Name
Arthur James Hucklesby
28 June 1897
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
11/02/1917
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
6088
York and Lancaster Regiment
1st/4th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
WARLINCOURT HALTE BRITISH CEMETERY, SAULTY
IV. J. 5.
France
Headstone Inscription
None
UK & Other Memorials
St John the Evangelist Church Memorial, Boxmoor, Hemel Hempstead Town Memorial, John Dickinson & Co Memorial, Apsley Mills, Apsley, Not on the Harpenden memorials
Pre War
Arthur Hucklesby was born in Harpenden. Herts on 28 June 1897 and baptised on 30 March 1902 in Harpenden at the age of 4 with his brother Stanley.
N.B. On the baptism record Arthur was said to be the son of George and Eliza Hucklesby, however, they were both in 1830 and would have been 67 at the time of his birth. It is more likely that he was their grandson, and the son of their daughter Emma. On the 1891 Census Emma is recorded as the daughter of George and Eliza and was living with them in Harpenden with their granddaughter Annie born in 1880. Annie was baptised in 1894 aged 13 and baptism records give her mother as Emma Hucklesby with no father's name given.
On the 1901 Census, 3 year old Arthur was living with his 71 year old grandfather George at Garden Field Cottages, Harpenden, when he was was working as a roadman. His grandfather died in 1907 and on the 1911 Census Arthur was living with his sister and brother in law, Annie and Ernest Dickins, as a boarder, at Paradise, Hemel Hempstead and working as a Mill Hand Feeder (at John Dickinson & Co at Apsley Mills). He gave his address on enlistment as Paradise, Hemel Hempstead, Herts.
He also stated on his enlistment form that his father had died and his mother had married again and he did not know where she was. He did not know the whereabouts of his only brother Stanley and said that he had a married sister Mrs E Dickins (who later lived at 13 Carey Place, Watford).
Wartime Service
He enlisted in Hertford on 9 January 1915 and initially served under reg. no. 4457 Hertfordshire Regiment. He served on home defence duties from enlistment to 30 August 1916 and left for France on 31 August 1916, having by then transferred to the 6th (Reserve) Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers.
Once in France he was transferred again, this time to the 1st/4th (Hallamshire) Battalion, York and Lancaster Regiment, on 12 September 1916. He saw action throughout October and November 1916 during the last phase of the Somme Offensive, at Morval, Thiepval, Transloy and Ancre.
He was wounded in the neck from machine gun fire on 3 February 1917 and was evacuated to a casualty clearing station, but died of his wounds on 11 February 1917. He is buried in Warlencourt Halte British Cemetery, Saulty, France.
Additional Information
N.B. the Register of Soldiers' Effects states that Annie Dickens was his step sister. She received a war gratuity of £9 and pay owing of £6 11s 9d.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
Jonty Wild, www.wilkinsonransomefamilytree.co.uk.
