Private Arthur William Freestone
| Date of Birth | c. 1879 |
|---|---|
| Age at Death | 39 |
| Date of Death | 6 December 1918 |
| Service Number | 112483 |
| Military Service | Royal Army Service Corps |
| Merton Address | |
| Local Memorial | Streatham Park Cemetery |
Additional Information
Arthur’s father was William James Freestone and Arthur was born in c. 1879 in Battersea.
He married Kate on 25 December 1906 and they had five children, Kate, William, Frederick (who died young), Florence and Phyllis. The family lived at 11 Creek Street, Battersea.
Arthur joined up on 19 July 1915. He was a bus conductor, aged 35 and 5ft 5ins tall.
Arthur suffered from poor health for some time and was subject to bouts of bronchitis. Eventually he was discharged as “no longer fit for active service”, his breathing was bad and he could only walk a short distance before having to stop to get his breath. His chest expansion had been 2.5ins when he enlisted but was down to 1 inch by the time he was discharged. The Board agreed that his condition had been aggravated by active service and for pension purposes it was felt that his capacity for earning a living was reduced by one half.
Arthur died in hospital on 6 December 1918 of bronchitis and emphysema and was buried in Streatham Park Cemetery.