Archibald John CURVEY

Constable Archibald Curvey joined the Queensland Police on 1 July 1910. Private Curvey embarked as part of the 20th Battalion departing from Sydney aboard the HMAT Ceramic MO on 13 April 1916 for England. The 20th Battalion arrived in Belgium on 2 October 1916 and quickly moved south to the Somme. Here they provided reinforcements for the attack from Flers towards Bapaume. During April 1917 the 20th Battalion relieved in and out of the line at outpost positions in front of Lagnicourt and Noreuil. During the Battle of Bullecourt on 3 May 1917, Lance Corporal Archibald Curvey was hit by a shell and killed; he was 30 years old. The two brigades of the 4th Division that carried out the attack suffered over 3300 casualties; 1170 Australians were taken prisoner – the largest number captured in a single engagement during the war.