Arthur Grayston Holloway

A Second Lieutenant attached to the 16th Battalion, Arthur died on 24th of March 1918 at the age of 21. 

Arthur was born at Scarborough, Yorkshire, a son of Arthur and Maggie Holloway. He was baptised at Saint John’s Church, Lowestoft, on 1 November 1896 and his family lived at Cullen House, Beach Road. In 1901 his family were living at High Street, Anstruther Wester, Fife, and by 1911 at 35 Queen’s Road, Lowestoft. Arthur passed Cambridge Senior examinations in December 1912 and December 1913. He began working for T. W. Targett, dentist, at Lowestoft on 20 January 1913 and attained registration in dentistry on 2 February 1914. Arthur’s probate record shows that he lived at 11 Royal Avenue. 

Arthur enlisted in the Army and joined the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, service number 5356. He arrived in France on 25 May 1916, and by that time he was a Sergeant. Arthur attended and Officer Cadet Battalion and was commissioned as Second Lieutenant in the Sherwood Foresters (Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment) on 26 September 1917. Officially he was commissioned into the 6th Battalion (Territorial Force) but was posted to France on attachment to the 16th Battalion.  

Arthur joined the 16th Battalion, at billets north of Abeele, on 25 November 1917 and he became a member of D Company. On 27 December 1917 at Quesques and Verval a divisional inter-company cross-country competition was held. Arthur was part of the winning team. 

On 21 March 1918 the 16th Battalion were at Sorrel le Grand, With the onset of the German bombardment they marched to Sorrel Wood, in dense fog and under a gas barrage. Late in the day they were ordered to Longueval. During 22 March front line troops fell back and by 2.30 the battalion were in touch with the enemy. At 6.30 p.m., the flanks having given way, the battalion were ordered to withdraw to Bois de Buerre. Late in the day they moved to Tincourt Wood to support the 17th Battalion King’s Royal Rifle Corps and the 16th Battalion Rifle Brigade. On 23 March they withdrew to a line from Beune to Nurlu-Peronne and then to Mont St. Quentin. The battalion was nearly surrounded, and withdrew to Clery, where they formed a defensive flank and repelled and enemy attack. During 24 March they withdrew from the line across the river and at 8 p.m. the bridge was blown. 

Precisely what happened to Arthur is not known, other than that he was killed in action on 24 March. 

The battalions’ casualties from 21 to 31 March 1918 were:
Officers: two killed; one died of wounds; two wounded and missing; two missing; 14 wounded
Other ranks: 14 killed; 104 missing; 179 wounded