Arthur Parkin Autograph Album

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Original items held by the Army Museum of Western Australia



Arthur John Harold Parkin
PD992.000.jpg
Conflict World War 1
Service Arm Civilian support service
Unit No 8 General Hospital
Service No.
Service Arm Army
Date of Birth 31 Jan 1872
Date of Death 19 Oct 1953
Relatives


Arthur Parkin volunteered at No 8 General Hospital in Fremantle from 1915 to 1920, transporting convalescing soldiers on tours around Western Australia to lift their spirits, and often taking them to their home districts. Meals were sometimes prepared by the residents of the towns they visited in a show of community support for the soldiers.
No 8 General Hospital opened on the 19th July 1915 to treat those young men who required medical care while they were in training prior to embarkation and to treat those who returned to Australia on medical grounds and needed further treatment.
Arthur Parkin did not serve in the Army himself but when he stopped volunteering at the Hospital in 1919, many of the soldiers who had enjoyed his tours signed this autograph book. Some added photos of themselves on one of the tours, some drew sketches, others showed their appreciation in words. Some of the many newspaper reports of the tours are also glued into the album.





The following photos, postcards, newspaper clippings and tour memorabilia were also tucked inside the autograph book.