Lance Corporal ARTHUR ROBERT ANDREWS Service Number: 200906, 2nd/4th Battalion, Hampshire Regiment who died on 6th August 1917 Age 24.
There is a memorial in St Giles Hill Graveyard with the following inscription. ” To the loving memory of Eleanor Martha Thompson who died October 25th 1906 aged 30 years. Also Arthur Robert ANDREWS brother of the above. who died whilst on active service in Egypt Aug.6th 1917 aged 24 years.”
Arthur is remembered at the KANTARA WAR MEMORIAL CEMETERY section D. 58.
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission certificate says he was the son of Mr R. and Mrs. S. Andrews, of 67, Park Rd., Collier’s Wood, Merton, London, and that he was a native of Winchester.
Arthurs family:
Arthurs’s father Robert was born at Holme, Norfolk in 1854. He married Susannah Large (born 1859) from Shoulderthorpe, Norfolk. The wedding was at Heacham, Norfolk in 1875 presumably where Robert was living. The 1881 census tells us that the family had moved from Norfolk and were living at Fisheries Fields Egham, Windsor. Arthur has yet to be born but the census lists three siblings. The eldest was Eleanor (born 1876) followed by Thomas and Gertrude. They were all born in Heacham. According to the census, Roberts Anderson’s occupation was masons labourer.
The 1901 census shows the family had moved again, this time to Yorkshire. They were living at 51 Eastgate South in Great Driffield. Arthur is 8 years old and listed as being born in North Frodingham, Yorkshire. Roberts’s occupation was a general labourer. His older brother Thomas William (born in Heacham) is a stone mason. Thomas lived in Yorkshire until at least 1905 but had moved to Winchester before 1910 and lived at 7 Prinstead Terrace Bar End Road. He is listed as a stone mason.
The 1911 census tells us that Arthur has left home and moved to North London. He is living as a boarder at 51 Glenthorne Road / New Southgate, Friern Barnet, Finchley. His occupation is a stone mason. Arthur signed up for the army in September 1914 on Salisbury Plain.
Why is Arthur remembered on a Thompson family memorial?
Eleanor Martha Thompson was the sister of Authur. She was born in Heacham in 1876. She married John Edward Thompson in Fulham London in early 1902. John was born in Ripon Yorkshire in 1874. The 1891 census records him as living in Islington. He is an apprentice stone mason.
It would seem that Eleanor died during or shortly after childbirth in Winchester in 1906. The 1911 census record for the Thompson family lists an Arthur Robert E Thompson age 5 born in 1906. John had remarried 2 years previously (1909) to Beatrice Elizabeth Brown.
Arthurs war:
2/4th Battalion was Formed at Salisbury Plain in September 1914 as a Territorial Force (“second line”) unit and moved to Winchester to become part of the 2/1st Hampshire Brigade in the 2nd Wessex Division. The brigade sailed for Pakistan from Southampton on 13 December 1914 landing at Karachi in January 1915 during which time it was trained in mountain warfare. It stayed on the Indian subcontinent until 29 April 1917 when it Sailed for Egypt, landing at Suez. They were transferred to the 233rd Brigade of the 75th Division and were engaged in various actions in Palestine including the Rafa defences in the Sinai, but he did not take part in either the 1st or 2nd battle of Gaza as the 2nd/4th did not arrive in Gaza until 16th August 1917.
WW1 British empire soldiers in Sinai
It is not known if he died from injury or disease.
Arthur Andrews medal record.
Don’t hesitate to get in touch with Dave Stewart Email dave@stgileshill.org.uk if you have any questions, corrections or additional information that could be added to this page.