AMOS BRISCOE FREEMAN

AMOS BRISCOE FREEMAN

Private 45770

19th Battalion Royal Welch Fusiliers

Died from wounds - 10th April 1918

Amos was born in the early months of 1891 at Brimington near Chesterfield.  His parents were Amos and Annie (nee Jenkins), he was their first child and was named after his father.  Amos snr and Annie had married on 20th April 1890 at St Michael's Church in Brimington they lived a stones throw away on Church Street.  

The young family moved to live on South Street in New Whittington not long after and settled into family life.  Amos snr worked as a colliery clerk, it is possible that they may have moved to be close to his work.  Sadly on 4th January 1895 Amos snr passed away, he was 25 years of age.  Annie became a young widow, left alone to raise Amos who was around 4 years old.  It is not known why Amos snr died (the death certificate would be needed) however he did leave a will so the future of Annie and young Amos was planned for.  He bequeathed £113 10s 2d to Annie, John Limb a rent collector and Levi Jenkins an engine tester.  This amount would equate to around £9,000 of today's money.  In the 1890's this amount would be around 343 days worth of wages for a skilled tradesman (1).

A new chapter....

Annie married Thomas Huddless the year later in early 1896, he worked as a stationary engine driver at the iron works and was around 33 years of age.  A son was born on 5th January 1898 whom they named Albert Ernest.  Amos would be 7 years old by now and probably very pleased to have a younger brother.  The Huddless family lived at 54 South Street and on 17th June 1903 a little girl named Doris Maria became the new edition to the family.  

1911 the eve of war....

Amos was aged 20 years old and worked as a cast iron pipe fitter at the iron works.  He still lived at home on South Street with his mother Annie and step-father Thomas.  His siblings 13 year old Albert and 8 year old Doris both attended school.  He also had a new baby sister named Evelyn Mary she was just 2 months of age.  

Sadly the family suffered a terrible loss only weeks after the 1911 census had been taken when baby Evelyn passed away.  She was only 3 months old and was buried on 2nd May.  

Happy times....

Amos married his sweetheart Barbara Taylor Briggs at St Bartholomew's Church in Old Whittington on 17th April 1911.  The newly weds had their first son on 25th August that same year.  He was named following the family tradition as Amos Briscoe Freeman.  A second son named James Walter was born on 9th August 1916.  The Freeman family was complete.  They had moved into their own home during this time and lived close to Amos' family at number 69 South Street.

Amos' war....

Amos enlisted for the 18th Sherwood Forester Regiment in Chesterfield on 11th November 1915.  He was 24 years and 10 months old and worked as a pipe fitter at the time.  His application was approved on 16th November and he was posted to the battalion at Derby that same day.  Amos was now known as Private 32292.

Amos Briscoe Freeman service records
www.ancestry.co.uk

Amos was just 5 ft tall, in the beginning of WW1 the minimum height requirement was 5 ft 3 inches.  Whether Amos had already tired to enlist and been turned away due to his height is not known.  It soon became apparent to the British Military that they were limiting themselves and excluding some very good soldiers with this height limit and so Bantam Battalion's were established.  The men would need to be between 5 ft and 5 ft 3 inches tall with their expanded chest being 34 inches, Amos fulfilled this criteria.

The 18th Battalion Sherwood Foresters were a bantam battalion, raised in Derby on 27th July 1915 they remained there until October when the battalion was moved to Aldershot and joined the 121st Brigade 40th Division.  Amos would receive his basic training to equip him for warfare and carry out physical fitness activities to gain peak performance ready for embarkation to overseas action.  

Amos must have shown promise and leadership as on 31st January 1916 he was promoted to Lance Corporal.  This was a non-commissioned role which would give Amos first line authority over a section within his battalion.  On 28th March 1916 Amos was transferred to another bantam battalion, the 19th Royal Welch Fusiliers his regimental number was changed to 45770.

