De Ruvigny Roll of Honour Vol 3 page 284
Arthur Judson Whitmore was born on the 15th March 1898, at Tower Hill Lodge, Middleton-St-George, Darlington, Durham, the son of the late Henry Whitmore, [Coachman] and his wife Mary, daughter of Henry Judson of Darlington.
Arthur was educated at Corbridge, at St. Andrew's School. He was employed as an assistant at the Co-operative Store.
In 1911, the family resided at 10 Windsor Terrace, Corbridge-on-Tyne. His father Henry had died by 1911. He had an older brother called Robert, who was born in 1895, and a younger brother William Norman, born 1902. A fourth child died.
He enlisted at Newcastle, on the 26th January 1917, in the 1st Reserve Training Battalion, service number 6034, then the 84th Training Battalion, and was given the service number 98124. He embarked at Folkestone on the 24th October and disembarked at Boulogne on the same day. His attestation papers record that he was 5 foot 8 inches high, 18 years and 1 month old. Weight was given as 130 lbs. He also had dental treatment for his hole in his wisdom tooth.
Whilst he was stationed at Scotton Camp he overstayed his leave by 2 days resulting in 2 days lost pay on the 18th October 1917.
Transferred from the 84th Training Battalion to the 2/4th York and Lancaster Battalion at Etaples from the 35th Infantry Base Depot on the 25th October 1917. His service number was now 35632.
He was killed in action on the 22nd November 1917.
An officer had wrote:- "Your noble son I am sure will be greatly missed by all who knew him out here, and the fine example he has set by giving his life for his country is an example for everyone."
Also a comrade "Arthur and I were good chums while we were together, and I miss him very much. But you may rest content he died as a true British soldier with his face to the enemy." He was unmarried.
The Imperial War Graves Commission [now the Commonwealth War Graves Commission] had written to the Officer in Charge , No 2 Record Office, No 5 District York enquiring as to where the grave of Private A. Whitmore was located, as the death of Arthur Whitmore had not been registered with them. The letter was dated 4th May 1921.
On the 6th May 1921 the reply came back stating With reference to your YP/92/45863 dated the 4th instant, I beg to inform you that there is no record in this office of place of burial in respect of the above-named man who was killed in action on 22.11.1917.
The CWGC then wrote again asking where the Battalion was operating on the date of his death. Letter dated 11th May 1921.
We do not know what the reply was.
The name is incorrectly recorded on the Memorial as Archie, when in fact his forename was Arthur.
De Ruvigny Roll of Honour
