Alderton's WW1 War Dead
Below are the biographical and military details of the sixteen men listed on the Alderton War memorial. I have also included two men whose names do not appear on the Alderton village memorial. Only one of the two Grimmett brothers appears on the memorial, so details of both are included below, and Jesse James, who was born in Alderton but lived in Stanton, where he is commemorated.
Private Arthur Bishop
Name/Rank: Private Arthur Bishop
Regiment/Battalion: 7th & 12th battalion (Prince Albert’s) Somerset Light Infantry
Service No: 17051/290038
Date died: 14th February 1919
Buried: Niederzwehren Cemetery, Kassel, Germany
Commemorated: Alderton war memorial
Arthur William Bishop was born in Northleach in 1894. His parents John and Susannah had four other children Rose, Lizzie, Helen & Frances and census records show the family moving around between Northleach, Salfords Prior in Warwickshire and Alderton. By 1911 they were living in Alderton and Arthur was aged 17, and his occupation was a worker in a canning factory.
Sometime after the outbreak of war Arthur enlisted in the 7th battalion (Prince Albert’s) Somerset Light Infantry in Deptford, Kent, though his place of residence at that time was Grove Park, Middlesex. There are no records available to provide details of Arthur’s service but from analysis of casualty records of 7th battalion members with similar service numbers to Arthur’s, it’s likely that he served in France and Flanders with the 7th battalion from the middle of 1916. Later Arthur was transferred to the 12th battalion of the Somerset’s and given the new number 290038. The 12th battalion had been formed in Egypt in 1917 from members of the dismounted Somerset Yeomanry. They moved to France in May 1918 in the 229th brigade, 74th Division. It is unknown whether Arthur served with the 12th battalion in Egypt.
On 7th September 1918 the 12th Somersets moved up into the line around Longavesnes, in the Somme region. They were relieved on the 9th September except D company who remained with the 12th Black Watch in the line. Arthur was in 14 platoon, D company. On the 10th September Albert’s D company were subjected to a very strong German counter-attack. Following this action 24 other ranks were missing alongside a Capt. F.F. Edbrooke MC (taken prisoner). During this action Arthur received a gunshot wound to his upper thigh and was taken prisoner. He was at Quedlinbourg POW camp where he died in hospital on 14th February 1919. Arthur was buried in the Niederzwehren cemetery, Kassel, Germany which was used as a concentration cemetery after the war for allied POWs who had died whilst interned.
According to handwritten notes on Arthur's Red Cross POW card he had a contact listed as a Miss Griffiths, The Shack, Chipping Campden, Glos. She had presumably written to the Red Cross asking for information about Arthur. There was a prominent Griffiths family in Chipping Campden of which a daughter Josephine was noted as: “During WW1, she was continually active in raising funds for the Red Cross and other military associations by organising knitting and garden parties and door to door collections. Her descriptions of Armistice Day celebrations are all recorded in local history books, as well as the part she took in the erection of the Town War Memorial in 1921.” According to the 1901 census Arthur’s oldest sister Rose was employed as a parlour maid for the Griffiths family, Bedfont House, Chipping Campden and through this relationship Josephine Griffiths contacted the Red Cross asking for information about Arthur Bishop. By 1911 Rose had married Frederick Benfield (Army Service Corps 1915-1919) and was still living in Chipping Campden, where she remained until her death in 1958.
Following Arthur’s death, a pension was paid to his mother Susannah, though no amount is noted on the pension record. The pension record has an address of 28 Heather Road, Grove Park, Lee, London which is crossed out. This could have been Arthur’s London address and tallies with his enlistment record.
Following Arthur’s death, the Army record of soldiers’ effects lists an amount of £46 5s 11d which was paid to his mother Susannah in 1919. This amount included the remains of Arthur’s army pay and a war gratuity payment of £24 paid out to soldiers and their dependants.
Arthur was entitled to the two standard WW1 service medals, the Victory medal and the British War medal.
Arthur Bishop is commemorated on the Alderton war memorial and is buried in the Niederzwehren Cemetery, Kassel, Germany.
Regiment/Battalion: 7th & 12th battalion (Prince Albert’s) Somerset Light Infantry
Service No: 17051/290038
Date died: 14th February 1919
Buried: Niederzwehren Cemetery, Kassel, Germany
Commemorated: Alderton war memorial
Arthur William Bishop was born in Northleach in 1894. His parents John and Susannah had four other children Rose, Lizzie, Helen & Frances and census records show the family moving around between Northleach, Salfords Prior in Warwickshire and Alderton. By 1911 they were living in Alderton and Arthur was aged 17, and his occupation was a worker in a canning factory.
Sometime after the outbreak of war Arthur enlisted in the 7th battalion (Prince Albert’s) Somerset Light Infantry in Deptford, Kent, though his place of residence at that time was Grove Park, Middlesex. There are no records available to provide details of Arthur’s service but from analysis of casualty records of 7th battalion members with similar service numbers to Arthur’s, it’s likely that he served in France and Flanders with the 7th battalion from the middle of 1916. Later Arthur was transferred to the 12th battalion of the Somerset’s and given the new number 290038. The 12th battalion had been formed in Egypt in 1917 from members of the dismounted Somerset Yeomanry. They moved to France in May 1918 in the 229th brigade, 74th Division. It is unknown whether Arthur served with the 12th battalion in Egypt.
On 7th September 1918 the 12th Somersets moved up into the line around Longavesnes, in the Somme region. They were relieved on the 9th September except D company who remained with the 12th Black Watch in the line. Arthur was in 14 platoon, D company. On the 10th September Albert’s D company were subjected to a very strong German counter-attack. Following this action 24 other ranks were missing alongside a Capt. F.F. Edbrooke MC (taken prisoner). During this action Arthur received a gunshot wound to his upper thigh and was taken prisoner. He was at Quedlinbourg POW camp where he died in hospital on 14th February 1919. Arthur was buried in the Niederzwehren cemetery, Kassel, Germany which was used as a concentration cemetery after the war for allied POWs who had died whilst interned.
According to handwritten notes on Arthur's Red Cross POW card he had a contact listed as a Miss Griffiths, The Shack, Chipping Campden, Glos. She had presumably written to the Red Cross asking for information about Arthur. There was a prominent Griffiths family in Chipping Campden of which a daughter Josephine was noted as: “During WW1, she was continually active in raising funds for the Red Cross and other military associations by organising knitting and garden parties and door to door collections. Her descriptions of Armistice Day celebrations are all recorded in local history books, as well as the part she took in the erection of the Town War Memorial in 1921.” According to the 1901 census Arthur’s oldest sister Rose was employed as a parlour maid for the Griffiths family, Bedfont House, Chipping Campden and through this relationship Josephine Griffiths contacted the Red Cross asking for information about Arthur Bishop. By 1911 Rose had married Frederick Benfield (Army Service Corps 1915-1919) and was still living in Chipping Campden, where she remained until her death in 1958.
Following Arthur’s death, a pension was paid to his mother Susannah, though no amount is noted on the pension record. The pension record has an address of 28 Heather Road, Grove Park, Lee, London which is crossed out. This could have been Arthur’s London address and tallies with his enlistment record.
Following Arthur’s death, the Army record of soldiers’ effects lists an amount of £46 5s 11d which was paid to his mother Susannah in 1919. This amount included the remains of Arthur’s army pay and a war gratuity payment of £24 paid out to soldiers and their dependants.
Arthur was entitled to the two standard WW1 service medals, the Victory medal and the British War medal.
Arthur Bishop is commemorated on the Alderton war memorial and is buried in the Niederzwehren Cemetery, Kassel, Germany.
