Private Arthur Frank Hurford
| Date of Birth | 24 September 1894 |
|---|---|
| Age at Death | 23 |
| Date of Death | 20 March 1918 |
| Service Number | 41146 |
| Military Service | Machine Gun Corps, 1st Squadron |
| Merton Address | 86 Merton Road |
| Local Memorial | Holy Trinity Church, Wimbledon |
Additional Information
Arthur was born in Greys, Essex on 24 September 1894.
In 1901 the family lived in The Pantiles, Tunbridge Wells and his father, Harry John Hurford, was the Club Steward.
Arthur was 8 when he was christened on 3 September 1903 in Tunbridge Wells.
His mother's name was Harriet Jane (nee Kitchenham) and he had a older brother, Harry, and younger siblings Dorothy and Frederick.
Arthur went to sea as an Assistant Steward on the Union Castle Line but left after 5 months to sign up to the Corps of the Dragoons of the Line. By then - May 1913 - the family were living in Wimbledon and his father was Club Steward at the Conservative Club, 2 Trinity Road.
Arthur was now 18 with fair hair and blue eyes, standing just over 5ft 5ins tall and weighing 119lbs.
His service career started in Aldershot then he was posted to the British Expeditionary Force on 15 August 1914. He transferred to the Machine Gun Corps on 27 June 1916 but went down with typhoid and spent his first month with them in hospital.
He died of wounds on 20 March 1918 and is buried in Roye New British Cemetery. His family had now moved to Kingston but he gave his brother's address in Merton Road as his main place of residence.
His father believed that he had been awarded the DCM but the Records Office and his Squadron could find no record of it.