Name
Arthur Day
10 May 1893
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
17/06/1918
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
31102
Bedfordshire Yeomanry
1st/1st
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
ABBEVILLE COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION
IV. B. 17.
France
Headstone Inscription
None
UK & Other Memorials
Ashwell Village Memorial, St Mary’s Church Roll of Honour, Ashwell, Letchworth Town Memorial
Pre War
Arthur Day was born on 10 May 1893 in Ashwell, Hertfordshire, the son of Leopold and Mary Day, and was baptised on 23 November 1906 in Ashwell. He was one one of sixteen children.
On the 1901 Census, the family were living at High Street, Ashwell where his father was working as a baker. They remained in Ashwell in 1911 at which time Arthur was working as a Clerk for the Great Northern Railway. Before enlistment, Arthur lived at 57 Gernon Road, Letchworth and was employed as a clerk at the booking office of Letchworth railway station.
Wartime Service
He enlisted in Bedford and joined the Bedford Yeomanry (territorial force) serving initially under reg.no. 2318, later renumbered as reg.no. 31102.
He was wounded in the head by a German bomb on 11 June 1918 and died a few days later on 17 June 1918 at No. General South African Hospital, France and is buried in Abbeville Communal Cemetery Extension, France.
Additional Information
His father received a war gratuity of £11 10s and pay owing of £14 2s 10d. No pension records have been found.
Arthur's brothers, Harry, Cyril, Jack and Edward all served in the war and survived. He was one of five brothers serving in the armed forces.
Battalion details - from Findmypast:
France and Flanders, 1915-18 1/1st Bedfordshire Yeomanry. 4.8.14 Bedford: attached to Eastern Mtd. Bde. Stationed at Hatfield Peverel and Stansted until June 1915 then to France. 12.6.15 to 9th Cav. Bde. 1st Cav. Div. 10.3.18 withdrawn from 1st Cav. Div. to became a cyclist unit, then to form a machine un battalion with the Essex Yeomanry, but after German offensive mounted again and sent to 1st Cav. Div. April 1918 regiment split up sending one squadron to each regiment of 9th Cav. Bde. (8th, 15th and 19th Hussars). No further change. 2/1st Bedfordshire Yeomanry. Formed Sept. 1914. Oct. 1915 to Feb. 1916 with 61st Div. in Chelmsford area. June 1916 in 16th Mtd. Bde. 4th Mtd. Div. in Essex. Later in 1916 the regiment was split up as divisional cavalry: A Squadron to 57th Div. at Aldershot, B Squadron to 66th Div. at Colchester and C Squadron to 68th Div. at Turvey. By Mar. 1917 the regiment had concentrated at Ware attached to the 1st Mtd. Div. C Squadron was attached to 71st Div. at Colchester. By July 1917 the regiment had been absorbed in the 1st Reserve Cavalry Regiment at the Curragh. 3/1st Bedfordshire Yeomanry. Formed in 1915 and in June affiliated to 13th Reserve Cavalry Regiment at Colchester. Jan. 1917 absorbed in 1st Reserve Cavalry Regiment at the Curragh.
Acknowledgments
Derry Warners, Brenda Palmer
Adrian Pitts, Paul Johnson, www.ashwellmuseum.org.uk
