In late December 1915 two farm labourers in their early twenties from Bronington walked seven miles to Broughall near Whitchurch to enlist in the Welsh Horse Regiment.
One was my Great Uncle Arthur who was born in Bronington in 1889. He was the 10th child of a family of 12 born to George and Mary Parry. The second was Samuel Richard Whitfield a friend and possibly a relative of Arthur’s.
Arthur later transferred to the 10th Squadron Machine Gun Corps (Cavalry), service no. 52257.
The Machine Gun Corps is one of the most difficult units of the Great War to research as all paperwork was lost in a mysterious fire in 1920.
“It starved the line regiments of recruits, taking the fittest and the best to try and satisfy the demand for more, and yet more, intelligent young men to man the guns.
“It succeeded beyond the wildest dreams of its conception, becoming in two short years a model of ruthless efficiency and operational supremacy.”
Courtesy of The Machine Gun Corps Research Database
http://machine-gun-corps-database.co.uk/intro_page.html
Arthur, a farm hand from a small village in North Wales, was a relative to be proud of.
He died on the 5th April 1918 in France and is buried at Gommecourt British Cemetery No 2, Hebuterne, grave ref. ll.E.1 His mother received the pay due to him of £11.17s.6d and the War Gratuity of £10.
She also received the British War Medal, Victory Medal and Memorial Plaque also known as the “dead man’s penny”.
Samuel Whitfield died thirteen days before Arthur on 23rd March 1918. There is a memorial to him in Arras Cemetery, France 14 miles from Arthurs resting place.
I looked for a suitable verse and found this by Edward Thomas. I found it fitting as both boys died at Easter.
In Memorial (Easter 1915)
The flowers left thick at nightfall in the wood
This Eastertide call into mind the men,
Now far from home, who, with their sweethearts, should
Have gathered them and will do never again.
Carol EYE on the PAST
