Name
Arthur Worsley
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
Not Yet Researched
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 in1878 the son of Alice Worsley.
Alice Worsley the daughter of George and Mary Ann Worsley, married Arthur George Sharp at St Marys Church, Hitchin, on 29th March1880.
Arthur was Baptised on 21st May 1880, at St Marys Church, Hitchin. The family were living in Back Street, Hitchin, at the time.
1881 Census records Arthur aged 2 living with his parents and brother Herbert 2 months at 9 Builders Yard, Back Street, Hitchin.
1891 Census records him aged 13, working as an Errand Boy, living with his parents, brothers Herbert 10, Alfred 5 and sister Elizabeth 8, at 2 Warrens Yard, Hitchin.
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.
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.
Born and living in Hitchin, he re-enlisted in Hatfield and in August 1914. His home was 85 Queen St. Hitchin.
Wartime Service
Arthur was an experienced soldier, but was not on the Reserve list 1914, but felt the urge to 'do his duty' and, after re-enlisting was posted to the 2nd Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment with the service number 4/5737, which 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.
The Battalion was about to take part in the Battle of Neuve Chapelle and moved to billets at Laventie on the 9th March 1915 in order 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 Brigade attack in the direction of Moulin-du-Pietre, north east of Neuve Chapelle. The day was misty, cold and raw with rain later and the Brigade was held up by severe fire. The 2nd Bedfords were the Brigade Reserve 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. Later 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 a large number of wounded.
He was killed in action in France and has no known grave, and is therefore remembered on Panels 10 and 11 of the Le Touret Memorial to the Missing in France.
Acknowledgments
Adrian Dunne, David C Baines, Jonty Wild, Stuart Osborne
