Arthur Wallhead Simpson

Arthur Simpson enlisted at Nottingham on 7th November 1914. He enlisted in the same Regiment and on the same day as Ernest Reeve, who is also remembered on the Cotgrave Roll of Honour. Their Army numbers are sequential. Arthur lived in Vine Cottage next door to the Rose and Crown public house where Ernest was the son of the landlord. Frank Wooley, another of Arthur’s friends and also named on the Cotgrave war memorial, enlisted into the Kings Royal Rifle Corps one week later. On the 10th November he was posted to barracks at Winchester and to the 15th service Battalion, King's Royal Rifle Corps. After some months in UK Arthur deployed with his battalion to France on 3 August 1915. He was a lively soldier and is believed to have been the batman/runner for the Officer Commanding D Company. His liveliness got him into trouble on more than one occasion resulting in fines and even a short period of detention. On the 15th September 1916 he was seriously wounded in action by multiple gun shots during the battle for Delville Wood, and was treated at the 14th Casualty Clearing Station. Whilst being evacuated on No 3 Ambulance train on 17th September 1916 , he died from his wounds. He is buried at Etaples, 20 miles south of Bologne. Etaples is the largest cemetery in France which served the area of reinforcement camps and 17 hospitals handling up to 22,000 casualties each day.

Etaples Military Cemetery Grave Reference: X E 10A Arthur’s niece, who was also born in Vine Cottage and now (2018) lives in Cotgrave, remembers her mother talking about her uncle. She remembers the story of Arthur’s effects being returned to her grandmother after her grandfather wrote the letter below to the MOD. She continues to cherish the 1914 Christmas box with its message from The Princess Mary. Thanks to John Ludlam for researching this page and sharing the photographs.