Pte 17566 Arthur Collings

• Age: 24
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: 13th Kings
• Died on Friday 27th September 1918
• Commemorated at: Lowrie Cem. Havrincourt
  Panel Ref: A.8

Arthur Collings was born in early 1894 in Toxteth Park, Liverpool, the eldest son of John James Collings and his wife Mary Ellen (née Walker). His father, born in Widnes, and his mother in Liverpool, married in 1894 and had eight children, one of whom died in infancy.  Arthur had siblings Leonard, Doris, Elsie, Norman, Stanley, and Cyril.He was baptised on 07th March 1894 in St. Philemon's Church, Toxteth, his parents then living at 60 Geraint Street, and his father’s occupation listed as hairdresser. 

At the time of the 1901 Census, the family, with four children, is living at 26 Asbridge Street, Toxteth Park. His father is a hairdresser, Arthur is 7. 

Arthur attended Granby Street School. 

By 1911 the family have moved to 141 Northbrook Street, Toxteth, with seven children at home.  His father, 39, is a hairdresser, and his mother is 38. Arthur, 17, and Leonard, 14, are hairdressers like their father. Doris, 12, Elsie, 10,  Norman, 9, and Stanley, 6, are at school, Cyril is 2.

Arthur enlisted at St George's Hall in Liverpool on 03rd September 1914, as Private 17566, joining the 19th Battalion of The King’s Liverpool Regiment, giving his age as 20 years and 210 days, and his occupation as clerk. He was described as being 5’ 7” tall, weighing 119 lbs, with a fresh complexion, hazel eyes and brown hair.  He gives as next of kin his father, at 141 Northbrook Street.

Formed on 07^th September 1914 the 19^th Battalion trained locally at Sefton Park and remained living at home or in rented accommodation until November 1914. They then moved to the hutted accommodation at Lord Derby’s estate at Knowsley Hall. On 30th April 1915 the 19th Battalion alongside the other three Pals battalions left Liverpool via Prescot Station for further training at Belton Park, Grantham. They remained here until September 1915 when they reached Larkhill Camp on Salisbury Plain. 

Arthur served in No.2 Company, and shipped to France with his battalion on 07th November 1915.  

In early March 1916 he was treated for trench foot, and later that month for fever of unknown origin. 

Arthur saw action at the Battle of the Somme, including the failed attack on Guillemont at the end of July. He suffered a sprained ankle in early August, and rejoined his unit in October. On 03rd September 1916 he was awarded a Good Conduct Badge for completion of two years’ service. 

The battalion went into action during the Battle of Arras in April 1917, and in May began the march north to the Ypres Salient. The Third Battle of Ypres, also known as Passchendaele, began on 31st July. 

On 01st August 1917 Arthur was wounded in action, with a shrapnel wound upper arm (another entry states gunshot wound right arm), and was treated at No.6 General Hospital, Rouen. He joined I.B.D. at Etaples on the 15th, and after recovering from dysentery, rejoined his unit in the field on 12th October.  He was granted leave to the U.K. from 16th to 29th October 1917. 

The Pals battalions leave the Salient in the New Year and take up positions near St. Quentin.  He was treated for laryngitis at a C.C.S. in the middle of March 1918.  After joining ‘G’ Base Depot, he did not return to the front until, after being posted to 1/5th Bn K.L.R. on 24th May 1918, he joined his unit in the field by the end of the month. 

On 10th June 1918 he suffered gas poisoning (mustard gas), was treated at No.4 General Hospital, Camiers, and evacuated to the U.K.  

23/6/1918 admitted to Cambridge Military Hospital, Aldershot

28/6/1918 discharged to Convalescent Hospital, Eastbourne

30/7/1918 posted to K.L.R. Depot

08/8/1918 posted to 3rd (Garrison) Bn K.L.R. 

On 09th September 1918, before returning to the front, Arthur, aged 24, married Lucy Moore Hadwin aged 22, in St. Silas' Church, Toxteth.  Arthur gives his occupation as hairdresser. His father was a witness at the ceremony.  No children were born to the marriage.  Lucy was from Toxteth and they perhaps had known each other for some time.   

