Name
Arthur Whitman
1895
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
31/07/1917
21
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Lance Serjeant
265227
Hertfordshire Regiment
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 (Mons) Star, British War and Victory Medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL
Panel 54 and 56.
Belgium
Headstone Inscription
None
UK & Other Memorials
Little Gaddesden Village Memorial, St Peter & St Paul Church Roll of Honour, Little Gaddesden, St Peter & St Paul Church Roll of Honour (2018 Revision), Little Gaddesden, Hertfordshire Regimental Memorial, All Saints Church, Hertford, We are not aware of a memorial in Hudnall
Pre War
Arthur Whitman was born in 1895 in Hudnall, Little Gaddesden, the son of Joseph and Susan Whitman.
On the 1901 Census the family were living at No. 13 Little Gaddesden, Great Berkhamsted, Herts where his father was working as a Carpentering Machinist.
By 1911 the family had moved to No. 40 Little Gaddesden and Arthur was working as a Telegraph Messenger for the Post Office. Later the same year on 26 October, Arthur, and his younger brother Jim, joined the Little Gaddesden Scout Troop at its start and became a Patrol Leader.
In November 1912 he was apprenticed as a Carpenter on the Ashridge Estate, employed by Mr Brownlow.
Wartime Service
He attested for the Hertfordshire Regiment (a Territorial Force) at Hemel Hempstead on 2nd November 1912 and was at Ashridge Training camp when war broke out. He was called up on 4th August 1914 and served in France from 6th November 1914. He was soon promoted to Corporal and on CWGC he is recorded as Lance Serjeant.
After initially being believed wounded, he was later recorded as killed in action on 31st July 1917 near St Julien, the first day of the 3rd Battle of Ypres, a day on which the Hertfordshire Regiment 's 620 men and officers were almost wiped out in the first two hours of fighting whilst attacking near the village of St Julien. All the regiment's officers and 75 percent of the other ranks were killed, wounded or captured.
He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial, Belgium.
Additional Information
His first cousin Private George Hoar, Herts Regt died the same day . His father received a war gratuity of £15 ang pay owing of £12 13 5d.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
Jonty Wild, dacorumheritage.org.uk, hemelatwar.org., littlegaddesdenchurch.org.uk
