Name
Arthur Providence Bignell
1884
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
03/06/1918
28
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Driver
131414
Royal Field Artillery
2nd Brigade
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
ESQUELBECQ MILITARY CEMETERY
II. E. 15.
France
Headstone Inscription
He has no family inscription on his Headstone
UK & Other Memorials
Holy Cross Church Memorial, Sarratt, Chipperfield Village Memorial, St Paul's Church Memorial, Chipperfield, Not on the Watford memorials(*1), We are not aware of any Belsize Memorial
Pre War
Arthur Providence Bignell/Bignall was born in 1884, in Watford, Hertfordshire, son of James Bignall, a Ploughman and Mary Jane Bignall. He was the youngest of five children.
1891 Census records Arthur (as Bignall) aged 6, at school, living with his widowed mother, brothers George (12) and Thomas (9) at, Penmans Green, Sarratt, Herts.
1901 Census records Arthur (as Bignell) aged 16, working as a Hay Binders Labourer, living with his widowed mother, brothers George and Thomas in, Belsize, Nr Sarratt, Herts.
1911 Census records Arthur (as Bignell) aged 25, single, working as a Council Roadman, living with his widowed mother and brother George in, Belsize, Nr Sarratt, Herts.
Wartime Service
Arthur enlisted at Watford, Herts, posted to the Royal Field Artillery with the service number 131414.
Serving on the Western Front, he was wounded in action and taken to No 3. Australian Casualty Clearing Station at, Esquelbecq, Nord, France, where he died of his wounds on 3 June 1918.
Additional Information
*1 Recorded as born in Watford, but it is possible that this is the postal town for his actual birth place. We believe this is the A. Bignell on the Chipperfield Memorials, but no connection to Chipperfield was found. His effects of £13-11s-8d, Pay Owing were split between his mother Mary, brothers Thomas, James and sister Edith, brother George past his share on to their mother, his War Gratuity of £9, went to his mother Mary. Listed as A P Bignell R.F.A on the Sarratt Memorial. CWGC, have him as A. Bignall.
Acknowledgments
Stuart Osborne
Malcolm Lennox
