LOOKER, Arthur William (Capt) DSO

1880 - 1926  (45 years)

• Name	LOOKER, Arthur William (Capt)  [1]
  Suffix	DSO
  Born	5 Sep 1880
  	'Edgewood', Oakleigh, Victoria, Australia
  Gender	Male
  Died	7 Apr 1926	Malvern, Victoria, Australia
  Person ID	I14076	My Genealogy
  Last Modified	16 Sep 2023

  
  

  Father	LOOKER, George Arthur JP,   b. 12 Oct 1850,   d. 25 Sep 1906, Murrumbeena, Melbourne, Victoria  (Age 55 years)
  Relationship	natural
  Mother	DICKSON, Fanny Rosina,   b. 21 Oct 1854, Richmond, Tasmania, Australia ,   d. 10 Dec 1940, East Malvern, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia  (Age 86 years)
  Relationship	natural
  Married	8 Jun 1878	Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
  	All Saints, Davey St
  Family ID	F5292	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Photos

  Arthur Looker

  
  

  Documents » Slide Show		Shining a Dim Light upon the Darkness - A History of the Lookers in the Great War v 1
  		London Gazette - 4 Jan 1917 - MID, Arthur Looker
  		London Gazette - 25 Aug 1916 - DSO Arthur Looker

  
  

• Notes

  (Captain) Arthur William Looker, DSO Posted 10 Sep 2011 by david468_1 He was with the 4/1st Cambridgeshire Regt in WW1, also fought 1914  and in 1918 in 1/3rd K.A.R. Awarded DSO). He farmed at "Clifton", Coppington, Tasmania and died of war wounds in 1926 —— (Queen Alexandra Military Hospital)   C/o Sir C.R. McGrigor Bart & Co. (For Officers)                               39 Panton Street (Grosvenor Road, S.W.)                  Haymarket London 26/8/16 Dear Mother, I am getting on very well indeed & am looking forward to being able to get out of bed in a week or two - at present I can get out & sit about but as I can't walk yet and cannot manipulate either a wheeled chair or crutches I feel rather helpless so don't get out very often - Had my foot & hand x rayed last week & it shows that my foot had every toe broken but one, instead of just the big & little toes as I thought, so no wonder it hurt a bit. However that is all over now practically - the foot is healing up,wonderfully and getting back into right shape & I think eventually will be just as good as ever it was. I have only two leg wounds now. that are being dressed daily & they are rapidly healing - the others are all healed up. My right little finger thro which a piece of shrapnel went is quite healed up tho still a little stiff in the joint, that is only a matter of time. The two fingers on the left hand - that is the second and third - have had the knuckles blown out & bone pulverised but they are doing well. They may remain stiff, but surgery has reached such a pitch now that they may be able to make joints on them later on when they are thoroughly healed. In any case I am lucky to have saved the fingers at all so am not doing too badly. My old tummy wound too is practically quite healed and I feel very fit indeed and am eating & sleeping well. The grub here is very good & everything is so clean & neat that except for the fact that I can't get about much I am quite enjoying my stay here. When I got to England I wrote to the Australian Headquarters to find out where ill was as I had written to him once or twice & had got no reply. You will see from their answer that he was slightly wounded & admitted to hospital on 30 June. A day or two after this I got a Field Post Card from Bill himself dated 13 Aug which I enclose now & from this it is apparent he is alright again & probably back with his battalion. I expect to have a letter from him shortly. I told you in my last letter of a lady who comes to see me everyday & brings books & flowers & fruit - she is a Mrs. Gowers - I couldn't remember her name the last time I wrote. Her husband is some sort of big chief in Lloyd George's office & is coming to see me shortly. The wife of our Colonel in France has also been in to see how I am getting on & there is a Mrs. Samuels who bosses up an Australian Soldiers Club near the Aust. Headquarters who comes to see me occasionally & brings books & who will take me for drives in her motor car as soon as I can go out. Then there is a Mrs. Craddock - some relation of the Admiral of that clan - a very nice old Scotch lady who also drops in occasionally, so you see I am doing quite well in a mild kind of way. The people here certainly go to a lot of trouble in looking after strangers & they can't do too much for Australians. Now I come to some very important news - which I know you will be pleased to hear - I have been awarded the Distinguished Service Order for the little stunt in which I was knocked out. I am very bucked about it as it is the first one in the Cambridgeshire Regt. & I am the first one out of the mob of S. Africans I came over with, most of whom joined the Cambridgeshire to get a decoration of any kind. The old regiment in England is immensely pleased & I had a congratulatory wire from them today, and have also had several letters from France. A D.S.O. will help me along finely with promotion as it is not a very common thing for a 2nd Lieutenant to get one. The only thing about it is I will have to go to Buckingham Palace later on to be presented with the medal by the King & I am rather funking it. Well - I have gassed on a good bit about myself - now I would like to know how you are getting on - I have not heard from you for quite a long time but probably some letters are in France or chasing me about the country. I hope you are keeping strong and well & everyone else is alright. Old man Hughes - the Aust. Prime Minister - speeched them up to some extent while he was here and they think he is a most important kind of a chief over this side. I will send you a bit of the D.S.O. ribbon for a souvenir as soon as I get hold of a piece. Your affectionate son, Arthur W. Looker —— A.A.G. 3rd Military District, Victoria Barracks, Melbourne My eldest son Arthur William Looker has served since 1914 to the present time. He was with the Kings African Rifles last of all in East Africa. In 1914 he was managing The South African Timber Co. in Beira, left as soon as war broke out & offered service in Capetown - he joined General Bolher's forces for South West Africa as Gunner V.K. 194 Battery C2 Heavy Artillery. When that campaign was over he joined with 25 others & they started for England - he was given a commission 2nd Lieut. & after training went with the Cambridge Reg. (Infantry) to France early in 1916 - he was very severely wounded on the 20th July '16 & gained the D.S.O. The Times Aug 26th 1916, also the Morning Post Aug 26 '16: War Office. Sec. Lt. Arthur William Looker Camb. R. "For conspicuous gallantry when leading a raid on the enemy's trenches. In face of heavy fire he forced his way through uncut wire & ran up & down the enemy's parapet firing in their faces. Though wounded in both hands, foot & abdomen, he refused assistance till quite close to our own trench." Mentioned in Despatches Sir Douglas Haig's List. The Times Jan 4th 1917. There is also a photo in the Oct number of Cambridgeshire Territorial Gazette. He was some months recovering from the wounds in England & when he was unfit for service in France (he was promoted to Lieutenant & later Capt) he offered for service in German East Africa again taking the rank of Lieut. - he arrived there the end of 1917 & has been there ever since with the Kings African Rifles. I can shew these papers but I do not wish to part with them & would bring them in if needed. His Mother - Fanny R. Looker Yambee Hurrumbeena Victoria 5/7/1919

  
  

• Sources

  [S308] Ancestry Family Trees, (Name: Name: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com. Original data: Family Tree files submitted by Ancestry members.;;), Ancestry Family Tree.