Name
Arthur Alfred Sherwood
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
31/07/1917
27
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
36471
Princess Charlotte of Wales’ (Royal Berkshire) Regiment
6th Bn
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
Not Yet Researched
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL
Panel 45.
Belgium
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Letchworth Town Memorial, Church of St Nicholas Memorial, Norton, Church of St Nicholas Lychgate, Norton, Not listed on the Hertfordshire Regimental Memorial, All Saints Church, Hertford, Not on the Hitchin memorials
Pre War
Arthur Alfred Sherwood the son of Elisa Sherwood was born in Hitchin on 12th December 1889. The 1891 census shows that Arthur, aged 2 years, was living with his grandmother, Ann Sherwood, a widow, in Norton village. As a child he will have attended the village school and when a young man he worked at Letchworth Hall Hotel.
Enlisted 10th November 1915.
Wartime Service
Formerly 5802 in the Hertfordshire Regiment.
During 28/29 July the Battalion marched to Canal Rest Camp at Ouderdom where they began equipping for action. On the evening of 30th July 1917, they marched to a forward area at Zillebeke in preparation for the commencement of the battle.
The following day at 3-05am the Battalion was reported as being in position in the assembly area ready to move off at 7-15am. At 8-30am they passed through Sanctuary Wood and came under heavy machine gun fire and an artillery barrage as they moved into captured trenches. The advance continued still under heavy fire to the Ypres-Menin road then to Jargon Switch/Surbiton Villas crossroads which was captured at about 9-50am.
The rest of the day was spent consolidating the ground gained. This work was difficult due to hostile machine gun fire and aeroplanes bombing the troops.
At 8-30pm orders were given for the Battalion to be relieved. This commenced at midnight with the Battalion withdrawing to Dickebusch. Casualties among the other ranks for the 31st July 1917 were 35 killed and 27 missing.
Additional Information
Listed in report of St Nicholas Norton Memorial Service in Citizen. A more detailed biography for Arthur can be found in this sites Archive at: http://www.hertsatwar.co.uk/archives/hertfordshire-men-women-individuals-stories/arthur-alfred-sherwood-biography/
Acknowledgments
Jonty Wild