Nine days later, on 18th September, Arthur returned to France, to I.B.D., and on 21st September 1918 was posted to the 13th Bn K.L.R., at which time the battalion was in trenches near Ecoust.   

The 13th battalion War Diary records that, on 27th September 1918, after twelve continuous days in the trenches (front line and support), the battalion was ordered to capture the German Defensive System west of Ribecourt.

The attack was carried out at 5:20 a.m.  A hold up at Keating’s Lane caused heavy casualties to ‘C’ Company, but nests of Germans in dugouts readily surrendered and the attack went forward smoothly. The Division on the right did not hug their barrage but followed some distance behind their tanks. This resulted in several isolated hostile machine gun posts between their tanks and infantry shooting men of ‘C’ and ‘A’ Companies in the back.  The line was again held up about 50 yards short of the final objective where a few machine guns were still holding out.  ‘B’ Company dealt with hostile snipers on the high ground.  The attack achieved its objective, with 600 prisoners and 100 machine guns and rifles captured.

Casualties: 6 Officers, 125 Other Ranks.

Arthur was initially listed as Missing in Action on the 27th September, and shortly afterwards declared Killed in Action, aged 24.

He now lrests at Lowrie Cemetery, Harvincourt. 

Havrincourt village was stormed by the 62nd (West Riding) Division on 20 November 1917. It was lost on 23 March 1918, but it was retaken on 12 September by the 62nd Division, who held it against a counter-attack the following day. Lowrie Cemetery was made by the 3rd Division Burial Officer at the beginning of October 1918, and named after him. The original 211 burials, were increased after the Armistice when graves were brought in from the battlefields on all sides of Havrincourt. Most of the men buried in the cemetery died in September 1918. The cemetery now contains 251 First World War burials, 47 of them unidentified. The cemetery was designed by N A Rew.

His parents placed a notice in the Liverpool Echo on 21st October 1918:

“September 27, aged 24 years, Arthur (late Pals), the eldest and dearly-beloved son of Mr. and Mrs. John Collings, 141 Northbrook Street. - Deeply mourned by his sorrowing Parents, Brothers, and Sisters.”

Arthur earned his three medals, which Lucy signed for. She received his Army effects, including a War Gratuity of £18-10s, and was awarded a pension of 13/9d a week from April 1919.  Arthur’s personal effects were sent to his widow: 2 identity discs.

In April 1919 Lucy was living at 28 Foxhill Street, Princes Park, her parents’ home.

Arthur's parents were still at 141 Northbrook. with Leonard 23, Doris 21, Norman 19, Elsie 18, Stanley 14, and Cyril 10.

Lucy remarried to John Nicholson in early 1920 and had a family.

In 1939 she and her family were living in Holywell, Flintshire.  Lucy appears to have died in 1968 aged 72. 

Arthur's brother Len enlisted on 14/12/1914 as a Pal also in the 19th Battalion, as Private 21879, and shipped to France with Arthur on 07/11/1915.  He was five times wounded, and served in the  13th, 1/8th, and 1/6th Bns K.L.R.  Cpl. Leonard Collings was awarded the Military Medal for gallant conduct on 16 October 1918 and discharged on 04/02/1919 with a Silver War Badge.

His father died in 1944, aged 72, and his mother in 1956, at the age of 85.

Arthur is commemorated on the Granby Street Old Boys Memorial and on the family headstone at Toxteth Park Cemetery, Liverpool:

- In loving memory of John James, dearly loved husband of Mary E. Collings died 7th Oct. 1944, aged 72 years. Also Arthur, son of the above, killed in action in France 27th Sep. 1918, aged 24 years. Also Norman, son of the above, John James, died 18th Nov. 1941, aged 39 years. ‘Till the morning breaks and the shadows flee.’ Also of the above Mary E. Collings, died 30th Nov. 1956, aged 85 years. ‘A life of devotion and courage.’ Also Leonard (Len) M.M. son of above and husband of Catherine died 29th Nov. 1956, aged 60 years.

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