This battalion were also part of the 40th Division but with the 119th Brigade.  Amos remained in Aldershot a little longer but found himself in a spot of trouble at the end of May when he outstayed his pass and did not return to barracks until 23 hours later at 8.30 am on 25th.  He had been given his pass to attend the local military tattoo.  Amos lost his Lance Corporal stripe and was demoted to the rank of Private he was also charged two days pay for this offence.  The next day HRH King George was present at Aldershot to inspect some of the troops, whether Amos was amongst these men is not known.

Off to active service....

Maybe Amos knew he was about to leave the safety of England and that was why he overstayed his pass a few days earlier as on 1st June 1916 he was to embark from Southampton when his battalion set sail to join the British Expeditionary Force (B.E.F) in France.  They arrived in Le Harve the next day and moved to number 5 rest camp for the night.  Over the coming days the men took trains and marched to join the B.E.F in the trenches at Calonne on 10th July 1916. 

Amos' service records state that he was attached to D Company (whether he remained with them is not known).  Once in trenches C and D Coy were attached to the 1st Gloucestershire Regiment to receive instruction on trench warfare.  This was Amos' first glimpse of what the would become an arduous two years of battle for him.  The war diary states "The tour of duty lasted four days, during which time the enemy's artillery was fairly active though there was but little rifle or machine gun fire.  The total casualties were four men killed by shells and one man wounded by rifle or machine gun fire.  During the whole four days the weather was cold and wet".

Two bouts of illness....

On 28th August 1916 Amos was admitted to hospital suffering with conjunctivitis.  This condition was very common during WW1 with the use of chemical warfare the poisonous gas was highly irritant to the eyes of the soldiers.  He was returned fit for duty on 6th September, back to life in and out of the trenches.

Amos became sick with a fever in December, he was once more admitted to hospital with "P.U.O" which was Pyrexia of Unknown Origin.  Many men became ill with high temperatures, sickness, hallucinations and many other symptom's to which the actual cause was unknown.  Life in the trenches came with dirty unsanitary conditions, the lice which rampaged through the men would spread disease quickly and was near impossible to prevent.   Amos' illness was short lived and he returned to the battalion a few days later.

1917....

January 1917 dawned and the battalion relieved the 17th Welsh Regiment near Rancourt and remained there until they were relieved on 5th January.  During the month of March the enemy began their infamous retreat behind their massive defence line known as the Hindenburg Line.  This retreat was like no other, as the enemy fell back they left a landscape of carnage one which would cause the allies a great deal of effort to cross.  The towns and villages, roads and countryside were raised to the ground.  The 19th battalion's war dairy recounts this as the men were put to and "repaired roads and reconstructed billets in broken down houses"

At dawn on the morning of 21st April the battalion took part in an attack to take the areas of Gonnelieu and the Fifteen Ravine (a ravine so named as it was lined by fifteen trees).  At 4.20am "zero hour the barrage opened and our troops advanced.  At 5.15 am all our objectives had been taken".   Over the next 48 hours the men continued to fight off the enemy retaliation, so much so that several Private ranks were mentioned in the war diary "no 33307 Pte E Pomford did excellent work sniping off hostile machine gun fire......Pte George Atkinson 28784 stretcher bearer with great courage under heavy shell fire attended to wounded going backwards and forwards from front line".

The war diary tells of one of the battalion's gunners who went missing during a patrol at the beginning of July.  This man "after concealing his gun and laying out in no mans land for three days and nights he returned to our lines on the afternoon of the fourth day and with the exception of two or three slight wounds, he was little the worse for his experience".  Amos would have missed this event as he had been granted leave on that same day the gunner went missing Amos was taking his first days leave to the UK, back home to "Blighty" after thirteen months overseas.  This would be the first time Amos had met his young baby son James Walter who had been born the year earlier.

Leave was soon over....

Amos' home leave ended on 16th July and he would return to join the battalion some time over the coming days.  They were still based in the Gonnelieu and Cambria Road area and were alternating between tours of the trenches, working parties and reserve battalion.  

