Arthur Chester was born in Shipley in 1895, the son of Northumberland quarryman Emanuel Chester and his wife Henrietta, who married in 1902. From the census returns it looks as though this was Henrietta’s second marriage and she had a son, John Hall, from the first. In 1901 the family were living at 26 Queen Street, Shipley, and ten years later they had moved to 139 Union Street where 15-year-old Arthur is described as a spinning jobber. The family had moved to 28 Westgate, Shipley, by the time Arthur married Doris Schofield at St Paul’s Church on 2 December 1916 by which time Arthur was a soldier, having joined the Duke of Wellington’s West Riding Regt on 17 March 1916. He was wounded in action on 27 November 1917 at Bourlon Wood

during the Battle of Cambrai. The regimental archives reveal: “In December 1916 the Division received notice for overseas service and in January 1917 the 62nd Division landed in France. “Pte Chester landed at Le Havre on 13th January 1917. The unit then took part in trench warfare instruction and was soon engaged in the Battle of Bullecourt on 3rd May 1917, which failed but where very valuable lessons were learned.” The report goes on to say that Arthur “had been wounded during the Battle of Cambrai, while going over the top on 27th November 1917. The Battalion left their makeshift trenches and advanced to seize Bourlon Wood when a bullet badly shattered Arthur’s right femur. “He was then evacuated, presumably via the Regimental Aid Post, through the 2/1 West Riding

Field Ambulance to 21 Casualty Clearing Station the same day, then to No 6 General Hospital, Rouen on 28th November. “On 9th March 1918, he was evacuated aboard HMHS Aberdonian to England. He then went to Davenport Military Hospital, via an American Red Cross Hospital. “Sadly, the injury to his right leg resulted in amputation on 30 January 1918 at the Davenport Hospital. He was then transferred to the War Hospital at Bradford. “He served a total of just over three years and was awarded the British War and Victory Medals, and the Silver Wound Badge to show that he had been honourably discharged through injury.” After the war Arthur learned a new trade and went on to become a master cabinet maker and also helped Fred Lindley to lay carpets

I am grateful to Arthur’s grandaughter, Lesley Brook, for sharing the photo and the information from the regiment