West Yorkshire Regiment

(Prince of Wales's Own)

Arthur was born in Leeds, eldest son of Joseph Henry and Sarah Firth, of Langdale, Burley-in-Wharfedale, Yorkshire. He had an elder sister, Jennie, and younger siblings, Dorothy and Lawrence William. Arthur was grandson of Alderman William Firth of Leeds City Council.
He volunteered and enlisted in Bradford, Yorkshire, then sent for training that was completed in ‘Fovant Camp’. The Battalion marched to Dinton Station, Wiltshire, on Sunday 5th December 1915 to entrain for Liverpool where they embarked on RMS Empress of Britain. The ship set sail at 10.00am on Tuesday 7th with nearly 5,000 souls aboard. The conditions were very cramped becoming quite unpleasant with many men becoming seasick made worse by a lack of toilet facilities. After 4 days they sailed through the Straits of Gibraltar, however, on Monday 13th the ship collided with a French ship, Dajurjura, that was all but cut in two, sinking within 30 minutes. The journey continued on to Malta where they arrived the next day. Repairs were undertaken on the ‘Empress’ that took 3 days to complete. At 6.50am on Friday 17th the journey towards Egypt continued. As they sailed 2 German U-boats fired torpedoes at the ship, on both occasions they missed. The ship sailed into Alexandria at 7.00pm on Sunday 19th where the mail was unloaded. At 4.00pm the next day the ship continued onto Port Said where she arrived on Wednesday 22nd.
Christmas was spent in an encampment on the banks of the Suez Canal. On New Year’s Eve the Battalion entrained at 8.45am bound for El Kantara, 30 miles south that took 2½ hours to complete. They immediately set to in erecting their tents and establishing their camp. They undertook guard duties on the Canal and fatigues, mainly digging trenches. One of the main benefits of their position was they were able to cool down and clean up by having a swim in the Canal. This changed on Wednesday 19th January 1916 when the Battalion moved to ‘Point 70’ that was 7 miles into the desert. General Sir Archibald Murray inspected the Battalion on Saturday 12th February. The Battalion remained there until returning to El Kantara on Tuesday 29th.
The move to the Western Front was about to begin. Shortly after arriving in the town they entrained to Port Said to embark on HMT Minneapolis at 2.30pm. The ship finally set sail at 8.30pm and headed out into the Mediterranean bound for Marseilles. They arrived in the French port on Sunday 6th March at 1.30pm. Their ship was on a return sailing to Alexandra on Thursday 23rd when it was torpedoed, luckily it was not full of troops and only 12 were lost from the engine room where the torpedo struck. A slow and tiring railway journey took the Battalion through France to Pont Remy, southeast of Abbeville, where they detrained at 7.00pm on Thursday 9th March. They were billeted in Mérélessart and Citerne where they were rekitted for serving on the Western Front then undertook training.
The Battalion marched to Longpré, via Hallencourt and Wanel, arriving at 12.55pm where billets awaited them. At 8.00am the next morning the march continued, finally arriving in Beaussart on Thursday 30th at 7.30pm. After a good nights’ rest training in the front line began attached to experienced troops of the 18th DLI. After only 2 days the Battalion marched to Bus-lès-Artois, via Bertrancourt, at 6.55pm. Fatigues began the next day where Lieutenant Colonel Ernest Coleridge Hegan Kennard bade farewell to the Battalion on Tuesday 18th April. He was replaced by Major Maurice Nicholl Kennard.
Major Kennard took his men to billets in Courcelles on Thursday 20th. From noon on Monday 24th they relieved the 18th DLI around Colincamps where Privates William Barraclough and Arthur Briggs were killed by shellfire. They are buried in Sucrerie Military Cemetery, Colincamps, I.J.88 and 89 respectively. The enemy continued to shell the sector that badly damaged the trenches. Whilst at the front considerable work was undertaken to generally improve the sector. With the tour of duty complete the Battalion marched to billets in Bertrancourt from where they undertook fatigues before being in Support followed by a tour of duty in the front line at Colincamps. During the tour of duty on Friday 19th May 2nd Lieutenant Raymond Hummel was killed by shellfire who is buried in the cemetery, I.J.70. One man also died, 3 men died of their wounds and 5 were wounded who eventually recovered.
The tour of duty ended on Wednesday 24th when they marched to billets in Bus to undertake fatigues. A draft of 52 men from No 6 Entrenching Battalion joined the Battalion on Friday 26th. The Battalion returned to the trenches on Sunday 4th June to relieve the 11th East Yorkshires for a tour duty until being relieved by the 13th Battalion on Monday 12th. They returned to their billets in Bus for rest and training. A week later they were ordered to move to Gézaincourt where they arrived on Tuesday 20th. The Battalion practised over a specially prepared training ground for a forthcoming raid. General Robert Wanless O’Gowan addressed a parade on Friday 23rd. A return march on Sunday 25th took them to Bus where training continued interspersed with fatigues.
A raid was prepared for the night of Thursday 29th led by Lieutenant Morris Clough (later promoted Captain who died on Thursday 25th April 1918 and is commemorated on Tyne Cot Memorial), Lieutenant Frank Watson (recorded as dying on Saturday 1st July who is commemorated on the Memorial) and 2nd Lieutenant John William Worsnop (killed in the action who is commemorated on the Memorial), Lieutenant George Boyd McTavish, RAMC, (later promoted Major) and 38 men were transported by motor lorries to the trenches. Lieutenant Clough reported:
Party left our front line trenches as scheduled 12.28am, 30/6/16. Advance was slow owing to numerous shell holes and flares. Apparently our party was seen almost as soon as we had left our own trenches, for they seemed prepared for us, & we were met by bombs when between 25 and 30 yards from their trenches.
They sent up a single green rocket & forward with a barrage of hand grenades in front of us and trench mortars and artillery behind us. The trenches seemed fairly knocked about, and the wire was cut where we were in sufficient quantity to allow of the passage of troops. Their trenches seemed very full of men, and apparently very deep.
Finding we could not get forward, I brought my party back as well and as soon as possible as I could. This took some two hours. As far as I can judge my casualties at present are about 10 killed & 12 wounded out of 38 men and 4 officers. A present 2 officers Lieut F Watson and 2/Lt Worsnop, are missing. I have been slightly wounded myself in two places.
Our HE shells were all dropping a little over half-way between our line and the German line, & quite 20 yards short of their wire, & this was taking place during our scheduled hour for the raid. My watch was synchronised with an artillery officer sent by Col Craven.
13 were killed during the action including two 17 year-olds, Privates Arthur Firth and Private Kenneth Macaulay.