The battalion were part of a planned raid on the enemy trenches at Villers Plouich on the morning of 14th August.  At 1 am the raid commenced with five minutes of barrage towards "Barrier Trench" after which the men pushed forward to find the trench was heavily manned by the enemy.  They managed to secure the trench "inflicting heavy casualties upon the enemy garrison, destroying his shelters and dugouts and bringing back with them two unwounded prisoners of the 6th Bavarian Res. Infy Regt".  This bravery in action resulted in one Military Cross and five Military Medals being awarded for the men of the battalion.  Total casualties whilst in the line were - 

"1 Officer & 17 Other Ranks wounded

2 Other Ranks killed"

Light relief....

Life wasn't all bad for Amos and his comrades, in the month of October there was a sporting competition held.  Football games and sports activities took place with the following results (which if Amos was still in D Coy then he would be pleased with) - 

"D Coy 21 1/2 points (winners)

C Coy  21 points

B Coy 15 1/2 points 

A Coy 8 1/2 points"

Back to reality and on 23rd November they were present at the Battle of Bourlon Wood working alongside tanks the battalion began their attack at 10.30 am and an hour later had taken their objective.  The battle was fierce with heavy enemy fire, during the night they tried several times to retake the area but were unsuccessful.  The next morning the enemy made another attack from the direction of Bourlon Village, this managed to force the battalion back along the line in all but the north east edge of the wood.  The bombardment continued all day with the battalion putting up a strong fight but eventually at around 4.30 pm the men were forced back.  Not to be beaten the allies launched a counter attack and by the evening of 25th had recaptured their objective.  The war diary records the enemy's losses "were enormous" the allies took 280 prisoners during this battle.  The battalion were relieved the next night and retired to dug outs on the Hindenburg Line.  The battalion received a message of thanks and congratulations from the Officer in Command of the 119th Brigade -

"The valour and endurance displayed was beyond all praise"

On 23rd December Amos left his battalion and went back home to see his family.  This was the second time that year that he had been granted leave, no better time than to spend the Yuletide and see in 1918 than with his wife Barbara and two young sons Amos and James.

1918....

Regrettably Amos' leave soon came to an end and he returned to France on 5th January.  The battalion were based around the Bullecourt area when on 15th January the men were dealt with another difficult problem to solve when the frozen ground suddenly thawed so rapidly that all of their trenches fell in and were impassable.

The 19th Battalion Royal Welch Fusiliers were disbanded on 6th February 1918.  The war diary records that "8 Officers and 150 OR from D Coy proceeded to join the 2nd Bat RWF".  The remainder of the men marched to Bailleulval and later joined the 8th Entrenching Battalion.

On 9th April 1918 Amos received gunshot wounds to his left leg, hand and back injuries which necessitated in his hand being amputated.  He was taken the the 33rd Casualty Clearing Station where he died the next day.

Whether Amos was transferred to the 2nd Battalion Royal Welch Fusiliers or the 8th Entrenching Battalion is not known at this time.  The 2nd battalion war diary does not mention any casualties around the date of Amos' death.  Unfortunately Amos' story can not be completed at this time, but I will continue to research him to hopefully one day draw to a conclusion his life story.

Amos was buried at the Haverskerque British Military Cemetery in France, grave ref; A9.  His grave shows the sign of the cross, no additional inscription was chosen by his family.

Private Amos Briscoe Freeman 45770 was awarded the Victory and British Medals for his service.  Amos never regained his Lance Corporal stripes.

Life went on....

Barbara Freeman was widowed with two young son's to bring up after the death of Amos in 1918.  The terrible news arrived on 18th April when she received a telegraph informing her of the death of her husband.  Barbara was living at Ringwood Cottage, Private Road, Brimington at the time, she later moved to 52 Manor Road in Brimington.

Barbara was awarded a pension of 25 shillings 10 pence per week for her two sons upkeep.  The pension didn't however start until 21st October 1918, six months after Amos' death.  

Barbara found happiness again and married John Frederic Cropper in the summer of 1925.  John was a builder by trade and was well known in the area.  The family returned to New Whittington and set up home at 66 Wellington Street.  Sadly John became ill and after a long illness he died at Chesterfield Infirmary on 21st April 1939.  John was aged just 52 years old.  A service was held at St Patrick's Church on Wellington Street and then the interment took place at Brimington Cemetery.  

