Name
Arthur John Chennells
1890
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 (Mons) Star, British War and Victory Medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
NOT FOUND ON CWGC - SEE BIOGRAPHY
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Berkhamsted Town Memorial, St Peter's Church Memorial, Berkhamsted
Pre War
Arthur John Chennells was born in 1890, the second son of David and Emma Chennells, and baptised on 14 May 1890 at St Peter's Church, Berkhamsted. He was said to be one of 20 children but only eleven were still living by 1911.
On the 1891 Census the family were living at Happy Valley (an alleyway off Castle Street), Berkhamsted and his father was working as a general labourer. They remained there in 1901 at which time his father was a sawyer at the timberyard and Arthur had two younger brothers and a sister.
He joined the army and on the 1911 Census he was Private 9299 in the 2nd Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment at St George's, Bermuda.
Wartime Service
The 2nd Battalion were in South Africa at the outbreak of war and returned to England, landing at Southampton on 19 September 1914. He would have seen action at the Battle of Mons.
In December 1914, his parents reported that they had four soldier sons and three had been wounded at the Front and were in hospital.
Arthur had deserted in January 1915 and deserted again on 6 October. He had been treated at Manchester Hospital and had to return there for an operation. He died in an accident at Westminster Station when he had staggered on to the platform in a dazed and disoriented state and as the train moved out he caught hold of the rail of a coach but missed his footing and fell between two coaches, becoming fixed between the footboard and the platform. Thirty people tried unsuccessfully to lift the train and rescue him, and eventually the footboard had to be cut away.
His death was reported under the headline "Mons Hero's Terrible Death". A witness stated that he gave the impression that he was under the influence of drink, but may have been suffering from shell shock.
Additional Information
An article written by Linda Rollitt and published in the Berkhamsted Local History and Museum Society Publication "Men of Berkhamsted: Lest We Forget" tells the sad story of Arthur's death.
Because of his desertion, Arthur's medals were forfeited but Major E D P Cambridge applied for his medals on behalf of his mother in 1927. Arthur is buried in an unmarked grave in Rectory Lane Cemetery.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
Jonty Wild, www.rectorylanecemetery.org.uk
