In Gordon Dump Cemetery, Ovillers-la-Boisselle, France is the Commonwealth War Grave of 24/1317 Private Arthur Fenwick, serving with the 24th (Tyneside Irish) Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers who died 01/07/1916.
Enid Hoseason has submitted the following:-
Born in Durham in 1891, Arthur was one of ten surviving children born to William Fenwick, a painter and his wife Dorothy Wilson Bowes. In 1901 the family resided at Listers Buildings, Elvet.
In the first quarter of 1910, Arthur married Alice Lamb and she gave birth to four children, of whom only two survived. Dorothy on the 27th January 1910, John 1911-1911; Joan Emma 6th February 1913; Ellen 1915-1916.
The 1911 census shows that Arthur, Alice and Dorothy lived at 3 Chapel Passage, Old Elvet, Durham City Arthur was employed as a coal miner.
There are no service records for Arthur, the medal card does not show the date he entered France.
The Tyneside Irish Brigade was a British Infantry brigade that saw action in World War 1, they were made up of four battalions, mostly of men of Irish extraction from the Newcastle upon Tyne area. They arrived in France in January 1916. On the first day of the Battle of the Somme, The Tyneside Irish Brigade attacked from the Tara-Usna Line suffering 620 casualties before reaching the front line.
Private Arthur Fenwick was one of those soldiers who did not survive.
He had an amount of £2 15 shillings in his account when he died, to this was added £6 10 shillings and paid to Alice. The War Office awarded a pension of eighteen shillings and six pence to Alice.
Private Arthur Fenwick was awarded the Victory Medal and the British War Medal.
Arthur’s brothers also served.
Private 4/9667 George Fenwick, 15th Battalion, Durham Light Infantry was killed on the same day as Arthur, He is also buried at Gordon Dump Cemetery, Ovillers-La Boisselle. (Plot 4; Row R; Grave 2)
Private 2472 Walter Fenwick, 1/8th Battalion, Durham Light Infantry died on the 26 April 1915. He is buried at Perth Cemetery, (China Wall)
Private Frederick Fenwick, 8/776. Durham Light Infantry survived.
Private 172883 John Fenwick, 53rd (YS) Battalion, TR, D.L.I. did not serve abroad, survived, Silver War badge Holder
Private 32570 Thomas H Fenwick 14th, 2nd & 12th D.L.I., survived, in 1920 joined 8th D.L.I. TT, served for three years.
Alice was remarried in 1918 to Robert Bathie Skelton who had served with the Northumberland Fusiliers. She gave birth to a son, Douglas Frederick Skelton in 1918 who only lived for a few months.
Alice and Arthur’s daughters, Dorothy (known as Dora) and Joan Emma (known as Emma) changed their surnames and were known as Skelton. The family moved to Bedfordshire.
Acknowledgement: Lynne Irving
Arthur Fenwick is remembered at Durham City on D47.041, D47.050 and D47.054. There is an A. Fenwick DLI on D47.125 and also on D47.054 -CWGC has no A Fenwick dying with the Durham Light Infantry.
