Images by Arthur Bennett. Images courtesy of The Workshops Rail Museum.
One hundred years ago people around the world celebrated the end of the First World War. The
Armistice was signed at 11am on 11 November 1918.
After the Second World War, Armistice Day became Remembrance Day, a time to commemorate
soldiers from all conflicts.
In 1909, Arthur Bennett began working at the Queensland Railways in Ipswich as an apprentice fitter. In 1915 he volunteered for the Australian Imperial Force (AIF). The AIF were raised for overseas war service in 1914 and were a separate and purely volunteer army.
Mr Bennett became a drill instructor, rising to the rank of Sergeant-Major in the 4th Pioneer Battalion.
The battalion consisted largely of volunteers drawn from Queensland and Mr Bennett served with many other Ipswich men in his unit. While they were trained as infantrymen they were also tasked with engineer functions with a large number of soldiers possessing trade qualifications from their civilian life.
Mr Bennett was wounded twice in Belgium from gas and mortar attacks and he spent two years in hospital recovering from his injuries. These injuries continued to burden him for the rest of his life.
A keen photographer, Mr Bennett took many pictures of his larrikin mates that he called ‘the Ipswich lads’.
The Workshops Rail Museum has a collection of souvenirs, shrapnel, postcards, medals and photographs that Mr Bennett brought back with him from the war.
These images and more are on display (pictured) as part of the Glass Plates & Rail Justice exhibition at The Workshops Rail Museum.
Remembrance Day Services
Ipswich
Memorial Hall
63 Nicholas St, Ipswich
From 10:30am
The Workshops Rail Museum
North St, North Ipswich
From 10:30am
Rosewood
RSL Memorial Hall
Mill St, Rosewood
From 10:15am
Redbank Plains
Seasons Care Home
15 Argyle Street, Redbank Plains
From 10:45am
Redbank
Redbank Memorial Reserve
Redbank Memorial
Bridge Street, Redbank
From 10:30am
Goodna
Soldier’s Memorial Stone
Corner Queen and Church Streets
Goodna
From 10:40am