Military History

Arthur is listed as being killed in action on 4 Oct 1917. The section of the 1st/5th Battalion Report on Operations covering the period 1 Oct 1917 to 5 Oct 1917 is transcribed below.

Mon 1^st Oct: C.O. 2^nd in Command and Signal officer went up to reconnoitre from Victoria House (re-named P House) D.7.b.31. 2^nd in Command stayed up, Company Commanders and their 2^nd in Commands joining him. The objectives were observed as much as possible from O.P’s and landmarks noted. A dusk these officers went over their forming up ground & put in marking posts. All returned before dawn except 2^nd in commands of Coys who staying in trenches all day returning at dusk.

Tues 2^nd Oct: 1 Officer and 2 NCO’s per Coy went up at dusk, reconnoitred the forming up position under 2^nd in Command. Signal Officer and Intelligence Officer laid directing tapes from Janet Farm to P House & from Janet Farm to Arbre. Signal Officer Lieut C.L. Gordon wounded.

Wed 3^rd Oct: These officers and NCO’s stayed in the front line all day taking compass bearings etc. Forming up tapes laid out under 2^nd in Command (Capt. E. Holt) & Bn in position by 11pm with only one casualty

Thur 4^th Oct: The enemy opened a heavy fire along our forming up line at twenty minutes before zero & B Coy suffered 7 casualties (O.R’s) and 1 Officer before zero.

Right Company (A COY)

No 1 Platoon under 2/Lieut W Shadbolt got to Vale House with only a few casualties & consolidated the flanks.

No 2 Platoon passed through No 1 has some severe fighting around Winzig took prisoners and consolidated.

No 3 & 4 Platoons came through No 1 & 2 but the New Zealanders (1 Auckland Bn) lost direction and pushed our men over to the left. No 3 platoon under 2/Lieut A.F. Foreman got on to the high ground around D.2 central & consolidated with the 1/6^th R. War R. on the left and the New Zealanders on the right, he had about 10 men remaining. No 4 Platoon after casualties from M.G. fire on the left reached D.2.c.7.1 and dug in.

About zero + 50 minutes heavy shelling of Vale House commenced almost wiping out No 1 Platoon, wounding the Platoon commander & killing or wounding all of the forward HQ which had just moved up there. (Capt Holt, 2/Lt Mincher and 2/Lt Shadbolt wounded)

Left Front Company (B COY)

As soon as the leading platoons commenced moving forward heavy M.G. fire was opened from the front about D.2.c.1.4 – D.2.c.5.5 in all about 5 (light pattern) M.G’s and many snipers. These places were eventually cleaned up but the Coy was only about 30 strong, Lt C.E. Carrington with about 10 men worked across to D.2 central & consolidated there. The remainder of the Coy consolidated in the positions they had taken.

Right Support Company (C COY)

Moved up at zero + 20 minutes & some of the leading men became somewhat involved in the fighting round Winzig. The pressure from the New Zealanders on the right pushed the Coy over & 2/Lt Hale with No 9 Platoon got to about D.2 central & consolidated just in rear of the New Zealanders. No 10 & 11 lost direction & I found them about 9.15am about D.2.c.3.3 & sent them off in the direction of their objectives D.3.c.0.6 and D.3.c.2.8 but apparently they crossed the Strombeek about D.2.c.1.6 & working to the left consolidated behind the New Zealanders about D.2.b.2.1

Left Support Company (D COY)

Moved up at zero + 20 minutes & soon lost all its Officers and 3 Platoon Sergeants from shell fire & snipers who still held out about D.2.c.5.3. The remains of 2 platoons I found about D.2.d.14 where they were dug in close to the 2 M.G’s of A Section (Lt Whyle) the other two platoons were in shell holes when I arrived about 9.30am & I ordered CSM Scott to dig in along the line of the Strombeek about D.2.c.5.5.

About 100 prisoners were taken (wounded and unwounded) by the Battalion. During the day Lt C.E. Carrington was ordered to withdraw and form a Support Coy about Albatross Farm. Also in the afternoon the New Zealanders moved to the right, thereby leaving about 30 men of the 1/5 R.War.R under 2/Lt F.W.Hale & 2/Lt A.F. Foreman between D.2 central & Wellington Farm. This thinning out was very necessary as there were too many men in the area & it was being heavily shelled.

About 4.45pm 3 Coys of the 1/5^th Gloucesters advanced to advance our line but although Capt. E.P.Q. Carter & 2/Lt G.T. Gauntlet directed them on our front the high ground around D.2 central & the fact to having to cross the stream diagonally if they kept in the right direction attracted them towards D.2. Central where they dug in.

Fri 5 Oct: Area around Winzig – Vale House and valley of the Stroombeek heavily shelled. At dusk relieved the New Zealanders who had come into our area by 3 Coys with 1 Coy in support about D.2.a.1.4.