Among The Ruins: A New Guinea Epic (1943) By Padre Arthur Bell
 
Assistant Chaplain General Arthur Bell was born on 29/1/1895 in Sunderland, England. He was residing in Australia when he enlisted into the Australian Imperial Force in Liverpool, Sydney, N.S.W. on 10/5/1915, his occupation listed as a divinity student. He was assigned to the 6th Reinforcements, 2nd Battalion. He departed Australia on 16/6/1915, bound for Egypt, landing at Suez on 17/7/1915. He landed at Gallipoli in time to take part in the famous bloody attack at Lone Pine on 6/8/1915. The war diary makes for grim reading and goes into great detail about the attack on the Turkish trenches. He was wounded during the fighting on the 7th, receiving shrapnel wounds to his back and right leg. The diary makes note of various bomb attacks by the Turks, including one going from 2100 – 0200 the next day. He was subsequently evacuated to England via Alexandria, being returned to Australia on 19/6/1916 for a medical discharge 19/6/1916. He returned to his divinity studies and was ordained in 1923. On the outbreak of WW2, he was serving at St. Peter's, Ballarat, Victoria. He was appointed Chaplain 3rd Class with the A.I.F. and posted to 2/2nd Medium Regiment, 7th Division (service # VX 27405). He embarked for the Middle East with the 7th Division on 18/10/1940, landing in November. He participated in the fighting against the Germans, Italians, and Vichy French until embarking with the Division on 4/2/1942 to return to Australia in March. Promoted to Chaplain 2nd Class 21/7/1942 and to Headquarters, 2nd Army as Assistant Chaplain General, being promoted Chaplain 1st Class 4/1/1943. He deployed to Port Moresby with the HQ New Guinea Force on 14/3/1943. Over the next two years, he served in Lae, Jacquinot Bay, Bougainville, and Australia in various postings as a Senior Chaplain. He returned to Brisbane on 9/11/1945 for discharge on 12/12/1945. Post-war, he returned to England in 1946 to work with the New Guinea Mission in London. His last posting was the Vicar of St Andrews, Willesden Green, London, which he retired from due to ill health in 1957. He died in Chichester, Sussex, on 9/10/1965. 
 
Soft Cover
20 Pages
In Good Condition