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Arthur Edward Malam was born in Beverley the 1 Apr 1889, the only son of Charles Malam, a joiner, and his wife Rebecca (nee Walker). Arthur had three sisters, Clara Elizabeth, Bertha, born 1880, died aged three; and Edith Alice. Arthur was a pupil at the National School from 1897 until 1903. By 1911 the family were living in Clarence Terrace, Wilbert Lane and Arthur was working as a butcher. That summer he left England with two friends, Matthew Arnold Howlett and his brother Harry Howlett, for a farming life in Canada. They sailed from Liverpool for Montreal on 7 Jul 1911 aboard the S.S. 'Victorian' of the Allen Line.
Private Arthur Malam enlisted in the 32nd Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force on 22 Dec 1914 at Winnipeg, Manitoba. On attestation he declared his previous military service of five years with the East Yorkshire Yeomanry. The 32nd Battalion left Halifax for Britain on 23 Feb 1915 on the hired troopship S.S. 'Vaderland'. Arthur transferred to the 8th Battalion (90th Winnipeg Rifles), 2nd Infantry Brigade, 1st Canadian Division and disembarked to join them in France on 2 May 1915. In Apr 1917 Arthur was awarded a Good Conduct Stripe and Badge. After the Armistice Arthur fell victim to influenza, which he survived. He spent five days in hospital in Boulogne, Pas de Calais, France, before being invalided to the 16th Canadian General Hospital, Orpington, Kent. He was ill for more than a month before being 'fit for duty' and transferred to the 18th Reserve Manitoba Regimental Depot at Seaford, Sussex to await his military discharge. He elected to be discharged to England rather than Canada, received his army discharge certificate on 30 Apr 1919 and returned home to Yorkshire.
Arthur married Annie Redmore Naylor on 17 Jun 1922 at St Andrew's Church, Drypool. Their only child, Joan, was born in June 1923. They lived in Clarendon Street, Hull in the 1930s. When the September 1939 Registration was taken they were at Bempton and Arthur was an ironmonger. At some time in the 1940s they moved to Fife in Scotland where Arthur became janitor of St Katherine's School in St Andrews.
Arthur died on 18 Sep 1948 and is buried in St Andrews Western Cemetery, Strathkinness, Fife. Annie died in 1971 aged 81.
Includes information taken from photograph, census, military records, Commonwealth War Graves, newspapers |