Arthur William Oakden
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Arthur William was the son of Edward and Alice Oakden (née Fairbank).His father Edward was born in Nottingham in 1855, the son of Ralph Oakden and his second wife Jane. Edward was baptised at Nottingham St Mary on 5 October 1855. His mother Alice, the daughter of George and Hannah Fairbank, was born in Tresswell, Nottinghamshire, in 1863.Edward and Alice were married at Nottingham St Mary on 27 July 1891 and they had four children who were born in Nottingham: Alice Mary b. 1892 bap. Nottingham Holy Trinity 12 June 1892; Edward Ralph b. 1 June 1893 bap. Holy Trinity 2 July 1893; Arthur William b. 17 November 1894 bap. Holy Trinity 13 January 1895 and George Frederick b. 1897 bap. Nottingham St Matthew 21 March 1897.The family lived at North Church Street between 1892 and 1895 and on Upper Talbot Street in 1897.However, by 1901 Edward, a dealer in malt, and Alice were living on Castle Street, Nottingham, with their children Alice Mary (8), Edward (7), Arthur (6) and George (4). Also in the household was a general domestic servant.His parents had separated by 1911 and Edward (55), a farmer, was living at Trent Vale Farm, Beeston, Nottingham, with his children Mary, Edward, William and George who were all at school. Also in the household was a general domestic servant, Carrie Sheffield. Edward died on 14 November 1911. The probate record gave his address as Trent Vale, Meadow Road, Beeston, farmer, and 'of the Three Crowns Inn Parliament Street, Nottingham, licensed victualler.'Alice Oakden (48), a tobbaconist and newsagent, was living at 188 Loughborough Road, Leicester, in 1911. Also in the household was a general domestic servant. Alice was living in Nottingham when she died on 30 August 1935. Probate was awarded to her unmarried daughter.The probate records for Arthur and Edward gave their address as 9 Vickers Street, Nottingham.Edward Ralph, Captain 10th Bn Sherwood Foresters, died in a London nursing home on 22 March 1917 as a result of wounds received in action. He was buried in Nottingham Church (Rock) Cemetery. George served as a lieutenant in the Yorkshire Regiment. He received Edward's medals after the war; his address was Herbert Street, London.Alice Mary served as a VAD nurse from 12 July 1918 to 11 February 1919 (4th Northern General Military). The British Red Cross Society record gave her address as Bank House, Retford, Nottinghamshire, which was the home of relatives, William Oakden, a bank manager, and his wife Mary Elizabeth. Their son Arthur Marshall died of wounds at Gallipoli on 21 May 1915. (See record on this Roll of Honour)
'A' Bty 124th Bde HQ Royal Field Artillery attached to Fifth Army School. Arthur was an officer cadet at the army college, Sandhurst. The London Gazette records he was commissioned second lieutenant in the Royal Horse and Royal Field Artillery on 17th November 1914.He served in France from 1915. He was attached to the 8th Squadron Royal Flying Corps in October 1915 and to the Y 37 trench mortar battery early in 1916. He was still with the battery when he was wounded in November of that year and later served in England, returning to France in January 1918.Arthur died of influenza on 29 June 1918 and is buried in Abbeville Communal Cemetery Extension, France (grave ref IV.C.10).Arthur qualified for the 194/15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal.CWGC - History of Abbeville Communal Cemetery Extension (extract): 'For much of the First World War, Abbeville was headquarters of the Commonwealth lines of communication and No.3 BRCS, No.5 and No.2 Stationary Hospitals were stationed there variously from October 1914 to January 1920. The communal cemetery was used for burials from November 1914 to September 1916, the earliest being made among the French military graves. The extension was begun in September 1916.' (www.cwgc.org)
His brother Edward Ralph, captain 10th Bn Sherwood Foresters, died on 22 March 1917 as a result of wounds received in action, buried Nottingham Church (Rock) Cemetery. (See record on this Roll of Honour)De Ruvignys Roll of Honour 1914-1918 - biography of Lieutenant Arthur Oakden 'Arthur William Oakden, Lt Royal Field Artillery, second son of the late Edward Oakden of Beeston, Nottingham, farmer by his wife Alice daughter of George Fairbank born Nottingham 17th November 1894, educated Nottingham High School and the Royal Military Academy Woolwich. He was gazetted second lieutenant R.F.A in November 1914 and promoted to Lieutenant early in 1916. He served with the Expeditionary Force in France and Flanders from January 1915, being stationed with 68 Battery R.F.A 4th Division. He took part in much of the hard fighting at that time. Became attached to the 8th Squadron Royal Flying Corps the following October and to the Y 37 trench mortar battery early in 1916 with whom he remained until he was wounded in November of that year. On his recovery he was stationed at Canterbury but returned to France in January 1918. Took part in severe fighting that Spring and died at Abbeville 29th June after a short attack of influenza due to exhaustion consequent upon his continuous service. Buried in Communal Cemetery Abbeville. He was one of three brothers serving, the eldest of whom Capt E R Oakden 10th Sherwood Foresters died of wounds March 1917.'Report published on 17th July 1918 in the Nottingham Journal and Express :- “DEATH OF BEESTON OFFICER. “Lieutenant Arthur William Oakden, R.F.A., second son of the late Mr. Edward Oakden, Trent Vale, Beeston, has died, after a short illness in France. He was educated at the Nottingham High School, at the entrance examination in for Woolwich and Sandhurst he was placed fifteenth for Woolwich and second for Sandhurst, missing a higher place for Woolwich in the first place for Sandhurst through accident that deprived him of 200 marks. In October, 1914, he obtained a commission in the Royal Field Artillery, and went France in 1915. “His elder brother, Captain Edward R. Oakden, Sherwood Foresters, died of wounds in March, 1917; his youngest and only surviving brother. Lieutenant G. F. Oakden, who is in a Yorkshire Regiment, has been at the front for nearly two years, and was wounded last summer. His only sister, Miss M. Oakden, is a V.A.D. nurse at the Northern Hospital, Lincoln.” Above article is courtesy of Jim Grundy and his facebook pages Small Town Great War Hucknall 1914-1918.Probate Nottingham 28th January 1919. Oakden Arthur William 9 Vickers Street, Nottingham lieutenant HM Army died 29th June 1918 in France. Probate awarded to Ralph Oakden gentleman and William Oakden bank manager. Effects £7293 4 shillings and 11 pence.
