On The Roll of Honour
Arthur was born on 13th March 1885 in Hunston. His father, Samuel, was 25 and his Mother, Clara, was 22 and had been born in Walsham le Willows and had moved to Langham when she was a child.
1891 Census: Arthur was 6 and living in The Street, Hunston with his father, Samuel, aged 31; his mother, Clara, aged 28; and his brother, Sidney, aged 1. Arthur’s father was an Agricultural Labourer.
1901 Census: Arthur, aged 16 was an Agricultural Labourer. By this time his father, aged 41 had become a Groom; his mother was 38. Clara had originated from Rougham. Arthur’s brother, Sidney, was 13 and the family lived in The Street, Badwell Ash.
1911 Census: At the age of 26, Arthur was still a farm labourer and living in The Street, Badwell Ash. By this time he had married Lily Elsie Blake, aged 24 in January 1909. They had a daughter, Elise Winifred Clarke, aged 2.
Clara was born in Walsham le Willows on 21st Dec 1886 and in the 1891 census was living in Hunston Road, Langham. Her father was Walter Blake b. 1866 and mother Mahala H Sparke b.1867.
Military and War: Little is known about his Military Service except that he was in The Buffs East Kent Regiment but there is no evidence of War Medals.
Unfortunately no other record details have been located of Arthur’s army career. It is highly possible that Arthur’s records have been destroyed. In September 1940, as the result of a fire caused by an incendiary bomb at the War Office Record Store in Arnside Street, London, approximately two thirds of 6.5 million soldiers’ documents for the First World War were destroyed. Those records which survived were mostly charred or water damaged and unfit for consultation and became known as the ‘burnt documents’.
Post War: He and Lily had been married for 61 years when she died in 1970 in Bury St Edmunds. It’s believed he died aged 90 in the 2nd Quarter 1975 in Bury St. Edmunds (Suffolk 10-2331).
