Name
Arthur William Worbey
1894
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
16/09/1916
22
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
28715
Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry
6th Bn
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
THIEPVAL MEMORIAL
Pier and Face 6B
France
Headstone Inscription
NA
UK & Other Memorials
Hitchin Town Memorial, 4 Co' Hertfordshire Reg' Territorials’ Memorial, Hitchin, Holy Saviour Church War Memorial, Radcliffe Rd., Hitchin, British Schools Museum Memorial, Hitchin, Not listed on the Hertfordshire Regimental Memorial, All Saints Church, Hertford
Pre War
Arthur was born in 1894 in Romsey, Cambridgeshire and his parents were Arthur and Martha Worbey (née Page) and they had married in 1892 at St Mary’s Church, Hitchin.
The birth locations for the parents was Walsworth and Hitchin respectively, the children listed in 1901, except Ethel were all born in Romsey, Cambridgeshire, suggesting that they moved back to Hitchin around 1900.
In 1901 the family were living at 15 Anderson Row, Hitchin. Present were both parents: Arthur (29) and Martha (31), with Arthur working as a railway platelayer. Their children were: Arthur William (7), Gertrude (6), Charles (4) and Ethel at 11 months.
Daughter
In 1911 the family were still living at 15 Anderson Row, Florence Street, Hitchin. Present were both parents, Arthur now working as a plate layer for GNR. All the children listed above were present, with Arthur William at 17, working as a bricklayer’s labourer. Their new siblings were Doris Edith (8) and Lilian (6). The census recorded they had been married for 18 years with 6 children, of whom 2 had died.
Arthur enlisted in the Hertfordshire territorials on 12 January 1912. His papers record that he was 18 years and 1 month old, born in Cambridge. At that time he appears to have been the service number 1780, even though other sources suggest it was 3774 This clarified below). He was described as 5’ 2 ¼” tall, with a 33 ½” chest when fully expanded. One of his training camps between 28 July 1912 and 4 August was probably Worthing.
He was discharged from the Hertfordshires on 8 August 1914, so just after war was declared, being “Medically unfit for further Military Service” having served with Territorials for 2 years and 209 days.
Before the war he was employed at Roxley Court, near Willian.
Officially recorded as living in Hitchin when he enlisted in Hertford.
Wartime Service
As stated above Arthur appears to have had two Hertfordshire Territorial numbers 1780 which ties in with the date of his enlistment. The other was 3774, that number suggests and enlistment between 5 November 1914 and 13 December 1914, but probably nearer the former. So after his discharge he reenlisted into the Hertfordshires.
We do not know if he served in the Hertfordshire and was then transferred to the 6th Battalion.
Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry, However the Hertfordshires are not mentioned on either of his medal cars. It is perhaps possible that he was discharged again, but persevered and reenlisted again, this time into the Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry.
He was reported as missing and nearly a year later was declared to have been killed in action. The Hertfordshire express dated 25 August 1917 reported that his mother had received new “to the effect that the army council have been regretfully gratefully constrained to conclude that her eldest son, Private Arthur William Worbey (23), Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry, was killed on September 16, 1916, the date he was originally posted as missing. Thus painfully terminates a long period of anxious waiting and the inquiries by the family.”
On the day of his death, the Battalion was in the 43rd Brigade of the 14th (Light) Division and launched an attack on Gird and Gird Support Trenches in front of Guedecourt in the Somme sector, moving forward in a single wave. At 9.25am heavy machine-gun fire from the right brought the assault to a standstill. A renewed attack at 6.55pm was also a failure. The casualties were heavy.
He has no known grave and is remembered on Pier and Face 6B of the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing in France.
Additional Information
After his death £4 15s 1d pay owing was authorised to go to his mother, Martha, on 18 October 1917. Later, a war gratuity of £8 10s was authorised to be paid to her on 11 October 1919
His pension cards record Matha Worbey as his mother and as his dependant, living at 15 Anderson Row, Florence Street, Hitchin. It also records their children as (b ) and (b ). She was awarded a pension of 5s 9d a week from 26 June 1917.
Martha died on 23 August 1926.
Acknowledgments
Adrian Dunne, David C Baines, Jonty Wild
