the line again today. Struck some of Henry’s battalion which is in at right of Warneton. Got the shock of my life when some chaps told me Henry had been killed at Ypres on 12th Oct.
I saw a great sight today. 15 Fritz planes loaded with bombs on the way across our lines when just overhead four of our planes came out of the clouds and cut off the last Fritz plane and hit him. He turned for his own lines but had not gone far before he burst into flames and plane broke up and main portion of machine containing bombs fell to ground and there was a terrific explosion.
1918
Friday February 15th
Active about 9.30. Fired 18 rounds, very cold this morning. Fritz shelling a fair distance away. The sector we are in is Le Bizet to the left of Armentieres.
Saturday February 16th
Fritz shelled us today several shells coming very close. Action this morning 10 rounds to our dugout, one going through roof of farm building we were in. An amusing incident happened today whilst I was at the Australian Comforts funds place a few hundred yards from guns. A big shell came over and almost landed on a Frenchman who was ploughing a few hundred yards . He did get himself and his horses along the road but whilst we were laughing at this chap the next shell dropped much shorter and our grin changed, we shifted quickly.
Sunday February 17th
Fritz did not trouble us today but he shelled all day about 5 hundred yards away. It has been much more cold the last few mornings and very clear during day time plenty of aeroplane work going on.
Sources:
Day Family Bible
Victorian Birth, Marriage and Death records
Australian War Memorial records
Mr. H. Bruce Day – verbal and written documents
Diary and letters of A H Day
This story was condensed from a family story prepared for Mr. H.B.Day, using his father’s dairy and letters and family photographs. Permission to use in this project has been granted.
This story was first published in “Fine Spirit and Pluck: World War One Stories from Banyule, Nillumbik and Whittlesea” published by Yarra Plenty Regional Library, August 2016
Postscript:
In April 2017 YPRL was contacted by a stamp and postcard collector in Kent, England wondering if we would be interested in this envelope she bought after seeing the story about Gunner A.H. Day on Wikinorthia.
