Arthur Rogers was born in 1886 at Oswestry. His mother was Jane Rogers who died in around 1893. It is not known who his father was. In 1891 Arthur was living with his grandfather, Enoch, who was a chimney sweep, at 28 Castle Street. It was a complicated household… all told there were 9 residents – Arthur’s aunt, cousins and 3 boarders, the latter were also chimney sweeps and working with Enoch. By 1901, after his mother’s death, Arthur had been adopted by his grandfather; they still lived at Castle Street where he was working as a baker’s errand boy.

Arthur cannot be found in the 1911 census. It is possible that he was in the army, having joined around 1904/05 and enlisting in Royal Welsh Fusiliers. He had likely left the army by the outbreak of war and was probably mobilised as a reservist. He reported at Chester and went over to France on 23 November 1914, joining 1 Bn RWF in one of the drafts between then and the first 2 weeks in December. He was wounded at least once. He was KIA on 25 September 1915 at the Battle of Loos – the battalion was to support the 2 lead battalions. On this day the battalion had casualties of 43 KIA, 246 wounded and 135 missing – Arthur was listed as killed ‘on or since, presumed dead’. They moved into the Battle area to trenches at Clerk’s Post near to Vermelles. The attack was launched between 5 and 6 am after an intense bombardment and gas discharge. The battalion penetrated right through the German lines to Cite St Elie where they held out for 2 days before being withdrawn. Arthur has no known grave and is commemorated on the Loos Memorial; he is also on the war memorial at St Oswald’s Church, Oswestry.

Also killed during the same action was Private 6308 Samuel Hall. 

Acknowledgements.

References and Sources

END