Private, 49th Divisional Cyclist Company. Regimental number 2025.

Private Walter Arnold.

Early life:

Walter was born in 1896 in West Cottingwith, which is located several miles to the South East of York, in the Vale of York.
His birth was registered in York in the second quarter of the year. His parents were George Arnold and Henrietta Arnold née Richardson, who had been married at St. Cuthbert’s Church in York on 2nd May 1894. They had four children and before Walter was born they had a daughter called Maud who was born the year before him.

Whilst they were living at West Cottingwith, George and Henrietta had a third child, Annie, born in 1897. They had a fourth child called Elsie May, born in Stillingfleet in 1901.
They are all together in the 1901 census and were living in the village of Stillingfleet which is about eight miles due South of York. Walter’s father George was employed as a farm labourer.

Despite them being in Stillingfleet in the census, we also find a George Arnold listed on the electoral roll for Keighley and moving around from place to place, perhaps he was renting whilst he found work here.
There may of course be more than one George Arnold living locally. The records show he first lived at 162 Parkwood Street then moved to 11, Leaf Street in 1895. In 1897 he moved from Leaf Street to 11, Junction Street. It’s possible he is the one at Fell Lane and indeed there is a successive record back to 13, Junction Street, then Moss Street in 1911.
This differs with the census, which records them living at 25, South Street and the newspaper account of Walter’s death which says he was living at Gladstone Street when he enlisted in 1915.
The pension card records George living at Fern Street after Henrietta had died. Later he is at 11, Berry Street, off Dalton Lane, Keighley.

In the 1911 census the family was living at 15, South Street and consisted of the head of the house George, who was 39 and employed as a labourer at a loom makers. Henrietta was ten years older than him at 49 and was a housewife. They had been married for 17 years and had four children, all of whom were still alive and they were: Maud aged 16 and a spinner; Walter aged 14 and a setter in spinning; Annie aged 13 and a doffer in spinning and Elsie aged 10 and she was at school.

In 1913, Walter was working as a spring maker for Hattersley’s Mill in Keighley when he enlisted as a Territorial soldier with D Company of the 6th Battalion West Riding Regiment. He is named in the Town Clerk’s enlistment records and his regimental number was 2025. It states he was living at 8, Oxford Street in Keighley, which meant he was still living with his parents as the electoral roll shows his father George recorded there in 1915. His next of kin was named as his mother Henrietta. He is also named in Keighley’s Gallant Sons, which shows his home address as 2, Gladstone Street.

War service:

Sadly there are no Army service records for Walter but we can still piece together some of his war service from other sources.

He was serving with the 49th Division Cyclists Company, which was still connected to the 1/6th West Riding Regiment. He still kept the same regimental number and must have moved (he probably volunteered) to the Cyclists Company before going overseas as his medal records just show the Cyclists’ Company. They embarked and arrived in France on 14th April 1915, on the same date as the 1/6th Battalion, West Riding Regiment.

The 49th Division war diary tells us the whereabouts of Walter during his overseas service with the Company which was based at the following places between their mobilisation in April 1915 and his death in November 1915:

Early war diary overview:

The Company was at HATFIELD near DONCASTER when they received orders to mobilise for overseas service. They cycled into DONCASTER and entrained for SOUTHAMPTON where they disembarked and boarded the two ships as above.
The equipment and a few men were on S.S. COURTFIELD, whilst the majority of the men went over on S.S. MONA QUEEN, arriving in LE HAVRE on 14th April 1915.
After disembarking, they unloaded the equipment and stayed in the dockyard sheds all day.
The next day they entrained and left for LE CORBIE where they stayed in billets, remaining there for some training. On 27th April they moved to LA BRIANNE and went through continuous training. The weather was hot and the water supply was of poor quality and many men suffered from diarrhoea. There were some problems with the service cycles and the front wheels were prone to buckling with the rough tracks.
On 5th May, platoon no. 1 went to Divisional HQ, then platoons 3 and 5 went to 147th and 148th Brigades for duty.
On 7th May the remainder of the Company moved to divisional reserve at FLEURBAIX until 11th May. They then went to PORT Á CLOUS until 26th June, and after a two night stop at GRAND BOIS they continued on to PROVEN, arriving on 27th June.
They were her until the 8th July when they went to ELVERDINGHE and were based there until the end of December 1915.

Fully transcribed section of W0-95-2781-2 war diary for the 49th Division Cyclist’s Company:

1915:
November 26:
Working party went to CANAL trenches under LT POWYS.
CANAL trenches heavily shelled
Private FOERS of the Coy hit by piece of shell at noon, whilst standing at entrance to Coy, HQ. Piece of shell passing without injury through breeches.
Fort P7 received 2 shells in afternoon.
PTE. W. ARNOLD 2025 wounded at (RAILWAY COTTAGE.)
ELVERDINGHE.
November 27:
Night working party for CANAL trenches under 2nd Lieutenant MOLLETT, slight shelling of CANAL.
November 28:
Cyclist company camp received two (5, 1/4) GERMAN shrapnel shells at 1 pm., no damage
2nd Lieutenant SHARPE took working (night) party to CANAL.
Very satisfactory report received from MAJOR R. LUCAS upon progress of Lance Corporal R. HESELDEN No 2604, who attended SCHOOL OF INSTRUCTION NCO’s 2nd ARMY, for one months course.
November 29:
(night) Working party for CANAL trenches under LT POWYS.
Village of BRIELEN shelled as party were returning. Party escaped without loss, making detour from BRIELEN to detour from VLAMETINGE-ELVERDINGHE ROAD.
November 30:
No working party on CANAL. 1 NCO & 2 men sent to observe for 146 Infantry Brigade.
Death (at CAMIERS) of PTE-ARNOLD 2025, (GSW Spine)
During the month the usual ENGINEERS working party on POPERINGHE ROAD went down each day.
Great progress has been made with rescued oil engine, which after much labour and experimenting ran for short period on 30th.

