Arthur Wynne Edwards was born in 1892 at Llangollen where his father and mother – John and Mary Edwards – ran the Star Inn on Queen Street (on the A5 on approach to town from east). He was the middle of 3 children with elder sister, Sarah, and younger brother, John. His father died in 1909, his mother continued to run the pub. In 1911 his sister married Frederick Howell, son of the landlord of the Railway Hotel, Beatrice Street, Oswestry. In 1914 Arthur was still living at the Star with his mother and brother, John, Arthur was working as a wool dyer working in a Tan and Hide yard, he later became a butcher, possibly working with his brother, also a butcher. Sometime after his mother moved out the pub and came to live in Oswestry at 62 Pool Road  (Welshpool Road, now Morda Road – address is also given as Picton Villas)

Arthur was attested on 10 December 1915, probably under the Derby Scheme, and was mobilised in June 1916. He joined the Royal Garrison Artillery and was posted to 205 Siege Battery in June 1916. Arthur went overseas in December 1916 to Macedonia / Salonica. Arthur was a keen athlete and had won prizes in battery sports competitions. At the end of August 1917 the battery moved to Egypt arriving at Alexandria on 5 September. As with many soldiers in the Middle East and Macedonia theatres, he had bouts of malaria and dysentery and spent periods in hospital.  Shortly after arriving in Egypt he was admitted to hospital with (diarrhoea/dysentery). he returned to his unit on 19 September and then the next day was readmitted suffering from malaria. He recovered and again rejoined his unit only to be admitted again four weeks later on 30 October. This time he contracted pneumonia from which he died at 34 CCS in Jerusalem a week later on 6 November 1918.  He is buried in Jerusalem War Cemetery and is commemorated at St Oswald’s Church, Oswestry and on Llangollen War Memorial.

Acknowledgements.

References and Sources

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