No.13208, Lance Sergeant, Arthur Jack FIELD
Aged 24
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Arthur Jack Field was born in Brandon in 1892,(Thetford Q2-1892 4B:381), son of Robert and Esther Emma FIELD (née POWELL). 1901 census...Aged 8, he was at Thetford Road, Brandon with his father Robert FIELD [31] a flint maker; his mother Esther [30] born Felsham; brothers Herbert [4] and Charles E [2] and sister Phyllis K [6]. All except his mother were born in Brandon. 1911 census...Aged 18, a shop assistant, he was at "The Coach and Horses" Inn, Thetford Road, Brandon with his widowed grandmother Eliza FIELD [63] born Brandon. aunt Alice Ida FIELD [23] born Brandon and Eliza's granddaughter Edith Ive FIELD [4] (parentage not known) born Richmond, Surrey. His parents were still at Thetford Road, Brandon with his sisters Phyllis Kathleen and Gwendoline [4]; brothers Herbert Franklin, Charles Euston, Eric George [8] and Phillip Russell [2]. The new siblings were all born in Brandon, all 7 children survive. The pension card has his dependant as his mother, at 63 Thetford Road, Brandon.
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click here to go to the Brandon at War website for more information
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He attested on 6th September 1914 in Richmond, in the Devonshire Regiment. He gave his age as 22 years 0 months, was 5 feet 7.5 inches (171.5 cm)tall,
weighed 140 lbs (63.7 kg),
hazel eyes and brown hair, chest 36" to 38" (91.4 to 96.5 cm). The Thetford and Watton Times in October 1915 reported:- "SUFFERING FROM CONCUSSION.- The explosion of a shell resulted in Lance Corporal A.J. Field, of the 9th Devons, son of Mr Robert Field, of Thetford Road, being invalided home suffering from concussion. He is now at the Southern Hospital, Birmingham. It appears he was with troops holding a ridge when the shell burst, and an officer, noticing he was bleeding from the ears and nose, sent him back to the dressing station. Private Field joined the Army at the beginning of the war, and went to the Front about July. The 1st July 1916, the first day of the Somme, the worst day in British Army history. 100,000 men attacked and at the end of the day 60,00 were casualties, a horrific total of over 20,000 of them died. Of course battalion war diaries in this operation tend to be quite expansive, but in summary, the 9th Devons attacked Mametz, they took Dantzig Trench before withdrawing but lost 464 men. Legend has it that one of their officers had foretold that a German machine gun would be hidden in a shrine in Mametz cemetery, and when they attacked through Mansell Copse the weapons was exactly there, and caused terrible damage.
photo: Commonwealth War Graves Commission THE DEVONSHIRES HELD THIS TRENCH photo: Commonwealth War Graves Commission click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details |
