Name
Arthur Henry Whitby
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
22/07/1916
26
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
27501
Bedfordshire Regiment
1st Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
Not Yet Researched
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
THIEPVAL MEMORIAL
Pier and Face 2C
France
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Hitchin Town Memorial, St Mary's Church Roll of Honour (Book), Hitchin
Pre War
Arthur was born in Hitchin and resided in Hitchin. Before enlisting he worked for Francis Newton the Hitchin builders for eight years. He was an active member of the St. Mary's Bible Class and Sunday School and was also a sidesman there.
In the opinion of certain of his friends he would have had reason to claim exemption from call-up as a conscientious objector. He was single and lived with his mother Mrs E. Abbiss of 38, Dacre Road. Hitchin.
Wartime Service
He joined the 4th Battalion of the Bedfords in April 1916, was given the Regimental Number 27501 and left England on the 1st July 1916. He was later transferred to the 1st Battalion, which at the time of his death., was part of the 15th Brigade in the 5th Division of XV Corps in the 4th Anny. He was killed in action in France.
One record suggests that he was with the 10th Battalion of the Worcesters when he was killed but there is no such mention of him in the Regimental volume of ‘Soldiers died’ database.
The 1st Battalion of the Bedfords was in the Somme sector in the vicinity of Pommier Redoubt and High Wood and at the time of his death was part of the Divisional Reserve. A heavy bombardment of the German line began with occasional 15” shells going over. The return fire from the enemy probably caused his death.
Arthur has no known grave, but is remembered on Pier & Face 2C of the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing in France. An ‘In Memoriam’ notice in a local newspaper added "Dearly loved son and brother".
Acknowledgments
Adrian Dunne, David C Baines, Jonty Wild
