Arthur James Crowe

A Rifleman with the 7th Battalion, Arthur died on 20th of August 1917 at the age of 28.

Arthur was born at Lowestoft on 9 May 1889, a son of Samuel James and Elizabeth Charlotte Crowe. He was baptised at Saint Margaret’s Church, Lowestoft, on 31 May 1889. In 1891 his family lived at 204 Clapham Road. Arthur was a pupil at Clapham Road School before, on 3 February 1896, becoming a pupil at Saint Margaret’s School. In 1896 his family lived at Raglan Street, and by 1901 they were living at 131 Wollaston Road. Later his parents moved to Poplar. 

The 1911 Census shows Arthur working as a fish buyer, on his own account, and lodging at Ruthy Lane, Padstow, Cornwall. 

On 18 October 1911 Arthur married Bessie Maud Pitchers Moore at Saint Margaret’s Church. Arthur was a cooper living at 84 Seago Street and Bessie lived at 89 Roman Road. Subsequently Bessie lived at 32 Selby Street, then 65 Southside Street, Plymouth, before moving back to Lowestoft and living at 49 Stanford Street and then at 28 Beckham Road. 

Arthur enlisted in the Army at Lowestoft. He joined the King’s Royal Rifle Corps, service number R/38185, and was posted to the 9th Battalion in France. Subsequently he joined the 7th Battalion. 

On 15 August 1917 the 7th Battalion moved to trenches at Dickebusch, near Ypres. Following an unsuccessful divisional attack on Inverness and Glencorse Woods the battalion moved into brigade reserve at Zillebecke Bund and then, on 17 August, took over trenches north of the Menin Road. The battalion was diary notes that the trenches were in ‘a very bad state after recent heavy fighting, the approaches were very difficult and the whole area very much shelled. There was no infantry fighting during this tour, and attention was concentrated on improving trenches.’ The battalion were relieved on 20 August. During the period at the Menin Road the battalion lost three men killed and 23 wounded.

Arthur was reported wounded and missing on 20 August and later this was officially accepted as the date he died.