Arthur Frederick Rawson

Arthur was born in 1892, his birth was registered in the first quarter of that year but in a much later document he gave his birth date as 29th May 1892, this obviously is not possible. His place of birth was St Lukes in Derbyshire where his father, Thomas Wigley worked as a house painter for local lace makers Fletchers, while his mother had eight children, six of whom survived until 1911. In that census all six surviving children were living at home, Arthur the oldest was employed as a Corset Cutter for Coopers Corsets.

Following the outbreak of WW1 the local MP for South Derbyshire, (later Sir), Herbert Raphael, who had held a commision at the turn of the century joined up as a private in the Royal Fusiliers. In June 1915 he was granted a commision as Major and started to raise the 18th (Service) Battalion (Arts & Crafts) King's Royal Rifle Corps at Gidea Park, Romford London. On 21st August 1915 Arthur travelled to Gidea Park and joined the Battalion being given the number C6925. Major Raphael MP was prominent in the Arts and Craft movement of the day which inspired the Battalion's title, served as its second in command and later in 1916 raised the 23rd (Reserve) Battalion in which he was also second in command.

The Battalion moved to Whitley Camp Surrey where training continued, the formation was assigned to 122nd Brigade of 41st Division. The Battalion's training continued at Whitley and Aldershot until they were deemed fit for war, on 2nd May 1916 they entrained to Southampton where they boarded two ships bound for France. The passage was smooth but very slow due to a thick fog, they arrived in Le Havre in the early hours of the morning of 3rd May and marched to No. 1 Rest Camp which was a hard march up a high hill. On 5th May the Battalion moved to Moulenacher where they went into billets to prepare for the trenches. They recieved instruction on gas and were marched through a tear gas filled trench with their gas helmets on then again without the any protection. This exposure to a harmless but debilitating substance is a lesson not forgotten, reinforces the need to carry the mask at all times and don it quickly in the event of an attack. Over the next few days the Battalion recieved instruction in trenches at Ploegsteert Wood, nicknamed Plugstreet this was a quiet location following fierce fighting during 1914/15 and was now a recuperation and training area. On 30th May they took over a section of the line north of Ploegsteert under their own supervision and experienced their first fatality when one man was killed.

On 7th August 1916 Arthur entered the casualty chain with an abcess on his right hand, a painful condition requiring the puss to be drained and the wound healed before returning to duty 10 days later. Even small open wounds were often dealt with in a clinical environment to avoid the filth of the trenches causing Cepsis.

Early in September 1916 the Battalion moved to the Somme to engage in its first offensive action in the Battale of Flers-Courcelette. At 9 p.m. on 14th September the Battalion occupied a front line trench in anticipation of the attack. At 6.15 a.m the following morning the attack began behind the cover of a creeping barrage, the waves were each of 150 men from headquarters, A and Arthur's D Company, the first and second line objectives were taken . 

Trench Map of Attack

The casualties on this first day were high, seven officers, including the commanding officer and Company Comanders, and 57 other ranks killed, seven officers and 227 other ranks wounded three of whom died and 59 men missing. The 274 men still able to fight were reorganised in Savoy trench by a Captain from the Transport lines who had come forward to assume command, they held this position until relieved on 18th September.

On 7th October the Battalion  joined the attack during the Battle of Transloy Ridges, the artillery bombardment preceded the Infantry assault at 1.45 p.m. Two Battalions went forward followed in close support by Arthur's Battalion. The attack was successful both objectives reached but the assault was held up by machine gunfire causing 18th Battalion to dig a new support line 200 yards in front of the old front line. The casualties were; all ranks - 84. They held the newly dug line until relieved on 11th October. Out of the line the Battalion reorganised and trained at Dernancourt, settling down to rotational duties in and out of the trenches, while out they rested, cleaned, trained and formed working parties.

On 28th May 1917 Arthur appeared before the commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel Kitching, for disobedience to orders, he had been found eating Iron Rations in a billet contrary to standing orders. The Iron rations were emergency supplies for use in the trenches or during an attack when cooked food could not be brought forward or prepared in situ. They comprised; 1 lb. preserved meat, 3 oz. cheese, 12 oz. biscuit, 5/8 oz. tea, 2 oz. sugar, 1/2 oz. salt and 1 oz. meat extract. The biscuits were also referred to as hardtack were made from flour, water and salt, baked making them very hard. To make them edible they were softened in tea or broken up in cloth, due to general poor dental hygiene of the day recruits often had to undergo dental treatment in order to be able to eat them.

 

Field punishment no 1 could be administered at Battalion level up to 28 days, anything more required a court martial. The practise had been developed when flogging had been abolished and involved the individual being tied to a post, fence or cart wheel for up to two hours per day, three days out of four. In the early part of WW1 the arms were tied outstretched, probably left over from flogging, consequently the practise was known as crucifixion. By the time Arthur underwent his punishment it was as per the diagram.

During 1917 the Battalion were involved in the Battles of Messines, Pilkem Ridge, Menin Road Ridge and the operations on the Flanders Coast, all being part of the Third Battle of Ypres. Following their involvement in this offensive 18th Battalion moved to the Italian Front moving by train, during their short stay they went into the line near the river Piave north west of Treviso. In February 1918 the Battalion was ordered back to the Western Front.

On 23rd April 1918 Arthur was admitted to 139 Field Ambulance with a Goitre, a swelling of the neck caused by a problem with the Thyroid gland. Inititially it was diagnosed as simple but clearly it worsened as Arthur was transferred to 64 casualty clearing station and from there to 64 General Hospital. On 27th April 1918 Arthur was transported to England on Hospital Ship Cambria, following treatment Arthur was examined by a medical board and classified Bii which restricted him to service in communication lines.

In September 1918 Arthur was transferred to 579th Employment Company of the Labour Corps which covered Eastern Command. Made up of elderly, B and C category and recuperating soldiers the men were subject to regular medicals and reassigned to Infantry Battalions if their health improved. The men were categorised by the work they were most suited to such as; cook, storeman or caretaker, sanitary duty, orderly, clerk, tailor, salvage, laundry, traffic control or telephone operator. Before Arthur became fit again for war, it ended, in March 1919 he was sent to the dispersal centre in Clipstone Camp and was demobilised on the 15th. He was awarded the British War and Victory Medals.

Returning to live with his parents at Orchard Cottage, Mickleover, Derby he married Elsie Fletcher on 3rd April 1920. The couple settled at 137 Station Road, Repton and went back to his prewar occupation as a Cloth Cutter. In 1939 Arthur, now a Cloth Machinist, and Elsie were still at the same address, Arthur died in 1966 aged 72.