Arthur Dann

A Private with the 7th Battalion, Arthur died on 28th of April 1917 at the age of 29. 

Arthur was born at Lowestoft on 7 June 1887, a son of George and Sarah Ann Dann. He was baptised at Saint Peter’s Church, Kirkley, on 24 July 1887, and his family lived at Warnes Buildings (sic), Kirkley. By 1891 his family were living at Stanley Cottages, 2 Carlton Road, and this was still their home in 1901. Later his parents lived at 81 Kimberley Road. 

In 1907 Arthur married Rosina Tutthill. By 1911 their home was at Veldt Cottage, Kirkley Run. Arthur worked as a sailor. During the war Rosina moved to 347 Grafton Street, Toxteth Park, Liverpool. Later Rosina lived at 98 Beresford Road, Toxteth Park, Liverpool.

Arthur volunteered and enlisted in the Army at Lowestoft. He joined the Suffolk Regiment, service number 18259. Arthur was posted to the 7th Battalion and arrived in France on 11 August 1915. Arthur was wounded and his name appears in the War Office Daily List 23 August 1916. 

Colonel Murphy’s ‘The History of the Suffolk Regiment 1914-1927’ has the following account of the 7th Battalion’s part in the attack on the front between the Scarpe and Monchy (near Arras), known as the Battle of Arleux, on 28 April 1917, pages 233-4:

The battalion, going over the top at 4.35 a.m. to attack the new Blue Line, passed through the 5th Royal Berkshire Regiment, who had captured Bayonet trench and also some 150 yards of Rifle trench. They immediately came under a most devastating machine-gun fire from Rouex, which the troops operating on the north side of the river had not yet taken, and suffered very heavy losses. Portions of the various companies managed to reach the first objective but were unable to gain further ground. All the officers except the colonel and the adjutant have been killed or wounded, these small parties returned to the Black Line as soon as it grew dark and at 1 a.m. the battalion, now reduced to 190 effective men, withdrew to the support line. 

The battalion’s casualties were:
Officers three killed, one died of wounds, four wounded
Other ranks: 89 killed and an unknown number wounded or missing

Arthur was reported missing on 28 April and later it was presumed that he had been killed in action that day. 

Arthur’s half brother Ernest served with the Suffolk Regiment and died in 1914, and his half-brother Michael died in 1947 with the loss of the trawler Bucentaur