68320 Gnr Arthur Gunton, RGA

68320 Gunner Arthur Gunton of the 162nd Siege Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery died of pneumonia on the 29th October 1918. Parts of his service record survive in the WO 363 burnt documents series and the following information is largely taken from these.

Arthur attested at Chatteris in Cambridgeshire on the 18th November 1915. He gave his address as the parental home: 45 West Street, Chatteris, his age as 24 years, and his occupation as farm labourer. He was five feet eleven inches tall.

On 11th February 1916 he was mobilised with the Royal Garrison Artillery and after seven months in England (during which time he obtained a qualification in signalling and telephony) he sailed for France, arriving at Havre on the 5th September 1916.

His service record is difficult to read in places but it looks as though he was granted UK leave twice: once in October 1917 and then again in October 1918. This latter leave commenced on the 8th October and ended on the 22nd. Five days later Arthur was admitted to the 42nd Casualty Clearing Station in France, suffering from pneumonia and he died there two days later, his service record stating, "died from pneumonia due to illness attributed to active service operations."

Arthur is buried in Douai British Cemetery at Cuincy and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission provides useful information about the cemetery:

"Douai was occupied by French troops and the Royal Naval Air Service on the 22nd September, 1914, and captured by the Germans on the 1st October; it remained in enemy hands until the 17th October, 1918. The 42nd Casualty Clearing Station was posted in the town from the 28th October, 1918, to the 25th November, 1919. Douai British Cemetery was begun at the end of October, 1918, and closed in November, 1919; but graves were brought into it later from the neighbouring battlefields and from other burial grounds, including:- EMERCHICOURT CHURCHYARD, which contained 20 Commonwealth burials (mainly Canadians) of October and November, 1918. PETIT-CUINCY GERMAN CEMETERY, CUINCY, which contained 12 Commonwealth burials. There are over 200, 1914-18 war casualties commemorated in this site. Of these, a small number are unidentified and a special memorial is erected to a soldier from the United Kingdom, buried in RAIMBEAUCOURT GERMAN CEMETERY, whose grave could not be found. The British Cemetery covers an area of 718 square metres and is enclosed by a low stone rubble wall."

At the going down of the sun, and in the morning, WE WILL REMEMBER THEM.

Sources:

Ancestry.co.uk (MIC, WO363)
Army Ancestry
Army Service Numbers 1881-1918
Commonwealth War Graves Commission