Pte
Arthur Darlington
Information about birth
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Year of birth: 1898 |
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Place of birth: Stockport, Cheshire, England, United Kingdom |
General information
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Last known residence: Manchester, Lancashire, 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: 243372 |
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Units: — Lancashire Fusiliers, 2nd/5th Bn. (Last known unit) |
Information about death
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Date of death: 20/09/1917 |
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Place of death: Schüler Galleries, Belgium |
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Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.) |
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Age: 19 |
Cemetery
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Tyne Cot Cemetery Plot: IV Row: J Grave: 17 |
Points of interest 3
| #1 | Place of birth | ||
| #2 | Last known residence | ||
| #3 | Place of death (approximate) |
My story
Arthur Darlington was born in 1898 in Stockport, Cheshire, United Kingdom. He was the son of Samuel Darlington and Harriet Ann Froggatt. Arthur served during the First World War in the 2nd/5th Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers (164th Brigade, 55th (West Lancashire) Division).
Arthur was killed on 20 September 1917 during the Battle of the Menin Road Ridge, part of the Battle of Passendale. On the evening of 14 September 1917, the 2nd/5th Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers arrived in the vicinity of Ieper. Until 17 September, the Battalion remained in the rear before moving in the evening toward the front line south of Sint-Juliaan. On 19 September, the attacking companies were brought to their starting positions northwest of Hindu Cottages. The attack on 20 September was to be carried out in four waves. The first two waves each consisted of two platoons from “C” and “D” Company. These waves aimed to capture the Schuler Galleries and Cross Cottages. The third and fourth waves consisted of two platoons from “A” and “B” Company, targeting Green House, Road House, and several dug-outs along what is now the Zonnebekestraat.
At 5:40 a.m., the attack began. The German troops at Schuler Galleries immediately opened fire with machine guns. The enemy fire was so intense that even before the Galleries were reached, 50% of the Battalion had become casualties. Eventually, the Schuler Galleries were taken with help from the 1/8th (Irish) Battalion, King's (Liverpool) Regiment. This Battalion also came under heavy fire during their assault, and both Battalions only managed to capture the Galleries after fierce fighting. After the Galleries were taken, elements of the 2nd/5th Battalion managed to take the remaining objectives, but they were unable to hold them. Several German counterattacks were launched between 10:00 and 14:00, but these were repelled by artillery and machine-gun fire from the Galleries. Around 17:00, the men of the 2nd/5th Battalion attempted another attack from the Galleries, but it was repelled by enemy artillery fire. The Battalion undertook no further actions that day. The losses of the 2nd/5th Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers that day were: 40 killed, 236 wounded, and 80 missing.
Arthur Darlington was killed at the age of 19. His body was found northwest of Schuler Farm. Arthur was reburied after the war at Tyne Cot Cemetery, Plot IV, Row J, Grave 17.
Arthur was killed on 20 September 1917 during the Battle of the Menin Road Ridge, part of the Battle of Passendale. On the evening of 14 September 1917, the 2nd/5th Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers arrived in the vicinity of Ieper. Until 17 September, the Battalion remained in the rear before moving in the evening toward the front line south of Sint-Juliaan. On 19 September, the attacking companies were brought to their starting positions northwest of Hindu Cottages. The attack on 20 September was to be carried out in four waves. The first two waves each consisted of two platoons from “C” and “D” Company. These waves aimed to capture the Schuler Galleries and Cross Cottages. The third and fourth waves consisted of two platoons from “A” and “B” Company, targeting Green House, Road House, and several dug-outs along what is now the Zonnebekestraat.
At 5:40 a.m., the attack began. The German troops at Schuler Galleries immediately opened fire with machine guns. The enemy fire was so intense that even before the Galleries were reached, 50% of the Battalion had become casualties. Eventually, the Schuler Galleries were taken with help from the 1/8th (Irish) Battalion, King's (Liverpool) Regiment. This Battalion also came under heavy fire during their assault, and both Battalions only managed to capture the Galleries after fierce fighting. After the Galleries were taken, elements of the 2nd/5th Battalion managed to take the remaining objectives, but they were unable to hold them. Several German counterattacks were launched between 10:00 and 14:00, but these were repelled by artillery and machine-gun fire from the Galleries. Around 17:00, the men of the 2nd/5th Battalion attempted another attack from the Galleries, but it was repelled by enemy artillery fire. The Battalion undertook no further actions that day. The losses of the 2nd/5th Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers that day were: 40 killed, 236 wounded, and 80 missing.
Arthur Darlington was killed at the age of 19. His body was found northwest of Schuler Farm. Arthur was reburied after the war at Tyne Cot Cemetery, Plot IV, Row J, Grave 17.
Sources 4
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164 Infantry Brigade: Headquarters. (The National Archives, KEW (TNA), WO 95/2921/1). http://nationalarchives.gov.uk Sources used |
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1911 England Census (The National Archives, Kew (TNA), RG14). https://nationalarchives.gov.uk Sources used |
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2/5 Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers Regiment war diary (The National Archives, KEW (TNA), WO-95-2923-2_02). http://nationalarchives.gov.uk Sources used |
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Military-Genealogy.com, comp. UK, Soldiers Died in the Great War, 1914-1919 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2008. http://ancestry.com 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/462481 |
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Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum) https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/1096540 |
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Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=703f600b-31c6-44d6-8251-420be9615458 |