Ypres Town Cemetery Extension
Ypres Town Cemetery Extension
Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
Arthur Doyle, one of 9 known children, was the 2nd born of 5 brothers and had 3 elder and 1 younger sister. His father Andrew Doyle born at Wicklow, Ireland, where he was baptised, March 21st 1847, at the age of 4 years can be found living with his parents, John and Roseanne and elder brother Michael, in a lodging house with 7 other individuals, at Old Burn Lane, Hexham, run by widow Peggy Fairley, who also housed and supported her daughter, son-in-law, 3 grandchildren and a nephew. John Doyle was a labourer and by 1861 a licensed hawker, Andrew (14) was living with them at Holy Island, Hexham, Northumberland, however, he later moved to Sunderland, County Durham, where he married a local girl Harriet Jane. Their daughter Mary Ann was born at Sunderland in 1877 before they moved to 32, Water Street, Elswick, a suburb of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, where twins, John William and Rose Ann were born in 1878. Andrew Doyle was still a hawker but also listed as a travelling optician in the census of 1891 by which time his wife had given birth to a further 5 children, Meggie in 1883, Arthur 1884, Andrew Jnr 1885, Charles 1888, Nora in 1890 and Thomas in 1994. Andrew Doyle died in 1900 aged only 52 years and as her elder children had all left home Arthur became the only breadwinner, employed at the age of 16, as a bus conductor, his younger siblings were scholars. Listed as Mrs Jane Doyle in 1911 she was living at 67, Stone Street, Arthur was no longer at home, Thomas (17) supported his mother employed as a stone man, she had also taken in two boarders, 73-year-old widower Alexander Mortimer, a printer and bachelor, 73-year-old Nicholas Leadbitter, a retired cabinet maker.
Arthur is absent from his home address in the census of 1911 as he may well have spent time in the Army, re-enlisting in September 1914 at Newcastle-upon-Tyne, assigned as Private 7895 Northumberland Fusiliers to the 12th Battalion, part of Kitchener’s Third New Army. The recruits left Newcastle and concentrated in the Tring area as part of the 62nd Brigade, 21st Division. After training at Halton Park during the summer the Division returned to billets at Tring, Aylesbury, Leighton Buzzard, High Wycombe and Maidenhead for the winter. In May 1915 the infantry returned to Halton Park moving to Witley Camp, Surrey, August 9th, and departed in 2 waves to France. Advanced parties embarked September 2nd, Private Doyle departed September 9th 1915 joining his regiment concentrated near Tilques. At full strength by September 13th the division was marched across France, and put into reserve for the British attack at the Battle of Loos, not seeing front line action until the 26th when it lost 3,800 men without any gain. In late 1916 they were moved to the Somme seeing action at the Battle of Morval, September 15th-18th, where the division captured Geudecourt, before being sent to the Arras sector during the German retreat to the Hindenburg Line and fought during the Arras Offensive, April 9th-May 16th 1917. Their numbers were so depleted that August 10th 1917 the 12th and 13th Battalions Northumberland Fusiliers joined forces becoming known as the 12/13th Battalion. The 21st Division left France for Belgium joining the British action during the final stages of the 3rd Battle of Ypres (July 31st-November 10th 1917), at Polygon Wood, September 21st-October 7th 1917.
Private 7895 Arthur Doyle Northumberland Fusiliers was killed in action, September 28th 1917, his body buried on the battlefield at approximate map reference, I. 16. c. 9. 0. in what was described as, “a small cemetery,” from where his remains were exhumed, having been identified by means of a cross bearing his name and military details, and brought into Ypres Town Cemetery Extension, Ypres, Belgium. He and others were reburied with all military honour and reverence by an Army chaplain, January 29th 1919, he is at rest grave I. D. 14. At the time of his demise in 1917 he was 33 years of age and single.
He had nominated his eldest sister Mary Ann Hall nee Doyle as his sole beneficiary, which implies his mother may have died before him, although no record has been found. Mary Ann received all monies due to him also his awards of the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal, last known address, Forest Hall, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northumberland, (census 1911).
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
Arthur Doyle has not identified on a North East War Memorial