Later that year the 1939 Register was compiled and showed Barbara had son Amos and 19 year old John D Mann living with her.  Both Amos and John worked as hairdressers, John was the business owner. 

In 1942 Barbara married a man named John D Mann, whether this was the young man who lived with the family in 1939 is not known (marriage certificate would confirm).  She died in 1966 aged 73 years old.  John died in 1989.

Amos Briscoe Freeman married Beatrice Mosley in 1940. The couple had their own children but the naming pattern of "Amos Briscoe" appears to have been dropped.  Amos lost his wife Beatrice in 1971, he died a year later aged 62 years of age. 

James Walter Freeman married Dorothy Barker in 1948.  He died in 1976 aged 60 years of age.  

Annie Maria Huddless Amos' mother died on 29th September 1914.  She was only 43 years of age.  The family still lived on South Street where she left her husband Thomas.  Thomas was living with his nephew Harold* and family in 1939 at 17 Hardwick Avenue, New Whittington, he died on 12th December 1943.  

*The son of Harold also named Harold is also named on the St Barnabas War Memorial after he lost his life during WW2.  Harold was serving with the RAF and aged 22 years of age.

Albert Huddless married Florrie Mitchell in 1916.  The couple had three sons and one daughter.  Albert died in 1980.

Doris Maria Hudless married Samuel Wilson on 22nd June 1925 at St Bartholomew's Church, Old Whittington.  The couple lived at 91 London Street.  Doris died in 1985.

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If you may be connected to this family or have any further information on Amos Briscoe Freeman or his family please do either leave comments via the pen icon below or drop me an email.

I hope that I have not given details of living persons, if so please advise and I will remove immediately.

Please note all information has been taken from online indexes and sources.  Due to the sheer numbers of people to be researched I am unable to purchase vital event certificates to confirm my research.



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Ref and further reading  -

Census

Parish registers
Service records - www.ancestry.co.uk 

Medal rolls

Soldiers who died in the Great war

Register of soldiers effects

Newspaper articles 

CWGC  http://www.cwgc.org

War diaries - 19th Royal Welch Fusilliers WO 2607/3

(1) http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/currency-converter/#currency-result

18th Battalion Sherwood Foresters http://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/regiments-and-corps/the-british-infantry-regiments-of-1914-1918/sherwood-foresters-nottinghamshire-derbyshire-regiment/

19th Battalion Royal Welch Fusilliers http://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/regiments-and-corps/the-british-infantry-regiments-of-1914-1918/royal-welsh-fusiliers/

https://www.forces-war-records.co.uk/units/317/royal-welsh-fusiliers/

Bantam Battalions -
https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofBritain/The-Bantam-Battalions-of-World-War-One/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-31023270

Hindenburg Line http://www.remembrancetrails-northernfrance.com/history/the-battlefield/the-hindenburg-line.html

ARNOLD CALLIS

ARNOLD CALLIS

Private 242158

2/6th Battalion South Staffordshire Regiment

Killed in action - 21st March 1918

Arnold Callis' name was spelt incorrectly when it was inscribed onto the St Barnabas Church War Memorial.  It was was written with "SS" on the end, when in fact his birth registration and war records all spell the surname with one "S".

Arnold was born in the autumn of 1897 at New Whittington, he was the son of Catherine (nee Hayes) and William Callis.  His parents married in 1894, Catherine was a young widow with two young children at the time; Alice aged 8 and Charles aged 4 years. 

Derbyshire Times - Charles Hubbard death

Arnold's mother Catherine had married Charles Hubbard in 1885, he wasn't a local lad, he was born in Claypool, Lincolnshire.  In 1891 the family were living on Bamford Street and Charles worked as a coal miner.  A year later on 14th February 1892 Charles passed away, leaving his young wife to bring up Alice and toddler Charles.  His burial took place at St Bartholomew's Church on 17th February 1892.

A new start....

In 1894 Catherine married William Callis a shoe and boot clicker from Sheffield.  His job was to cut out the upper part of the shoe from the roll of leather, it was a very skilled job.  He would become step father to Alice and Charles.  Later that year the couple had their first child together; a son named William.  

