A CLASSIC & EARLY 1914 STAR & BAR
"GAS ATTACK" (Old Contemptible's) CASUALTY TRIO.

To:
6101. Sgt A.E. ENGLAND. 1st Bn SOMERSET LIGHT INFy
"DIED of GAS POISONING,
9th AUGUST 1916" Age 30.

*SEE NEW "SLIDE SHOW" FACILITY BELOW*

[BIOGRAPHY]
Arthur Ernest England was born in Bedminster, Bristol in 1886. He was living at 6 Mount Pleasant, North Street, Bedminster and had been working as a labourer for the National Telephone Company in Bristol. He enlisted into the 3rd (Militia) Batt, of Somerset Light Infantry on 17th June 1901 and was discharged to enlist into the Regular Army on 30th July 1901. He was promoted to the rank of corporal on 18th August 1914 and landed in France with the 1st Somerset's on 30th August 1914. He spent four days in hospital in October 1914 with a sprained ankle. He then endured a serious bullet wounding when, at a place called St Ives, on 10th April 1915 he was shot through the left arm. He was admitted into 10th Field Ambulance on 10th April and onward to 3rd Canadian General Hospital on 11th. He arrived in the UK on 27th April and spent seven months at No.8 Temporary Hospital in Exeter before being shipped back to France on New Year's Eve 31/12/1915.

[THE NURSE BETTY M.B. HOUGHTON ARCHIVE & RESEARCH COLLECTION: Mc Master University Library, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada]

Nurse HOUGHTON who worked at the Exeter Hospital collected the personal stories of wounded soldiers who were in her care and these now form a large two volume work. Amazingly, Arthur England was one of those soldiers who dictated his story, and we are 'historically privileged' to have a copy of Arthur's interesting comments as related when he was in No3 Ward in the Exeter hospital. It makes truly fascinating reading. This unique account from a wounded Great War soldier runs to two sides of A4 paper.

Back to France, New Year's Eve 31/12/1915

[GAS ATTACK ON THE SOMME, 8th AUGUST 1916]
Having survived his serious wounding on 1915 and the first month's fighting on the Somme and after being promoted to Sgt on 1st July 1916, Alfred's final battle in Belgium was about to end his life.

On the evening of 8th August 1916 the Germans were planning a major attack in the vicinity of Poperinghe near Ypres in Belgium. At about 10:30pm, and in addition to a preceding heavy artillery barrage they released a devastating gas attack on a 2 mile front at a position known as Canal Bank, Ypres.

The gas was a new and shockingly lethal mixture of Chlorine, Phosgene & Prussic Acid which 'flowed' over the ground and clung to the clothing of all those exposed. With the attack being made in the late evening and during the hours of near darkness, the presence of the gas flows were not noticed until they had already passed over the British trenches. It was then too late to take any defensive action. Men in exposed trench positions who had been in contact with the fumes and had slept in their uniforms while on duty, were later overcome by gas which was released from their contaminated clothing.

At the time of the attack the Rifle Brigade were in the process of relieving the 1st Somerset L.I. in the front line, so at the time of the attack the trench positions were doubly congested with troops.

Sgt Arthur Ernest England was one of these front line men of the 1st Somerset's who were lethally exposed and he was immediately overcome by the effects of the gas. Along with many many other men he was evacuated to the local Casualty Clearing Station at Poperinghe.

This gas was lethally fast in its action and like hundred of others he was pronounced "Dead on Arrival" in the early hours of 9th August 1916.

The resulting casualties which stretched back behind the lines to a distance of over 10 miles were catastrophic with 370 men killed and 434 injured. The 1st Somerset Light Infantry lost 12 officers & 27 men killed by the gas with a further 128 seriously damaged by inhalation many of whom would never fully recover.

[A PERSONAL NOTE]
My own 'Uncle Jack' Livesley, an in-law of mine who served with the East Lancs Regt was gassed in 1916 aged 19. Although he survived, he never took a normal breath again.

As a young teenager I can well remember the tragic sight of him sitting in his back room struggling to breath in the mid-1960's when he & Aunty Margaret lived at Railway Terrace in Southport, Lancs.....in truth, along with my grandfather we also have dear Uncle Jack to thank for EVERYTHING you see here as he used to give me a 10/-Ten Bob note on a Saturday morning in the 60's which I immediately spent on medals and coins in the junk shops in nearby Shakespeare Street ! ..thank you Uncle Jack....you really were a Hero !







"LEST WE FORGET THE TRUE COST OF OUR INDEPENDENCE & FREEDOM"

Arthur Ernest England was the Son of Sarah Anne England of Bristol and husband of E.K. Howard (formally England) of 35, Gwilliam Street, Windmill Hill, Bedminster, Bristol.

Arthur is remembered with eternal honour at:
LIJSSENTHOEK MILITARY CEMETERY, BELGIUM.




A CLASSIC "GAS ATTACK CASUALTY"
With full papers & extensive research.

The Medals are EF+ on Original Ribbons.

£595