ARTHUR WAS TWIN BROTHER TO MY GRANDMOTHER MABEL. HE HAD FOUR OTHER YOUNGER SISTERS. AS THE ONLY BOY, ARTHUR WAS DOTED ON BY HIS MOTHER AND SISTERS. HE WAS DUE TO FOLLOW HIS FATHER WORKING AS A BLACKSMITH. HOWEVER BRITAIN DECLARED WAR AND ARTHUR LIKE SO MANY OTHERS ANSWERED THE CALL TO JOIN UP.  BEING A DERBY LAD HE JOINED THE NOTTS DERBY REGIMENT SERVING IN  THE 16TH, 17TH, 3RD BN AND FINALLY 2/5 BN.  MARCH 1918, CLOSE TO THE VILLAGE OF NOREUIL THE 2/5 BN WERE DUG IN CLOSE TO A SUNKEN ROAD. THEY WERE SUPPORTING OTHER BATTALIONS OF THE SHERWOOD FORESTERS ON THE LINE.. THE GERMANS ATTACKED IN FORCE DURING THE NIGHT OF THE 210318 AND ARTHUR WAS POSTED AS MISSING THAT DAY. OFFICIAL RECORDS SHOW 2/5 BN SUFFERED HUGE CASULATIES. 629 DEAD ONLY FOUR SURVIVED UNHARMED. LIKE SO MANY, ARTHUR HAS NO KNOWN GRAVE AND THE FAMILY HAS NEVER KNOWN HOW HE DIED.  AS THE ONLY SON ARTHURS LOSS HIT THE FAMILY HARD, HIS MOTHER WORE BLACK UNTIL IN THE 1930S 

JANE WHITEHURST