In 1896 another son  was born, named Bertram he died aged just nine months old, he was buried at St Bartholomew's Church on 29th October 1896.  Arnold would bring new hope for the family when he was born in 1897, followed by their first daughter Winifred in 1900.

On the 1901 census the Callis family are recorded as living at 11 Bamford Street, Arnold was 3 years old.  His father William was 32 and his mother Catherine was 36 years of age.  William was noted as being a "boot maker and repairer.... own account" meaning William worked for himself.  He may well have run his business from his house or if he was doing well he might be able to afford a workshop to trade from.  One thing we can be sure of, Arnold and his siblings would have quality footwear on their small feet.

1911 the eve of war....

Arnold was 13 years old by now, he had left school and was employed as a mouse trap maker.  The family had grown, another sister for Arnold named Bertha she was born in 1902.  The Callis family had moved home to live at 15 Bamford Street, this was a six roomed house not the usual two up, two down terraced house.  

All of the children still lived at home; Alice and Charles Hubbard were in their twenties now, Charles worked as a colliery labourer above ground.  William was 16 years old and employed as a bell lad, Winifred and Bertha were still attending school.  

There was one more new member of the Callis family; a baby boy named Charles William Hubbard, recorded as "step grandson" to the head of the household.  Baby Charles was the son of either Alice or Charles Hubbard.

The boot making/repair business appears to be doing well, the family have upgraded their home and Catherine is noted as "assisting in the business".

Arnold's war....

Arnold's service records have not survived, his medal card gives us a brief clue to his service as he was not awarded the 15 Star, thus we can surmise that he did not see active service in a theatre of war in between the dates of 5th August 1914 and 31st December 1915.  A newspaper article states that he enlisted as soon as he was old enough, which would have been around 1915 as the minimum aged to enlist was 18 years (he could not serve overseas however until he was 19 years old).

On enlisting Arnold would be transferred to a training camp where he would be taught the basic skills he would need for the war he was about to enter.  He would be given a medical to ensure that he was fit and fell within the required parameters for active service.  He was given soldier number Private 242158 and attached to the 2/6th South Staffordshire Battalion.

This battalion was formed in Wolverhampton in September 1914 as a home service regiment.  From 1915 the regiment was part of the 176th Brigade 59th Division (2nd North Midland Division).  In July 1915 it moved to St Albans.

Voluntary enlistment was dwindling and large numbers of men were needed to sustain the war effort.  All men were given the option to enlist voluntarily under the Derby Scheme which would allow them to attest to serve if needed at a later date, the closing date for this voluntary act was 15th December 1915.  Once they had enlisted they were free to go back to civilian life until they were called for at a later date.  Whether or not Arnold took up this offer is not known, but if he did he would have been placed in "Group 1".  This group were given notice of their call up on 25th February 1916, they were mobilised on 28th March 1916.

In April 1916 the 2/6th South Staffordshire Battalion were sent overseas, but not to join the British Expeditionary Force (B.E.F) in France, they were sent to Dublin, Ireland to quell the Easter Uprising.  

A call to arms....

After nine months away the battalion returned to the United Kingdom, based at Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire from January 1917 until they received the call "mobilise for war" in February.  The war diary reads "24/2/17 instructions received under secret cover to embark at Southampton".  The next day 31 Officers and 653 Other Ranks took a train journey from Codford Station, Wiltshire arriving at Southampton to embark on the HMS Viper by 11.30am.  They arrived at Le Harve at 7am on 26th February 1917.

The battalion were based near Genermont, moving in and out of the trenches.  In March the war diary records that "rain fell heavily on two nights.  Communication and front line trenches were very wet and muddy, in some places the mud being knee deep.  Great difficulty was experienced in getting up water and rations owing to the mud and the men were very exhausted".  Arnold may have tried his hand at household chores when for two days the battalion were "engaged cleaning clothing and equipment and making up deficiencies".

