No.13248, Private, Arthur Morton BLOIS
Aged 28
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Arthur Morton Blois was born in Kirkley, Lowestoft in 1888 (Mutford Q2-1888 4A:943) son of Jarvis and Selina BLOIS (née WHITE).
1891 census...Aged 2 he was at 64 Lorne Road, Kirkley with his father Jarvis BLOIS [40] a shoemaker born in Bruisyard, Suffolk; his mother Selina [31] born in Manchester; brothers John S. [9] born Liverpool and James V. [4] born Kirkley and sisters Alice C. [8] born Liverpool, Florence B. [6] born Kirkley and Rose S [1] born Kirkley. 1901 census...Aged 12 he was at the Turnpike, Shadingfield, Wangford, Suffolk with his parents (father now a farm labourer); brothers Sydney (John S) a stockamn on farm, James a cattle feeder on farm, Alfred [9] born Kirkley and Edward [ 1 month] born Shadingfield, and sisters Lucy [7] born Kirkley, Hephzibah [4] and Edith [1] both born in Shadingfield. The children all surviving in 1911, his sisters Alice and Florence must have moved out. 1911 census...Aged 22, a shepherd, he was at Pear Trees, Kirtling with his parents; brothers Alfred (shepherd), Edward and Charles [7] born Cowlinge, and sisters Hephzibah and Edith. |
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He enlisted in Newmarket. On 15th September 1916 the 9th Suffolk were engaged in the battle of Flers-Courcelette, their objective being the ridge between Morval and Les Boeufs. Over the top at 6:20, by 8:30 all the senior officers were killed or wounded. Against terrible machine gun fire from the Quadrilateral they were unable to progress and gradually dug in. They held on until relieved around midnight and moved into support trenches on 17th. General Douglas Haig maintained afterwards that the enemy had prior warning of the attack and the use of tanks. The battalion lost 100 killed on the 16th, 80 of them have no known grave and are named on the Thiepval memorial. William VEARER was killed in the same action see here . |
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