Victory Medal: Private Archibald Allan Stokes, 4 Australian Battalion, Imperial Camel Corps

Victory Medal. Impressed around edge with recipient's details.

Archibald Allan Stokes, a married wheeler of New Lambton, enlisted at Newcastle on 20 January 1917, a month before his 24th birthday; he noted that he had previous military service with 4th Australian Infantry Regiment, and had won an award for shooting in the 1912 Empire Day Challenge Cup (see REL46671). Assigned service number 2967 and embarking from Melbourne aboard the transport 'Boorara', Stokes arrived at Suez on 20 June 1917 and was assigned to 4th (ANZAC) Battalion, Imperial Camel Corps (ICC) on 23 August.

Stokes joined the ICC soon after its involvement in the Second Battle of Gaza on 19 April 1917, in which the unit suffered high casualties. Later in the year, they were active in the operations to destroy the Turkish defensive line between Gaza and Beersheba. As the Camel Corps moved into the fertile country of northern Palestine, their utility declined and, in June 1918, the unit was disbanded.

Shortly before this on 18 May Stokes contracted malaria. He appeared to recover but re-entered hospital at Port Said on 24 July 1918 and died of pneumonia there on 20 August.