Military History

Arthur is listed as being killed in action on 9th October 1917. The 4th Battalion war diary entry for the 9th October is transcribed below.

Front Line Trenches- Langemarck - 9.10.1917 - 2.30am: By this hour the leading company were formed on the tapes as follows: W. Coy left, X Coy right leading wave, Y Coy left and Z Coy right second wave (to capture 2^nd Objective).

About 1 hour after this the 1^st Newfoundland Regiment arrived and formed up about 150 yards in rear of our lines.

It had been raining hard during the preceding 24 hours. Zero hour was at 5:20am when it was just light enough to see any battalion frontage about 500 yards.

The barrage started at 5:20 a.m. moving at the rate of 100 yards in 6 min. The Broembeek stream was crossed without difficulty though it was sufficient obstacle to cause a good deal of disorganisation among units.

The leading Coys (W+X) gained their objective to time, about 6am, although meeting with a good deal of opposition, the advance was not being held up. During the first advance touch was kept with the Coldstream Guards on left and 2 Lancashire Fusiliers on right.

News the first objective had been captured reached Bn H.Q. about 6:15 a.m. by wire. At 7 a.m. Bn H.Q. moved forward to Namur Crossing, U.18.b.2.9.

The barrage halted for about an hour in front of 1st objective and then moved forward at the rate of 100 yards in 8 min to the second objective. The second line Coys pushed on close to the barrage and captured the 2^nd objective with rather less opposition. This line was also consolidated and touch gained with the Irish Guards in left and Royal Fusiliers on right.

The 1^st N.F.L.D [Newfoundland] Regt then formed up behind this line and when after an hour the barrage moved forward again they followed it and captured the third objective.

The Battalion took 6 officers and 200 OR’s prisoner and captured 5 machine guns. We lost killed 2 officers & 20 OR’s; wounded 5 officers and 107 OR’s; missing 40 OR’s.

The enemy barrage was dropped about 10 mins after zero and was very heavy, chiefly along the Broembeek.

At night the Battalion was relieved as follows: The two Coy’s Y&Z on the 2^nd objective were relieved by the 1^st N.F.L.D. The two Coys W&X on 1^st objective were relieved by 7^th Bn Lincolnshire Reg. Relief completed by 3.50am [10^th] and Coys marched down to Harrow Camp.