From 14th March to 5th April 1917 the German Army made its retreat to behind its newly built defence system known as the Hindenburg Line.  The Germans had planned this manoeuvre with great detail, making sure that the British Armies would struggle to occupy their vacant positions.  They made the land as difficult as possible to cross, for example when the 2/6th South Staffordshire Regiment arrived at the town of Mons-En-Chaussee they found "All houses, wells and fruit trees in this town were destroyed by the enemy before their retirement".  The battalion were put to work remaking the roads and communication lines which had been German army had sabotaged.

In late September 1917 the battalion were present at the Battle of Polygon Wood, part of the infamous Third Battle of Ypres / Passchendaele.  The battle took place just outside Ypres in the areas in between Menin Road and Polygon Wood.  The battalion took their position at "Oxford Road", north of Ypres by 4am on 26th September and were ready to advance as support to the 59th Division attack.  They moved forward into front line trenches at 5am and spent the next few days moving back and forth from those trenches.  By the 30th September the war diary noted "During the time the battalion was in the front line trenches and in immediate support the casualties averaged about 20%".  

The battalion were involved in yet another difficult battle when on the night of 28th/29th November they relieved the 2nd Battalion Coldstream Guards south west of Bourlon Woods.  They were then heavily bombarded by the enemy with heavy artillery and gas shells for two further days.  The war diary records the terrible consequences of this attack as "During these two days the battalion suffered heavy casualties from gas, the whole of A C & D Coys. becoming casualties".  The battalion were relieved and moved back into billets, the month of December being relatively quiet in comparison to the terrible times Arnold and his comrades had seen.

On Christmas Day 1917 the war diary comments "Church parades.  Christmas dinner served by Companies.  Extras and geese bought by Regimental Funds and grant of 600 Francs from Divisional Canteen".
I hope that Arnold and his chums had a peaceful and happy Christmas Day, I think that they more than deserved it.

1918....

The month of March began as many others had, with the battalion doing tours of the trenches and carrying out routine repairs "large working parties were found nightly for digging and wiring in defence systems".  time was spent "cleaning up etc, bathing, specialist classes were commenced".  

What happened next would have been unexpected for Arnold and his fellow men....

It was a foggy morning on 21st March 1918 when the German Army launched a massive attack on the British Army.  Known as "Kaiserschlacht" or "The Kaiser's Battle", this attack was launched on a huge scale.  Code named Operation Michael the Germans bombarded the B.E.F for five long hours.  After the initial artillery attack 6,600 men of the German Army left their trenches and moved under cover of the dense fog to the British front line trenches.  

The 2/6th South Staffordshire war diary tells of the day....

"Heavy enemy shelling of back areas commenced between 2 & 3am, also heavy bombardment by enemy of Front and Support line with H.E (high explosive) and gas shells from 4am - 8am.  Enemy attacked in massed formation at 9am and succeeded in capturing the Front Line and also affected a flank move and got through to Railway Reserve and Battalion Headquarters.  23 Officers & about 600 O.R are "missing".

Despite such a terrible bombardment some of the front line was held until they had to give way due to the "flanks being exposed and heavy enemy attacks".  They held their own until 1am on 23rd March when they had no choice but to withdraw to safety.

The battalion received a surprise visitor to their billets when on 30th March, they were inspected by His Majesty The King.  The battalion also received the following letter from the Divisional Commander;

"Will you please convey to all ranks of your Division my admiration and thanks for the very gallant stand they made against overwhelming numbers of the enemy supported by a tremendous artillery.

The Division nobly did their duty on the right of the VIth. Corps. and from all accounts that have reached me have inflicted heavy loss upon the enemy.  

I grieve for the heavy casualties among your gallant Officers, N.C.O's and men but the 59th Division have the satisfaction of knowing that they did their duty in as trying circumstances as can possibly happen in war".

Arnold was pronounced missing in action on 21st March 1918.  He served through some of the most horrendous battles of the war, he was just 20 years old when he was killed.

CWGC burial record at Bullecourt German Cemetery

He was buried by the German Army at Bullecourt as an "Unknown British Soldier".  On 17th April 1924 his body was exhumed by the CWGC and identified using his clothing and his general service buttons.  The exhumation file describes Arnold as being 5' 9" tall and having light brown hair, some of his teeth were missing but his remaining teeth were "very good and even". 

