| Description | Work completed by volunteer includes the following information:
Arthur was born in Beverley in 1878 to shoe and boot maker, John and wife Sarah Ann. He had an elder brother, Ernest, two younger brothers, Harold and Granville and a sister, Lily. The family lived in St Andrew Street moving to Keldgate around 1890. Arthur's mother Sarah died in 1893 when Arthur was 16 and the youngest child, Lily was only 4. At the time of the 1911 Census brothers Arthur, Ernest and Harold were living in the family house in Keldgate, father John having died in 1910. Arthur is given as head of the household and his occupation shown as labourer at the gas works.
Single man Arthur enlisted aged 34 with the Yorkshire Regiment but was quickly transferred to the Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry (K.O.Y.L.I.) where he stayed for the remainder of the war serving in France. A number of pieces about Arthur appeared in the Beverley Guardian thanks to his sister Lily, Mrs J W Leighton. From these we know he was wounded twice and also gassed before being awarded a Military Medal in Mar 1918. According to the article in the Beverley Guardian Arthur received this award for gallantry and devotion to duty whilst in charge of his Lewis Gun Section in the Battle at Epehy on the Somme. In Aug 1918 Lily asks for any information about her brother as he is missing. In September she has received a letter from him telling her he is a prisoner of war but in good health. In December when he returns, the newspaper tells of his war service and his experience of being a Prisoner of War where he spent six months at Marche in Belgium in charge of wood choppers.
Arthur lost his elder brother Ernest in the war and sister Lily's husband was also killed. The 1925 electoral roll shows Arthur and his sister living together at 79 Flemingate. Arthur died in Dec 1935 age 57 and was buried at Queensgate Cemetery.
Includes photograph, information taken from census, military records, Commonwealth War Graves, newspapers |