Born: 1894
Died: 4 September 1916, Somme
Buried:
Address: 57 Undercliffe Road, Eccleshill
Parents: Ernest and Lena (nee Wood)
Spouse:
Siblings: Maurice, Evelyn
Occupation: Sir James Behrens & Son, Bradford
Organisations/clubs:
Military
Rank: Pte
Medals/awards:
Rolls of Honour: Eccleshill; Thiepval
Children:
Regiment: West Riding
Arthur Allen
Arthur Allen was born in
Bradford in 1894 and registered as
Arthur Wood, his mother’s
surname. On the 1901 census he
is shown as being the eldest son of
Ernest Allen born in 1875 in
Bradford and Lena Wood born in
1874 in Bradford.
They had married at the parish
church of St Peter on the 2nd
March 1896. Ernest was 20 years
old living at 18 Bateman Street,
Manningham, the son of William
Allen who was a railway servant
carriage examiner, and Lena 21
years old living at 4
Hollings Square, Mann-
ingham, the daughter of
William Wood a dyer.
They set up home at 2
Hollings Square and on
the 1901 census Ernest is
shown as a town postman
and there are now two
children born to them,
Maurice born in 1897 and Evelyn
in 1901. By 1911 the family had
moved to West Bowling at 88
Boynton Street and Ernest was still
working for the Bradford Post
Office as a letter carrier.
At some point between
1911 and 1914 the family
had moved to live in
Eccleshill at 57 Undercliffe
Road. Arthur was now
working as a pattern
marker for Sir Jacob
Behrens and Son.
He enlisted on the 5th
December 1915 as Private 18809 in
the 9th Battalion Duke of
Wellington (West Riding
Regiment).
Arthur saw action on the Somme
and on the 3rd of July he was
wounded in the left hand. The
9th battalion were still employed
on the Somme for the battle which
lasted into October and on the 4th
of September he was killed in
action. He was 22 years old. His
body was never recovered for
burial and he is remembered on
the Thiepval memorial.
Arthur left his effects to his sister
Evelyn who received £2 14 4d on
the 29th November 1916 and £3 0
0d on the 1st October 1919.
Researched and written by Jean Britteon, to whom many thanks
