Name
Arthur George Worsley
1878
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
10/03/1915
37
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
4/5737
Bedfordshire Regiment
2nd Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 (Mons) Star, British War and Victory Medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
LE TOURET MEMORIAL
Panel 10-11
France
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Hitchin Town Memorial, St Mary's Church Roll of Honour (Book), Hitchin
Pre War
Arthur was born in Hitchin, Hertfordshire in 1878, the son of Alice Worsley and registered as Arthur George Worsley in the third quarter of 1878.
Alice Worsley the daughter of George and Mary Ann Worsley, married Arthur George Sharp at St Marys Church, Hitchin, on 29th March 1880. Then young Arthur George was baptised as Arthur Sharp on 21st May 1880, at St Marys Church, Hitchin, so it is possible that Arthur was his father. However, despite Arthur being baptised and listed as Sharp in the censuses, he served as Worsley.
Hitchin. Present were both parents: Arthur (19) and Alice (23), with Arthur working as a bricklayer’s labourer and Alice as a straw plaiter. Their children were: Arthur George (2) and Herbert – two weeks old.
In 1891 the family had moved to 2 Warren’s Yard (on Lyles Row), Hitchin. Present were both parents, with Arthur still working as a bricklayer’s labourer. Their children were now: Arthur, Herbert and new siblings Elizabeth (8) and Alfred (5).
On the 25th January 1894, he enlisted in the local Militia, the 4th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, with the service number 2693. In August 1894 he joined the Regular Army enlisting in the Bedfordshire Regiment with the service number 5011, signing on for 7 years in the Colours and 5 years in the Reserve. His brother (or half-brother) Herbert followed a similar path but a little before Arthur.
He served in the UK from August 1894 to November 1896, he then he sailed to the East Indies with his Battalion serving there from November 1896 to October 1906. In October 1901 while in the East Indies he extended his service from 7 years to 12 years. He arrived back in the UK on 26th October 1906 and was discharged to the Reserve on 29th October 1906.
We have not yet found him in the 1911 census.
Wartime Service
Arthur was an experienced soldier, on the outbreak of war he signed up straight away enlisting in Hatfield, he was posted to the 2nd Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment with the service number 4/5737.
The 2nd Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment was in the 21st Brigade, 7th Division, IV Corps of the 1st Army.
He landed in France on 8th November1914. Seeing action within weeks of his arrival. He received the 1914 Star (Mons Star).
The Battalion was about to take part in the Battle of Neuve Chapelle and move to billets at Laventie on 9th March 1915 to be near their assembly line. They arrived in the trenches of the assembly area at 5.00am on the 10th March 1915 ready for the Bridge attack in the direction of Moulin-du-Pietre, North East of Neuve Chapelle. The day was misty, cold and raw with rain later, the Brigade was held up by severe fire. The 2nd Bedford’s were the Brigade Reserves and at 3.30pm they advanced, being deployed in two lines with two Companies in each line. They suffered from rifle and shellfire and had to cross a bare field of mud under shellfire from both sides and many men were killed on the wire in No Man’s Land there was considerable rifle fire before they dug in for the night. There were 16 dead and missing among the other ranks of the Battalion on that day plus many wounded.
Arthur was Killed in Action on Wednesday 10th March 1915, at the Battle of Neuve Chapelle. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Le Touret Memorial to the missing Panel 11.
Additional Information
After his death £8 11s 11d pay owing was authorised to go to his father Arthur Sharp on 21 October 1915. Later, a war gratuity of £3 was authorised to be paid to him on 25 July 1919.
His brother (or half brother) Herbert also died in War.
Acknowledgments
Adrian Dunne, David C Baines, Jonty Wild, Stuart Osborne
