Pte 94181 Arthur Townsley

• Age: 19
• From: Swansea
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 17th Btn
• Died Thursday 8th August 1918
• Commemorated at: Cologne South Cem Germany
  Panel Ref: X.D.11

Arthur Townsley was born in Swansea on 02^nd December 1899, the son of David Townsley and his wife Catherine (nee Thomson) who married in Swansea in 1886.  His father was born in Swansea and his mother in Pembroke Dock. They had fourteen children, seven of whom survived: Hilda, Reginald, William, Arthur, Elsie, David, and Glynn.

In 1901 the family is living at 45 Lamb Street, Swansea. His father, David is 37 years of age and is employed in the tinplate works, whilst his mother is also 37 years of age.  They have five children living with them; Hilda aged 13, Reginald aged 11, William aged 10, Arthur aged 2 and new born Elsie.

In 1911 they are still at 45 Lamb Street, now with seven children. His father is an assorter for a tinplate works. Both parents are 48  years of age. They have been married for 25 years and have had fourteen children, seven of whom have survived. Those listed in the property are; Hilda a 23 year old shop assistant, Reginald 21 and William 20 are also employed in the tinplate works, Arthur is 12, Elsie is 10, David Edward is 6 and Glynn is 3. Ghe youngest four children are shown as at school.

Arthur enlisted in Cardiff and joined the Cheshire Regiment as Private 315944 before he transferred to The 17th Battalion of the King's Liverpool Regiment as Private 94181.

Arthur was taken Prisoner of war  at Voormezeele on 29th April 1918 and sadly died of  pulmonary tuberculosis on 08th August 1918 at Dulmen P.O.W. camp. The German POW records describes Arthur as born 02nd December 1899, a farm worker in Waun-Wen, Swansea, and cause of death pulmonary tuberculosis. 

He now rests at Cologne Southern Cemetery in Germany where his headstone bears the poignant epitaph:

"ONE OF THE DEAREST, ONE OF THE BEST, GOD GRANT TO HIM ETERNAL REST".

More than 1,000 Allied prisoners and dozens of German servicemen were buried in Cologne Southern Cemetery during the First World War. Commonwealth forces entered Cologne on 6 December 1918, less than a month after the Armistice, and the city was occupied under the terms of the Treaty of Versailles until January 1926. During this period the cemetery was used by the occupying garrison. In 1922 it was decided that the graves of Commonwealth servicemen who had died all over Germany should be brought together into four permanent cemeteries at Kassel, Berlin, Hamburg and Cologne. Over the course of the following year, graves were transferred to Cologne Southern Cemetery from over 180 different burial grounds in Hanover, Hessen, the Rhine and Westphalia.

There are now almost 2,500 First World War servicemen buried or commemorated in the Commonwealth plots at Cologne. The Cologne Memorial, located inside the shelter building at the entrance to the Commonwealth plots, commemorates 25 British and Irish servicemen who died in Germany and who have no known grave. Of these, 19 are known to have died as prisoners but their places of burial are not recorded. The remaining six died after the Armistice by drowning and their bodies were not recovered.

He is also remembered on the Swansea Cenotaph War Memorial.

Arthur’s death appeared in the Weekly Casualty List of 09^th January 1919.

Soldiers Effects to his father David and pension to his mother Catherine.

His brother William served in the Royal Navy throughout the war.

His brother Reginald enlisted in the R.F.A, was transferred to the 3^rd Bn K.L.R., and discharged in 1917 as no longer physically fit

His father died in 1942, aged 79, and his mother in 1946 at the age of 83.

We currently have no further information on Arthur Townsley, If you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.