No.6515, Lance Corporal, Arthur James SHORTER
Aged 34
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Born in Barrow (1st qtr 1881 Thingoe 4a:592) son of William and Sarah Ann SHORTER (née BARBER)
1881 census...Aged 3 months, he was at Burthorpe Green, Barrow with his father William E SHORTER [26] railway plate layer; his mother Sarah Ann [24] born Chedburgh; brother Elias William [1]. All except his mother were born in Barrow. 1891 census...Aged 10, he was at 47 Long Brackland, Bury St.Edmunds with his parents (father now labourer); brothers Elias, George [8], David [6] and Samuel [3]; sisters Florence [5] and Eliza [1]. Samuel and Eliza were born in Bury St.Edmunds. 1901 census...Aged 20, an Army private, he was a prisoner in H.M.Prison, Reading. At 3 Ipswich Terrace, Bury St.Edmunds were his parents (father foundry labourer); brothers David [18] iron moulder, Samuel D [13], William [8], Elijah [6] and Andrew E [4]; sisters Florence [15] trousers machinist, Eliza [11], Fanny [9] and Rosamund M [2] He married Esther KEMPSTER [3-10-1881] in Aylesbury in qtr 4 1904. His widow married Alexander PRENTICE in 1916 1911 census...Aged 28, married, he was a private in 2nd Battalion, Suffolk Regiment at Aldershot. His wife Esther was at 22 Alexandra Road, Aldershot. At 3 Ipswich Terrace, Bury St.Edmunds were his parents; (father now foundry worker); brother Samuel (moulder), William (moulder), Elijah (foundry fitter), Andrew (errand boy); sisters Fanny and Rose; cousin Albert [6]. . All the children here were born in Bury St.Edmunds. His mother has lost 3 of her 14 children. |
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He enlisted in Bury St.Edmunds.
The war diary for 8th May 1915 is far too long for here. The Battle for the Frenzenberg Ridge will remain long in the history of the Suffolk Regiment. One of their bloodiest encounters of the war at that stage, the battalion had been warned they were expected to hold at all costs. The artillery barrage unleashed on them was the worst they had encountered, all communication for up to two miles behind their line was cut, the only route to them was through Ypres itself, and enduring the artillery barrage. The enemy succeeded in breaching the right flank and before mid day the battalion was over come. They had suffered 21 Officer casualties and 434 Other Ranks were either dead, wounded and missing, or just missing. That is about half the fighting strength of a battalion. CWGC have the dead on the 8th as 95, only one has an identified grave.
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