Private, 1/5th Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers. Service No: 6712.

Early life:

Arthur was born in Keighley 1886, son of Robert and Alice Rhodes. His father was an insurance agent. Aged 5 in 1891, he was living at 56, Bradford Street, Keighley with his parents, sister Sarah and brother John. In 1901 they lived at 3, Rupert Street, Keighley with his parents and sisters Sarah and Alice Ann.
In December of 1901 he was appointed as an assistant postman at Keighley. He became a full postman in July 1906. Aged 24 in 1910, he married Susannah Judson, also 24, at St. Mary’s Church, Eastwood.
They lived at 31, Park Grove, Keighley in 1911, and by 1913 had moved along the road to number 81.

War service:

He enlisted in May of 1916, in the 1st Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers, service no. 41794. In late September or early October he arrived in France and probably transferred to the 1/5th battalion at this time with a new service no. of 6712.He will have taken part in the battles of the Somme. In November 1916 he was taken ill and hospitalised with an abscess, but died at sea on S.S. Aberdonian whilst returning to England on 27th November 1916.
He was buried on 9th December in Utley Cemetery, Section H. New. 525. He was just 31 years old.

Keighley News 9th December 1916:

MILITARY FUNERAL AT KEIGHLEY
The funeral took place with Military honours at the Keighley cemetery on Saturday afternoon last, of Private Arthur Rhodes, son of Mr R. W. Rhodes of 14, Aireworth Road, Stockbridge, Keighley, who died the previous Monday from septic anaemia.
Private Rhodes, who was 31 years of age, enlisted in May last and went out to the front about nine weeks ago. He had only been at the front a few weeks however, when he went out with a working party to obtain supplies. As the party was returning to the trenches Rhodes stumbled and being unable to stand a comrade carried him to the lines, and later he was removed to a dressing station. On being examined he was found to be suffering from a serious abscess and was ordered to a general hospital where he stayed for about three weeks. He left the hospital and died while being removed to England. The body was removed to Keighley and on Saturday the coffin was draped with the Union Jack.
A party of eighteen soldiers, including a firing party of six from the West Riding Regiment at Halifax attended and at the cemetery the soldiers lined up whilst the mourners passed through. Before enlisting in the Tyneside Scottish (Northumberland) Regiment, the deceased served as a postman at Keighley, and the funeral was attended by Mr Richards (Postmaster) and many of the Keighley Post Office staff and a number of postmen attended as bearers. The last post was sounded over his grave.
The Reverend W. L. Hann performed the last rites.

Remembrance:

Arthur is remembered on his Commonwealth War Graves Commission headstone in Utley Cemetery.
He is also named in the Great War Roll of Honour book in Keighley Library.
The Post Office War Memorial Plaque in Keighley Postal Sorting Office.
The Victoria Park Wesleyan Methodist War Memorial, which is in storage with Cliffe Castle Museum.

Post war:

Arthur was awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal for his war service which would have been sent to his wife Susannah as his next of kin. She would also have received any personal effects, medals, Great War memorial plaque, King’s certificate and any outstanding back pay, along with a war gratuity.
The soldier’s effects record shows that Susannah was the sole legatee in Arthur’s will, she received a payment of £3 10s. 1D on 31st March 1917 and a war gratuity payment of £3 on 23rd October 1919.
Susannah received a widow’s war pension of 13 shillings and 9 pence per week which began on 18th June 1919.
In the 1921 census She was 35 years old and living with her parents Fred and Sarah Judson at 16, Aireworth Road in Keighley.
In the 1939 Register she was 53 and still a widow, but living on her own at 16, Aireworth Road.
Susannah was very sadly found dead at her home at 16, Aireworth Road, four days after the last time she was seen alive on 29th September 1957. She was 71. She left the sum of £1133 8s. 6d. to Mary Alice Tempest.

Information sources:

1891 England Census.
1901 England Census.
England & Wales, FreeBMD Marriage Index, 1837-1915.
West Yorkshire, England, Marriages and Banns, 1813-1935.
1911 England Census.
West Yorkshire, England, Electoral Registers, 1840-1962.
Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
Soldiers Died in the Great War, 1914-1919.
Army Registers of Soldiers’ Effects, 1901-1929.
World War I Pension Ledgers and Index Cards, 1914-1923.
British Army WWI Medal Rolls Index Cards, 1914-1920.
WWI Service Medal and Award Rolls, 1914-1920.
1921 Census Of England & Wales.
1939 Register.
England & Wales Deaths 1837-2007.
England & Wales Government Probate Death Index 1858-2019.
Keighley News archives at Keighley Library.