Name
Arthur Henry Rance
1884
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
09/06/1918
33
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Corporal
66504
Machine Gun Corps (Infantry)
62nd Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
BIENVILLERS MILITARY CEMETERY
XXI. C. 6.
France
Headstone Inscription
GOD HOLDS THE KEY OF ALL UNKNOWN
UK & Other Memorials
Tring Town Memorial, St Peter & St Paul Church Roll of Honour, Tring, New Mill Baptist Church, Tring, We are not aware of any Bulbourne memorial
Pre War
Arthur Henry Rance was born in Tring in 1884, the son of Henry and Mary Rance (nee Kent).
On the 1891 Census he was living at 6, Chapel Street, Tring the home of his grandparents William and Ruth Kent, along with his mother and another grandson Frederick Charles Kent. aged 18. His 71 year old grandfather was on parish relief and his mother was working as a dressmaker.
On the1901 Census the family of Ruth, Mary Rance, Charles Kent (carpenter) and Arthur (draper’s apprentice) were still at 6, Chapel Street.
Mary Rance, Arthur’s mother died in 1906.
On the 1911 Census Arthur, a draper’s assistant was living at Akeman Street, Tring.
He worked for eight years as an assistant in the drapers and outfitters shop of Mr E K Fulks in Tring and was well known in the town and held in high esteem. He was later said to be in business in London which he disposed of when he enlisted.
Arthur married Alice Bovington on 26 August 1911 at New Mill Baptist Church, Tring (and honeymooned at Leigh-on-Sea, Essex). They lived at 32 Manor Park, south east London.
Wartime Service
He enlisted in August 1916 in Lewisham, south east London, and initially joined the London Regiment (Reg. No. 6745), later transferring to the Machine Gun Corps (Infantry).following his training he went to France in 1917 to join 62nd (2nd West Riding) Division in one of their Machine Gun Companies. In March 1918 the 62nd Battalion MGC (I) was formed by amalgamating the 3 Companies, 201, 208, 212 as A, B & C companies with the addition 213 as 'D' company.
He was made Corporal at some time. During 1917 the 62 Division had fought at the Battles of Arras and at Cambrai and in 1918 were engaged in the Battle of Bapaume (25 Mar) and Arras (28 Mar) during the German Spring Offensive. They were also engaged around the end of May during a fighting retreat where the division was left with 12 Machine Guns from a complement of 64. Arthur was killed in action on 9 Jun 1918 in a period in which no significant actions were taking place but from the attrition of trench warfare.
Additional Information
His widow received a war gratuity of £9 10s and pay owing of £16 6s 3d. She also received a pension of 15 shillings a week.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer, Neil Cooper
Jonty Wild, tringlocalhistory.org.uk
