Year of birth: 1888

Place of birth: Great Wakering, Southend-on-Sea, England, United Kingdom

Last known residence: 24, Beaufort St. Southchurch, Southend-on-Sea., England, United Kingdom

Profession: Nurseryman

Religion: Church of England

Country: Verenigd Koninkrijk

Force: British Expeditionary Force

Rank: Private

Service number: 270208

Enlistment date: 27/10/1916

Enlistment place: Warley, Brentwood, England, United Kingdom

Units:  —  Hertfordshire Regiment, 1st Bn.  (Last known unit)

Date of death: 31/07/1917

Place of death: Schüler Farm - Artilleriegehoft, Langemark, Belgium

Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.)

Age: 29

British War Medal Medal

Victory Medal Medal

Arthur James Grimes was born in Great-Wakering, Southend-on-Sea in 1888, the son of Edwin Grimes and Martha Eva Keyes Grimes. Before the war, he was employed by A. Kemsley. On 7 July he married Martha Eva Keyes and 25 April 1916 a daughter was born, who was named Ella Eva Grimes. He enlisted on 27 October 1916 and joined the 1st Battalion, Hertfordshire Regiment and arrived in France on 1 January 1917. Arthur's battalion saw action on 31 July in the Battle of Pilkim, a battle that took place on the first day of The Battle of Passchendaele. The battalion suffered heavy losses.

Around four o'clock in the morning, Arthur and his comrades advanced towards Langemark, which was the target of the attack. The attack went according to plan, until they crossed the Steenbeek towards Langemark. Slachotffers were made by machine-gun fire and snipers. St Julien was completely taken but partly due to barbed wire fences, they did not manage to advance further. Due to a German counterattack on the left flank, they had to fall back. The casualty figures were enormous. 459 soldiers were killed, wounded or missing. The survivors dug in on the west side of the Steenbeek. Arthur James Grimes was killed under the Nieuwebeek west of Schüler Farm. He currently rests in Tyne Cot Cemetery. He was 28 years old.

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1891 England Census (The National Archives, Kew (TNA), RG12). https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ Sources used

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1911 England Census (The National Archives, Kew (TNA), RG14). https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ Sources used

England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1837-1915, General Register Office. https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/ Sources used

National Army Museum; Chelsea, London, England; Soldiers' Effects Records, 1901-60 (NAM) 1991-02-333. https://www.nam.ac.uk/ Sources used

Roll of Honour, Great Wakering, Martin Edwards&Andy Pay (2004). https://www.roll-of-honour.com Sources used

War Office and Air Ministry: Service Medal and Award Rolls, First World War (The National Archives, Kew (TNA), WO 329). https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ Sources used

CWGC https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/462986

Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum) https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/1481832

Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=c601ee96-c5dd-4541-8f82-08c2d99b12ed