Pte
Arthur Croft
Information about birth
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Year of birth: 1884 |
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Place of birth: Ramsey, Huntingdonshire, England, United Kingdom |
Army information
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Country: England, United Kingdom |
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Force: British Expeditionary Force |
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Rank: Private |
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Service number: 203253 |
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Enlistment place: Ramsey St Mary's, Huntingtonshire, England, United Kingdom |
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Units: — Bedfordshire Regiment, 4th Bn. (Last known unit) |
Information about death
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Date of death: 30/10/1917 |
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Place of death: Poelcapelle, Belgium |
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Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.) |
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Age: 33 |
Memorial
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Tyne Cot Memorial Panel: 49 |
Distinctions and medals 2
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British War Medal Medal |
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Victory Medal Medal |
Points of interest 3
| #1 | Place of birth | ||
| #2 | Enlistment place | ||
| #3 | Place of death (approximate) |
My story
On the 30th of October 1917 the 63rd (Royal Naval) Division attacked with one Brigade at 5.50 a.m., zero hour. This Brigade, the 190th Brigade, advanced with the 4th Bedfordshires in the center of the divisional front, the 7th Royal Fusiliers on the left and the Artists Rifles on the right. The Canadian Corps was on the right of the Artists Rifles. The Canadian attack in the direction of Passchendaele was successful, reaching the outskirts of the village. However the attack of the 63rd (Royal Naval) Division encountered more difficulties.
The condition of the battlefield was terrible, especially around the Paddebeek. The terrain was one boggy mud plain, which slowed down the advance. The advancing troops were often up to their knees in mud. Making them easy targets for the machine gun and sniper fire of the men of the German 111th Infanterie-Division on the opposing side. While the men of the 63rd Division were struggling in the mud, the Germans dropped a counter-barrage 100 yards behind the British barrage, causing severe casualties.
The boggy terrain combined with relentless German suppressing fire resulted in a meagre British advance. That night the 63rd Division held a line at Source Trench-Varlet Farm-Bray Farm-Berks Houses, only 150-200 yards further from their starting point. The Battalion made only some ground, while the casualties were numerous. The 4th Bedfordshires lost two officers in the attack. Seven officers were wounded. Fifty-two men of the other ranks were killed, 150 men were wounded and 23 men went missing. Private Arthur Croft was one of the fifty-two men who were killed during the attack of the Bedfordshire Regiment 4th Battalion on the 30th of October 1917.
The condition of the battlefield was terrible, especially around the Paddebeek. The terrain was one boggy mud plain, which slowed down the advance. The advancing troops were often up to their knees in mud. Making them easy targets for the machine gun and sniper fire of the men of the German 111th Infanterie-Division on the opposing side. While the men of the 63rd Division were struggling in the mud, the Germans dropped a counter-barrage 100 yards behind the British barrage, causing severe casualties.
The boggy terrain combined with relentless German suppressing fire resulted in a meagre British advance. That night the 63rd Division held a line at Source Trench-Varlet Farm-Bray Farm-Berks Houses, only 150-200 yards further from their starting point. The Battalion made only some ground, while the casualties were numerous. The 4th Bedfordshires lost two officers in the attack. Seven officers were wounded. Fifty-two men of the other ranks were killed, 150 men were wounded and 23 men went missing. Private Arthur Croft was one of the fifty-two men who were killed during the attack of the Bedfordshire Regiment 4th Battalion on the 30th of October 1917.
Sources 2
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McCarthy C., The Third Ypres Passchendaele. The Day-by-Day Account, (London, Arms & Armour Press, 1995), pg. 133. Sources used |
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Sir Maurice F., The 16th A History of The Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment), (London, Constable & Company LTD, 1931), pg. 187-188. Sources used |
More information 3
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Commonwealth War Graves Commission Database https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/841853 |
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Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=83764e84-db0f-4f5c-a612-f4edea76c05a |
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Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum) https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/1022022 |