Private Arthur Ashton
Birth
The birth of Arthur Ashton was registered in the March Quarter in Bourne 1896. Research into his army records shows his age as 19 years and 7 months on the 4th September 1914 indicating a birth in either January or early February 1895. Here we have a discrepancy of one year but as the Birth Registration should take place within three months then we have to assume that he was born in 1896.
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Family History
Arthur Ashton was born in Dunsby, Lincolnshire, England to Cornelius Ashton, a cattleman on a farm and his wife Alice Boyfield. Cornelius was born in Morton and after his marriage to Alice Boyfield in 1891 lived there before moving to Dunsby.
The children of Cornelius and Alice were:-
Hilda b c1894, Cornelius b c1895, Arthur b 1896, Frederick Victor (aka Victor) b c1897, Evelyn Mary (aka Eva) b c1899 and Alice b 1901.
Cornelius Ashton died in 1901 and it is thought that his wife Alice died in 1905.
In 1911 Arthur is listed on the census for the Bourne Returns District. More information will follow for this once research has been conducted.
In September 1914 Arthur had listed his address as “Care Of Mrs Pace, Belper, Derbyshire”.
In May 1919 the army wrote to an Arthur and Kate Ashton of Tower House Morton, Bourne to ascertain kinship of the close relatives of Arthur. This Arthur was an Uncle who filled out a form which shows none for the father and mother and lists Arthur’s brothers and sisters as listed above. Alice Ashton was living with her Aunt and Uncle in May 1919.
Cornelius, Arthur’s Brother also served in the Great War with the 7th Durham.
Arthur’s Cousin John Thomas Ashton is also remembered on the Morton Memorial having been killed in action in Aril 1917
Military History
In August 1914 the 1/5th Battalion Sherwood Foresters were formed in Derby as part of Notts. & Derby Brigade and in the North Midland Division.
The Commonwealth war Graves Commission has some basic information and shows the enlistment location for Arthur Ashton as Morton. I am not sure if this is correct as his attestation records list an address in Derbyshire which would be consistent with his enlistment into the Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment, The Sherwood foresters.
On the 4th September 1914 Arthur enlisted for the Territorial Force at Derby at the age of 19 years and 7 months. This was only six weeks after war had been declared and his attestation papers show that he had no previous military service.
Arthur passed his medical examination and was described as “fit” his description shows that he was 5 feet 9 ½ inches and had a chest of 36 inches. At this point he was assigned to the 5th battalion Notts and Derby Regiment.
Upon mobilisation the 5th Battalion was moved to Harpenden and in November 1914 went on to Braintree for training.
By February 1915 the battalion was ready for action and moved to Southampton to be shipped to France, where they landed at Harve on the 25th February. The Battalion was part of the first complete territorial force to link up with the British Expeditionary Force.
On the12th of May 1915 the formation of the 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th Battalions became known as the 139th (forester) Brigade in the 46th (North Midland) Division.
On the 15th August 1915 Arthur Ashton was wounded in his right thigh and records show he was admitted at Abeele.
The place mentioned in the report, Abeele, is a small village bisected by the border between France and Belgium. This was the site of a WW1 military airfield and we can only assume that this would be a location of Billets and possibly a military hospital. There is another entry on Arthur’s military records showing that on the 4th September 1915 he was mentioned in a report from a different source but again this mentions that he was admitted at Abeele on the 16th August 1915.
By 22nd October 1915 Arthur was passed as fit for service and was sent back to duty in the field.
Arthur saw his final battle on the 7th of November 1915 when he was killed in action age 19.
Private Arthur Ashton 2402, 1/5th Battalion Sherwood Foresters (Notts and Derby Regiment) was eligible for the following medals:-
Victory Medal
The British Medal
The 1915 Star.
Memorial
Private Arthur Ashton 2402 is remembered with honour at the Rue-Des-Berceaux Military Cemetery at Richebourg-L’Avoue near Bethune in the Nord-Pas-De-Calais region of France. Reference II. F. 1
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