Arthur Francis Chatterton
- Family History
- Military History
- Extra Information
- Photographs
Arthur Francis Chatterton was born in 1896 he was the son of Ratcliffe a coachman and Sarah Frances Chatterton née Templeman of Newcastle Street Tuxford Nottinghamshire and the brother of Ernest, Alan Noel and Winifred Frances Chatterton. Ratcliffe was born in 1867 at West Drayton, Sarah Frances Templeman was born in 1868 at Normanton on Trent, they were married on 27th June 1894 at St Matthews Church, Normanton on Trent, they had 5 children, sadly 1 died in infancy or early childhood. In 1911 the family were living at Newcastle Street, Tuxford, Ratcliffe 44 yrs is a coachman he is living with his wife Sarah Frances 43 yrs and their 4 children including Arthur Frances 15 yrs a grocers assistant.
Private Arthur Francis Chatterton enlisted at Retford whilst residing at Tuxford. He was wounded on Gallipoli and evacuated to Alexandria Egypt where he died on 25 September 1915 and buried at Alexandria Chatby Cemetery. grave D. 181.
Pte Arthur F Chatterton Retford Times 15 October 1915 'As announced in our last issue, this young soldier succumbed to wounds received in action. He was the son of Mr R Chatterton, chauffeur to Dr C E Whitington, Tuxford. When war broke out he was employed at the GCR Running Sheds. He was dangerously wounded on or about August 8th in the Dardanelles at the landing at Suvla Bay. He died in hospital at Alexandria on September 25th. He was 20 years of age and had the honour of being the first local patriot to volunteer for service in Kitchener’s Army. Mrs Chatterton has received a touching and very sympathetic letter from the Chaplain – the Rev H T Valentine – at the Bombay Presidency General Hospital, Alexandria as follows:- “I wonder whether the War Office has sent you the sad news of the death of your son. I hope my previous letter helped you to realise how very ill he was. He always begged me to write cheerfully and hopeful to you, because he did not want to worry you. We quite hoped almost to the last that he would recover. He had a very good doctor who did all that was humanely possible for him. He became rapidly worse on September 24th and died early the following morning. I am enclosing a photo of the military cemetery, in the new part of which your son’s poor body, sacrificed for his country, will be laid to rest.'
