Ypres Reservoir Cemetery: P. Priano
Ypres Reservoir Cemetery: Pauline Priano
Medal Index Card
Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
Arthur Benjamin Frederick Poynter was the youngest of 6 children, 4 boys and 2 girls, all of whom survived. His father John Poynter native of Briston, Norfolk, where he was born in 1845, married at the parish church, February 12th 1866, to local girl, Hester Ann Everett Adams, who was born in 1842 and baptised March 20th. Their daughter Mary Ann Eliza and son Augustus William O. J. Poynter were born 1867 and 1869 respectively in the district of Erpingham, however, the family had migrated to the north east by 1871 and were living at 75, Tyne Street, Jarrow, County Durham, John was a blacksmith as was his father before him. Hester gave birth to Robert John in 1874, Frances Sophia 1876 at Jarrow, Oscar Edward was born in 1880 at Willington Quay, Northumberland, as was Arthur in 1882 where they had settled at 5, Stephenson Street, John was now employed as a general labourer. By 1901 only Oscar and Arthur were living with their parents at 34, Brimton Street, Chirton, North Shields, John was a labourer in a factory, Oscar (21) was employed as a steam craneman, Arthur (18) an apprentice draper.
Arthur was married in 1907 at South Shields to Margaret Salmon originally from Gateshead, County Durham, born 1885, with whom he had a daughter Phyllis Hester later that year who died within 3 months and Arthur Jnr 1908. Arthur supported his family working as a store keeper, employed by a marine engineering company, he and his family were living in with his widowed father-in-law, coal miner/stoneman, Thomas Salmon, at 17, Robert Street, South Shields. In 1913 Phyllis gave birth to daughter Hester Frances, unfortunately later that year Arthur’s father died aged 70 years and within 9 months, midst the turmoil of the declaration of war, also his mother aged 72 years, both registered under the surname Pointer in the district of Tynemouth,
Without Arthur’s full military record, it is not possible to follow his exact movements during WW1. He enlisted at South Shields assigned as Private 33844 to the Lincolnshire Regiment.
When the Labour Corps was formed as of January 1917 many of the men in the fighting line were posted to these units in order to keep the vast network of men, machinery and munitions moving in the theatre of war. Private Poynter was transferred to the 40th Labour Corps with a change of service number to 23746.
Private Poynter was killed in action, October 4th 1917 in Belgium and is at rest within Ypres Reservoir Cemetery, Ypres, Belgium, grave I. G. 11. He was 35 years of age and is commemorated with his original rank and service number as Private 33844 Lincolnshire Regiment.
Shields Daily News 27/10/1917:
DEATHS. POINTER. Killed in France Oct. 4th, 1917 age 36 years, Arthur, son of the late John and Hester Pointer, of Percy Main. Deeply mourned by his brother Oscar, sister and brother-in-law, J. Morpeth.
His widow Margaret received all monies due to him and his awards of the British War Medal and Victory Medal. Details of her demise and that of their children, unknown.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
Arthur Benjamin Frederick Poynter is remembered at South Shields on S86.046 and as Pointer at Tynemouth in T36.14
