No.8895, Corporal, Arthur John HOWE
Aged 20
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Arthur John Howe was born in Soham on 20th October 1896,(Newmarket Q4-1896 3B:530) baptised in Soham on 13th November 1896, son of John and Kate Sarah HOWE (née MALTON) of Hodge's Hill, Soham
1901 census...Aged 4, he was at Hasse Road, Soham with his father John HOWE [49] farm labourer; his mother Kate [44]; brothers Birt [18] farm labourer, and Frank [10]; sisters Rose [14], Lily [12] and Emily [9]. All were born in Soham. 1911 census...Aged 14, a farm labourer, he was still at Hasse Road, Soham with his parents, brother Frank (farm labourer), sister Lilian (Lily) and a niece, Millicent HOWE [1 month). His mother ( now recorded as born in Cowlinge) had borne 15 children but 4 had died. His elder brother Frank died of his wounds in Belgium in 1917. see here |
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Enlisted in Bury St Edmunds.
From Lt.Col. Murphy's book "The History of the Suffolk Regiment" :- The Battalion were in trenches near Monchy-le-Preux. ON 14th June at 7:30 am they launched an attack on INFANTRY Hill and within an hour had captured HOOK Trench and an hour later had taken the remainder of the trench system on the hill. After a certain slackening in the situation the enemy counter-attacked at about 5 in the evening., the garrisons of HOOK, TOOL and LONG trenches being subjected to a violent bombardment. The Germans succeeded in getting almost up to the parapet of HOOK before being finally checked. In helping to repel this counter-attack the 529th Company, Royal Engineers lost half their strength. Day broke, enabling great losses to be inflicted on the Germans as they fled from one shell hole to another. The casualties in the Battalion between 13th and 18th June amounted to 250. Daily losses were not always possible to confirm in the heat of battle but the deaths recorded by CWGC on the last day (18th) were 46 of which only four have a known grave. Local press report:- It is our painful duty this week to record several further casualties amongst the Soham soldiers at the front. Mr. and Mrs. John Howe, of Hasse Road, have received information to the effect that their youngest son, Corpl.Arthur Howe, Suffolk Regt.(Lewis Gun Section), was killed in action on June 18th, 1917. The late Corpl.Howe, who was 24 years of age, was in Ireland with his regiment at the outbreak of war. He was sent almost immediately to France and was thus one of the first units of the early Expeditionary Force. He was engaged in many of the early and memorable battles of the present war, including that of Mons, wounded on two occasions, and was sent home in October, 1915, suffering from a nervous breakdown. He returned to France some few weeks later, where, except for one or two leaves of absence, he has been carrying on ever since. An officer connected with the regiment, in writing to the parents, says:-"Corpl.Howe was killed while actually firing his Lewis Gun against the advancing enemy troops. His personal; bravery set an example to the remainder of his section, who carried on with the gun, thus helping substantially in the subsequent defeat of the attack. Your son was a very good soldier, and we shall all miss him very much. Please accept my sincere condolences in your bereavement".
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