Name
Arthur Day
10 May 1893
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
17/06/1918
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
31102
Bedfordshire Yeomanry
1st/1st
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
ABBEVILLE COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION
IV. B. 17.
France
Headstone Inscription
No Report
UK & Other Memorials
Ashwell Village Memorial, St Mary’s Church Roll of Honour, Ashwell, Letchworth Town Memorial
Pre War
Arthur Day was born on 10 May 1893 in Ashwell, Hertfordshire, the son of Leopold Day, and Mary Ann Elizabeth (nee Bonfield), and was baptised on 23 Nov 1906 in Ashwell. His parents were married.
On the 1871 Census the family of parents and Charles (born 1870) were living, at High Street, Ashwell, Herts.
On the 1881 Census the family of parents, Charles, Annie W (born 1872),Frederick (born 1873), Fanny (born 1875), Eleanor (born 1877), Emma W (born 1878), Leopold H (born 1880) and John (born 1891) were living at High Street, Ashwell.
On the 1891 Census the family of parents, Charles (baker), Annie W (born 1872), Frederick (baker), Fanny, Eleanor, Emma W, Leopold H, May (born 1882), William (born 1883), Marion (born 1889) and John (born 1891) were still living at High Street, Ashwell.
They remained in Ashwell in 1911 at which time Arthur was working as a Clerk for the Great Northern Railway. His family of parents, Emma W (clerk), Kate, Harry and John (bakery assistants), Cyril (clerk) and grandson Arthur Frederick were at High Street, Ashwell.
Before enlistment, Arthur lived at 57 Gernon Road, Letchworth and was employed as a clerk at the booking office of Letchworth railway station.
Wartime Service
Arthur enlisted in Bedford, joining the Bedford Yeomanry (Territorial Force) serving initially under ser.no. 2318, (later renumbered as 31102 (1917 renumbering of the Territorial Force). As no Service Record was found for Arthur details of his service are sparse. The Beds Yeomanry had been in France since Jun 1915 as part of 9th Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division and were present at the !st Battle of Ypres (1915), Somme 1916 (Flers-Courcelette), Arras 1917, St Quentin 1918.
Arthur was wounded in the head by a German bomb on 11 Jun1918 probably when on dismounted duty in the trenches and died a few days later on 17 Jun 1918 at No. 1 General South African Hospital, France and is buried in Abbeville Communal Cemetery Extension, France.
Additional Information
His father received a war gratuity of £11 10s and arrears owing of £14 2s 10d. His father also receive probate of £155 16s 6d. No pension records have been found.
Arthur's brothers, Harry, Cyril, Jack and Edward all served in the Great War and survived. He was one of five brothers serving in the armed forces.
Harry served as 208320 in Royal Garrison Artillery and was discharged medically unfit on 4 Jul 1918.
Edward served with Hertfordshire Yeomanry as Private 2880 (later 106044) from 20 Nov 1915 and was in Mesopotamia from 27 Nov 1917. Demobilised on 23 Oct 1919.
Cyril served as Acting Sergeant 527444 in Royal Army Medical Corps with 8 Sanitary Section, 8th Division from 8 Apr 1915 France from Mar 1916), demobilised 7 Aug 1919.
Battalion details - from Findmypast:
France and Flanders, 1915-18 1/1st Bedfordshire Yeomanry. 4.8.14 Bedford: attached to Eastern Mtd. Bde. Stationed at Hatfield Peveril and Stansted until June 1915 then to France. 12.6.15 to 9th Cav. Bde. 1st Cav. Div. 10.3.18 withdrawn from 1st Cav. Div. to became a cyclist unit, then to form a machine un battalion with the Essex Yeomanry, but after German offensive mounted again and sent to 1st Cav. Div. April 1918 regiment split up sending one squadron to each regiment of 9th Cav. Bde. (8th, 15th and 19th Hussars). No further change. 2/1st Bedfordshire Yeomanry. Formed Sept. 1914. Oct. 1915 to Feb. 1916 with 61st Div. in Chelmsford area. June 1916 in 16th Mtd. Bde. 4th Mtd. Div. in Essex. Later in 1916 the regiment was split up as divisional cavalry: A Squadron to 57th Div. at Aldershot, B Squadron to 66th Div. at Colchester and C Squadron to 68th Div. at Turvey. By Mar. 1917 the regiment had concentrated at Ware attached to the 1st Mtd. Div. C Squadron was attached to 71st Div. at Colchester. By July 1917 the regiment had been absorbed in the 1st Reserve Cavalry Regiment at the Curragh. 3/1st Bedfordshire Yeomanry. Formed in 1915 and in June affiliated to 13th Reserve Cavalry Regiment at Colchester. Jan. 1917 absorbed in 1st Reserve Cavalry Regiment at the Curragh.
Acknowledgments
Derry Warners, Brenda Palmer, Neil Cooper
Adrian Pitts, Paul Johnson, www.ashwellmuseum.org.uk