The Keighley News, Saturday December 4, 1915, page 5:

News was received yesterday morning from chaplain to the Forces that Private Walter Arnold (19), of the Cyclist Section, of the first 6th Duke of Wellington’s West Riding Regiment, and whose home was in Gladstone Street, Keighley, had died in France. He was wounded on November 25, and died on the 30th. Private Arnold had been in the Territorial Force for two years, and was formerly a spring maker with Messrs. George Hattersley, and Sons, Ltd., North Brook Works, Keighley.

Walter was buried at Etaples Military Cemetery which served the sixteen large hospitals and one convalescent depot based there.
He was just 19 years old when he died and is buried in plot III, row G, grave 15a. His family provided a personal inscription for his headstone, which says: EVER REMEMBERED FROM ALL.

Post war:

In the 1921 census, George and Henrietta appear to be living separately.
George is aged 50 and living at 7, Church Street, Keighley. He is employed as a grinder for Hall and Stells of Dalton Lane. Also living here (boarding) are 48 year old Mary E. Leach and her two daughters Nellie Broughton aged 16 and Mary Broughton aged 14.

Henrietta is 63 and living at 147, Oakworth Road with her daughters Maud aged 26 and Elsie May aged 21. Henrietta is on home duties and has indicated that she is divorced. Maud is a worsted twister for Haggas and Co. worsted spinners of Ingrow Mills, Ingrow and Elsie is a worsted spinner for Hey and Co. spinning manufacturers, of Ingrow.
Also living (boarding) with them are Thomas and Annie O’Neil aged 24 and 23 with their two year old son Walter Henry. Interestingly Annie originated from West Cottingwith, so may be a relative. For these three, the word ‘visitor’ has been crossed out and ‘boarder’ written instead.

After the war Henrietta would have filled in and returned the next of kin form which indicated that her home address was now 147, Oakworth Road, Keighley. She was Walter’s next of kin and sole legatee in his will. She received the balance of 15s 3d from his Army pay account on 26th February 1916 and a war gratuity payment of 3% on 30th August 1919.

Henrietta was also the recipient of a weekly dependant’s pension amounting to 4 shillings and 6 pence dated from 19th September 1916 which was increased to 5 shillings per week from 6th November 1918. Later this crossed to his father George, after Henrietta died at the age of 78 early in 1937.

Henrietta would have received all of Walter’s personal effects, plus his medals which were the 1914-14 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal. She would also have received a bronze war memorial plaque and King’s Certificate inscribed with Walter’s name.

We could not find a definitive death record for Walter’s father George.

Remembrance:

Walter is remembered in the Borough of Keighley 1914 – 1918 Roll of Honour Book at Keighley Library.
The entry reads:
Walter, Arnold. Private, West Riding Division Cyclist Company.

As a former employee of George Hattersley, Walter was probably named on the Hattersley’s war memorial, now thought to be lost.
His parents placed an ‘In Memoriam’ notice on the anniversary of his death. each year in the Keighley News for at least the next three years:

The Keighley News. Saturday November 25, 1916.

IN MEMORIAM. ARNOLD – In loving memory of our dear son, Private Walter Arnold, Army Cyclist Corps, who died of wounds, November 30th, 1915, age 19.
We often sit and think of him,
And think of how be died;
It seemed so hard for us to part
And never say good-bye,
From Mother, Father, and Sisters and Brother.

The Keighley News. Saturday December 1, 1917.

IN MEMORIAM. ARNOLD – In loving memory of our dear son, Private Walter Arnold, who died of wounds November 30th, 1915.
Sleep on, dear son, in a far land,
Thy grave we never see;
But as long as life and memory last
We always think of thee.
From Father, Brother, Sisters, and Brother.

The Keighley News. Saturday November 30, 1918.

IN MEMORIAM – ARNOLD. In loving memory of our dear son and brother, Private Walter Arnold, Army Cyclist Corps, who died of wounds in France November 30th, 1915.
He left his home in perfect health,
He looked a young and brave;
We little thought how soon he would
Be laid in a hero’s grave.
From Mother, Father, Sisters and Brother.

Information sources:

England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1837-1915.
England & Wales Births 1837-2006.
York, Yorkshire, England, Church of England Births and Baptisms, 1813-1920.
1901 England Census.
1911 England Census.
Keighley Town Clerk’s 1914 Enlistments at Keighley Library.
Keighley’s Gallant Sons at Keighley Library.
National Archives.
W0-95-2781-2 war diary for the 49th Division Cyclist’s Company.
Keighley News archives at Keighley Library.
Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
Soldiers Died in the Great War.
World War I Pension Ledgers and Index Cards, 1914-1923.
British Army World War I Medal Rolls Index Cards, 1914-1920.
World War I Service Medal and Award Rolls, 1914-1920.
Army Registers of Soldiers’ Effects, 1901-1929.
West Yorkshire, England, Electoral Registers, 1840-1962.
1921 Census Of England & Wales.
England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007.
1939 register.