GUNNER Arthur Milton Koychen enlisted into World War I at Toowoomba, Queensland, on August 31, 1915, where he was a selector at the time.
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But what is his connection with Milton Ulladulla?
Arthur was born December 5, 1888, at Milton, the son of local pharmacist and chemist Carl Christian Ernest Koychen and his wife Jane Fisher nee Cambage.
As such Arthur was the grandson of convict John Cambage who arrived in NSW aboard the Marquis of Huntley in July 1835.
John was assigned to the Macleay Estate at Croobyar and worked as a blacksmith in 1840.
John was most likely Ulladulla’s first publican at the George Inn, which was located at the eastern end of Wason Street Ulladulla, overlooking the harbour
In 1852 John bought 60 acres of land near the Settlement for 78 pounds, and continued to buy up surrounding lands.
He arranged for stonemason James Poole to build the granite homestead Applegarth in 1868, which still adorns the Milton landscape today.
Arthur’s father, Carl Koychen, was born in Germany, arriving in NSW in 1879 and worked a pharmacist in Milton before he died in 1897.
John Cambage owned many of our hotels over the years and Arthur’s mother Jane inherited the Harbour View Hotel in Ulladulla from her father in 1896.
As Jane had married a German, she was considered to be a German and she had to apply to be naturalised in 1916 as she became aware that as the widow of a German she could not hold property even though she had been born in Ulladulla and lived at Milton all her life.
Jane had to prove that she was not in association with any Germans - she did point out that her son Arthur was fighting on the front with the Australian Forces and obtained many a character reference.
Numerous war department letters sent to her about Arthur’s injuries in France were addressed to Jane Cambage then altered to Koychen.
Arthur left for overseas duty aboard HMAT Argyllshire A8 in May 1916.
He was a gunner in the 9th Field Artillery Brigade from May 1916 to February 1917, and was then transferred to 3rd Division Trench Mortar Battery.
Arthur returned home to Milton in January 1819 after the war, first living at Applegarth with his mother and other members of the Cambage family.
Arthur’s name is listed on many local memorials including the RSL Honour Roll, Milton Town Memorial, Milton Public School, Milton Church of England and Burrill School.
He received the British War Medal and Victory Medal for his war service, which he did not apply for until 1951.
LIFE moved quickly for Arthur Koychen after he returned from World War I.
After serving in Germany and France during the war Arthur married his first wife Jessie soon after returning to Australia.
The wedding took place in the Queensland town of Miles, after which Arthur returned to Milton.
After initially renting a home Arthur bought the Tillourie farm at Woodstock, where Jessie gave birth to two children Nancie and Tom, but died soon after while Tom was a baby and Nancie was just three.
Letters Arthur wrote at the time spoke of how much of a mate Jessie was to him.
While Arthur worked on the farm, Bessie Turnbull looked after the children.
Five years later Arthur remarried to Monica Richards, and had two more sons – George and Heath.
Arthur was successful as a farmer, and expanded over the years by buying the neighbouring Danesbank property for 1000 pounds after it failed to sell at auction.
Eventually Arthur divided the Tillourie property between his children Nancie and Tom, while Arthur and Monica retired to live in Sydney.
Nancie married Felton Turnbull, and several years later they bought Tom’s half of the original property.
Their son Brian still lives on the property in the original house, although it has been repaired and renovated extensively over the years.
Arthur Koychen passed away in August 1959.
However the spelling Koychen was apparently an Anglo version of the original German spelling of the family name, which was Keauchen.