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ON Arthur Edward
Private 40284 Northamptonshire Regiment
Private GS/60235 Royal Fusiliers
Arthur was born in 1897 in Kings Cliffe, the third son of John and
Jane Mason of Kings Cliffe. John was the local stone-mason
who built the wall surrounding the church at Kings Cliffe.
In 1911 Arthur was 14 and living with his mother on Park Street
and, although a schoolboy, he also worked as an errand boy.
He enlisted at Crystal Palace 15th November 1915 as an 18 year
old. There is a suggestion on some family web sites that he joined
the 4th Battalion of the Northants Regiment. However the training
battalion in late 1915 were the 3rd, the 2/4th and the 3/4th.
The medal index card confirms that he was transferred to the 6th
Battalion Northamptonshire regiment from 29th September 1916
to 9th October 1916; and from there joined the 32nd Battalion
Royal Fusiliers in Northern France on 10th October 1916 serving
in the lines on the Ypres Salient until he was wounded at the
Battle of Menin Road around 20th September 1917.
Arthur was in the front line at the opening of the Battle of Messine
Ridge, 7th June 1917; his battalion was opposite the largest
of the underground mines, at St Elooi, and they went over the
top after it was set off. He also took part in the Battle of Pilkem
Ridge, the opening attack of the third Battle of Ypres before he
was wounded in the leg during the Battle of Menin Road on 20th
September 1917. This was probably by machine-gun fire, which
accounted for about 70% of the battalion’s casualties.
After returning to England to recuperate, he was sent out to
join the 3rd Battalion Royal Fusiliers in Salonica (he contracted
malaria there which he suffered from for the rest of his life). He
was in Salonica from 31st December 1917 to 3rd July 1918,
and from thence to Northern France from 4th July 1918, where
he fought with the Battalion until the very end of the war. The
Battalion war diary records, on 9th November 1918:-
“Battalion went on to billets in MONT DOURLERS, thoroughly
exhausted with lack of sleep and exposure, but otherwise happy in
feeling they had successfully fought in their last battle in this great war”.
136
Private 40284 Northamptonshire Regiment
Private GS/60235 Royal Fusiliers
Arthur was born in 1897 in Kings Cliffe, the third son of John and
Jane Mason of Kings Cliffe. John was the local stone-mason
who built the wall surrounding the church at Kings Cliffe.
In 1911 Arthur was 14 and living with his mother on Park Street
and, although a schoolboy, he also worked as an errand boy.
He enlisted at Crystal Palace 15th November 1915 as an 18 year
old. There is a suggestion on some family web sites that he joined
the 4th Battalion of the Northants Regiment. However the training
battalion in late 1915 were the 3rd, the 2/4th and the 3/4th.
The medal index card confirms that he was transferred to the 6th
Battalion Northamptonshire regiment from 29th September 1916
to 9th October 1916; and from there joined the 32nd Battalion
Royal Fusiliers in Northern France on 10th October 1916 serving
in the lines on the Ypres Salient until he was wounded at the
Battle of Menin Road around 20th September 1917.
Arthur was in the front line at the opening of the Battle of Messine
Ridge, 7th June 1917; his battalion was opposite the largest
of the underground mines, at St Elooi, and they went over the
top after it was set off. He also took part in the Battle of Pilkem
Ridge, the opening attack of the third Battle of Ypres before he
was wounded in the leg during the Battle of Menin Road on 20th
September 1917. This was probably by machine-gun fire, which
accounted for about 70% of the battalion’s casualties.
After returning to England to recuperate, he was sent out to
join the 3rd Battalion Royal Fusiliers in Salonica (he contracted
malaria there which he suffered from for the rest of his life). He
was in Salonica from 31st December 1917 to 3rd July 1918,
and from thence to Northern France from 4th July 1918, where
he fought with the Battalion until the very end of the war. The
Battalion war diary records, on 9th November 1918:-
“Battalion went on to billets in MONT DOURLERS, thoroughly
exhausted with lack of sleep and exposure, but otherwise happy in
feeling they had successfully fought in their last battle in this great war”.
136
