Lance Corporal Arthur Woodhead

Lance Corporal Arthur Woodhead is one of the 49 heroes whose name is on the Cenotaph at St Mark’s Church Mosborough. He was born at Mosborough Derbyshire on 22 April 1896 to Gertrude and Ernest Woodhead, his brother Stanley was also born at Eckington in 1898.

Arthur’s other brother William was born in 1902 in Sydney NSW Australia. According to the 1901 census shows Arthur’s father Ernest still living with his parents.

Arthur’s grandparents, Arthur and Mary Ann Woodhead lived in South Street Mosborough with his father Ernest,

but Arthur doesn’t appear to be on any British census.

The family must have moved not long after the 1901 census

The Australian Military Forces form below shows Arthur enlisted into the 2^nd Battalion Australian Infantry and his service number was 3971. Arthur was killed in action on 28^th March 1918 at the age of 21.

Cemetery – Ridge Wood Military Cemetery

Burial or Cremation Place – Ypres (Ieper), Arrondissement Ieper, West Flanders (West-Vlaanderen), Belgium

Two letters below which was sent by Mrs G Woodhead to the Officer in Charge Base Records.

Arthur was awarded the DCM (Distinguished Conduct Medal).

Of The Boys

Mr E Woodhead, Grenville Heydon Street, Enield, has received the following letter: – “Department of Defence, Melbourne 30^th July 1918. Dear Sir, I have much pleasure in forwarding hereunder copy of extract from the London “Gazette of 1^st March 1918 as follows:-

“His Majesty the King has been pleased to award the Distinguished Conduct Medal to your son, the Late No 3971, Private A Woodhead, 2^nd Batt for gallantry and distinguished service in the field. He and another man were Nos 1 and 2 of a Lewis gun team with a limited field of fire. The enemy had reached to within 30 yards of our line, when they sprang out of the trench and standing on the parapet, Private Woodhead fired the gun resting it on his comrade’s should and continued until the remnants of the attacking lines retired and they were ordered back into the trench. They inflicted severe causalities in the enemy and contributed largely to the after defeat of the attack”.

On Arthur’s Grandparents grave in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia at Rookwood Cemetery, section A, row 16 at the bottom of the grave stone the inscription says:

“L/Cpl. D.C.M. Killed in action. Grandson of above”