Arthur Anderson
- Family History
- Military History
- Extra Information
- Photographs
Arthur was the third son of Charles and Margaret Anderson (née Knapp). His father Charles was born in Langrick, Lincolnshire, in 1865 and his mother Margaret in Scalford, Leicestershire, in 1863. They were married at Scalford parish church in February 1885 and had 12 children one of whom, Mabel, died young: Mary Emma b. Scalford 1885, John Thomas b. Alkmonton Derbyshire 1887, Robert b. Cotgrave Nottinghamshire 1889, Margaret b. Ropsley Lincolnshire 1890 and Mabel b. Cropwell Butler 1893 (reg. J/F/M) d. 1894 (reg. J/F/M) and seven children who were born in either Colston Bassett or Tithby (Nottinghamshire):, Arthur b. 1894, Charles b. 1895, twins Annie and Nelly b. 1897, Sarah Ann b. 1899, Elizabeth b. 1901 and Frances birth registered 1902 (J/F/M). Mary was baptised in Scalford, John in Alkmonton, Margaret in Ropsley and Mabel in Tithby and while no baptismal records have been traced for Robert, Sarah, Elizabeth and Frances, who were born in Nottinghamshire, the other four children were baptised at Tithby Holy Trinity, including Arthur on 28 October 1894. Charles, a waggoner, Margaret and their four children Mary, John, Robert and Margaret were living in Ropsley, near Grantham, in 1891. Mabel, who was born two years later when they were living in Cropwell Butler, Nottinghamshire, died in 1894. By 1901 Charles and Margaret were living on Chancery Row, Colston Bassett, with eight of their ten surviving children: Robert, Margaret, Arthur, Charles, Annie, Nellie, Sarah and Elizabeth. The eldest son John (14), a general farm servant, was living in the household of John Marriott, farmer, and his wife. The eldest daughter, Mary, has not yet been traced on the 1901 Census. Charles and his wife had moved to The Brickford, Colston Bassett, by 1911. Only three of their eleven children were in the home on the night of the census, Sarah, Elizabeth and Frances. Margaret has not yet been traced on the 1911 Census, but Mary Ann was a restaurant waitress and a boarder in a household in the Meadows, Nottingham. John, a farm labourer, had married Eliza Pass in 1909 and they and their children John Thomas Anderson Pass (b. 1908) and Mary Elizabeth (7m) were living in Owthorpe, Nottinghamshire. Arthur (16) was a farm servant working for John Marriott at Colston Bassett Hills Farm while Charles (15) was also a farm servant, employed by William Allison at Manor Farm, Colston Bassett. Annie (13) was a 'nurse girl' to the children of George Smith, a pork butcher, and his wife who lived on Arkwright Street, Meadows, Nottingham, and her twin Nellie was a general servant working for John Wilcox and his family at Wold Farm, Kinoulton, Nottinghamshire. Robert had joined the Royal Navy in 1907. Arthur's parents later moved to Nottingham and the CWGC record gave their address as 12 Wycliffe Grove, Mapperley, Nottingham. Charles, a land worker (farm), and Margaret were still living at the same address in 1939 when the England & Wales Register was compiled. Charles died in 1943 and Margaret in 1946. A report of Arthur's death in the local paper included the information that his three brothers (John, Robert and Charles) were also serving. Robert, who had joined the Royal Navy as a Stoker 2nd Class (311405) on a 12 year continuous service engagement on 22 March 1907, served to 30 August 1913 paying £12 for his discharge by purchase. He transferred to the Royal Fleet Reserve on 31 August 1913 (B6324, Stoker 1st Class) and was moblised on 2 August 1914. He served in HMS Hannibal from March 1916-31 December 1918 and was demobilised on 21 March 1919. He served again with the RFR from 9 April 1921-4 June 1921 then demobilised.
Arthur Anderson enlisted around 6 August 1914 and joined the 1st Battalion Sherwood Foresters in France on 28 November 1914. The 1st Bn was in Bombay, India, when war broke out and returned to England at the beginning of October 1914. It arrived in France to reinforce the BEF on 5 November as part of the 24th Bde, 8th Division, and served on the Western Front for the remainder of the war. Arthur was serving with the battalion when it took part in the Battle of Neuve Chapelle (10-13 March 1915) in the Artois region of France. Arthur was probably wounded by a shot to the head on the first day. He was admitted to No1 B.R.C.S., The Duchess of Westminster's Hospital, where he died on 13 March and is buried in Le Touquet-Paris Plage Communal Cemetery, France (grave ref. I.B.6). According to a report of his death in the local newspaper, he was the first man from Colston Bassett to enlist. Arthur qualified for the 1914/15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal. Battle of Neuve Chapelle: The attack on 10 March was intended to damage the German lines, behind which was the Bois de Biez and a mile ahead the Aubers Ridge. The Ridge was only slightly higher than the surrounding area but gave improved observation advantage and the German lines in the vicinity were lightly defended. A successful attack would exploit the ground and possibly open the route to Lille which had been occupied by the Germans since 1914. The intention was that the French 10th Army would attack Vimy Ridge at the north end of the Artois plateau at the same time. However, this was cancelled as the British were unable to relieve one of the French IX Corps (at Ypres) which was needed to support the 10th Army, although the Corps provided heavy artillery support. The Order of Battle of the First Army was IV Corps (7th & 8th Divisions) and the Indian Corps (3rd & 7th Divisions). In the event, the British took village of Neuve Chapelle by nightfall on the 10th and made other gains. However, during the night the Germans reinforced its second line in front of the Bois de Biez and no further gains were made by the British and the Indian Corps. The attack was made by 40,000 troops of whom over 10,000 became casualties while the 1st Canadian Division, which made a diversionary assault in support, lost 300 casualties, nearly a third killed. The German Army also took heavy casualties. CWGC - History of Le Touquet-Paris Plage Communal Cemetery (extract): Le Touquet is about 5km from Etaples. 'The Duchess of Westminister's Hospital (No.1 B.R.C.S) was at Le Touquet from October, 1914, to July, 1918, and the British graves in the Communal Cemetery were made from that hospital. The Communal Cemetery contains a number of French and Italian military graves, and two British Plots in the corner ... There are now 142 Commonwealth burials of the 1914-1918 war ... all of whom died in the period November 1914 to April 1916.' (www.cwgc.org)
CWGC headstone personal inscription: 'We miss him most who loved him best from sorrowing mother & father, brothers & sisters' CWGC: 'Son of Charles and Margaret Anderson, of 12, Wycliffe Grove, Mapperley, Notts.' Photograph with caption published in the Nottingham Evening Post, 23 July 1915: 'Pte. A Anderson, 1st Sherwood Foresters, shot in the head at Neuve Chapelle and died in the Duchess of Westminster’s Hospital, March 12 (sic). He was the first to enlist from Colston Bassett. Three of his brothers are also serving.’ Courtesy of Jim Grundy and his facebook pages Small Town Great War Hucknall 1914-1918 Registers of Soldiers' Effects: his father Charles was his legatee.