Arnold was buried at the H.A.C Cemetery at Ecoust-St-Main in France, grave ref; Viii.B.34.  His grave is marked with the sign of the cross and his family chose the following inscription to be added;

"EVER IN OUR THOUGHTS"

Private Arnold Callis 242158 was awarded the Victory and British Medals for his service.

Arnold was reported in the Derbyshire Times 4th May 1918 page 5.  The article shows that his parents had not given up hope of his return.  It included a photograph of Arnold and reads....

"Mr and Mrs Callis, 15 Bamford Street,

New Whittington, the parents of 

Private Arnold Callis, South Stafford 

Regiment are anxiously awaiting for further news

of their son, who has been missing since 

March 21st 1918.

He is 20 years of age and in pre-war days belonged to 

the B.P Scouts.  When war broke out and he was old 

enough to enlist he joined up.  He crossed over to France

in February last year.  He has two brothers serving 

with the Colours.  Before enlisting he worked at 

Messrs. Locker's Waggon Works, New Whittington."

Life went on....

Catherine & William Callis Arnold's parents remained in New Whittington and no doubt continued to offer the boot repair service to the local people.

Article with kind permission of the Derbyshire Times
25th January 1919 page 4

Catherine clung on to the hope that one day her beloved son would return to family in New Whittington.  In January 1919, ten months after his death Catherine placed an article in the Derbyshire Times.  She asked..

"Will any returned prisoner of war know anything about Pte. Arnold Callis 242128, 2/6th South Staffordshire Regt. Battalions runner missing since 21st June 1918 and stationed at Bullecourt, please communicate with Mrs Callis 15 Bamford Street, New Whittington, Chesterfield".  

We will probably never know if anyone came forward and gave Catherine and William the news they longed for.  But, five years on in 1924 her son was finally laid to rest, with their chosen words to remember him by inscribed on his gravestone.

William died on 6th December 1938 aged 70 years.  Catherine lived on until 1953 when she died aged 88 years old.  

Photo taken by author

The grave of William can be found in St Bartholomew's Church graveyard.  The gravestone also remembers Arnold, the inscription reads;

"In loving memory of

WILLIAM

the beloved husband of

CATHERINE CALLIS

Died Dec. 6th 1938 aged 70 years

Also ARNOLD their dear son

South Staff Regt HQ Runner

killed in action March 21st 1918

aged 20 years

also

CATHERINE CALLIS"

The family home of 15 Bamford Street continued to be the Callis home, on the 1939 register Catherine was living there with her son Charles Hubbard and daughter Bertha.

William Callis Arnold's elder brother enlisted to the Royal Field Artillery (RFA) on 13th January 1915.  He was given the soldier number 79939 and posted at Newcastle-Upon-Tyne to receive his training.  His service records have survived and show that he was a gunner with the RFA.  

William embarked from Southampton on 21st July 1915, arriving in Le Harve the following day.  He returned to England in November 1918 and was posted to Woolwich on 24th December 1918.  William served the whole of the war and was finally given his Protection Certificate and Certificate of Identity on 4th March 1919.  He also received a disability certificate, but the reason for the disability was not recorded.

William was awarded the Victory and British medals along with the 15 Star for his service to King & Country.

Back home in New Whittington William married Alice Philpott on 1st January 1921.  The marriage took place at St Bartholomew's Church, with Winifred Callis, Ambrose Knowles and David Bingham as witness.  

The couple may have the following children; Winifred, Dorothy and named after his brave uncle; Arnold William Callis was born in 1924.  Family life however was short lived as in William died in 1931 aged just 36 years old.  He left three children under the age of 10 years.

Alice took in washing to make ends meet, on the 1939 Register she and her three children were living at 11 Bamford Street, New Whittington (the house that the Callis family occupied all those years ago in 1901).  She lived on until 1972 when she died aged 88 years old.

Winifred Callis married Ambrose Knowles (one of the witnesses at William and Alice Callis' marriage).  They married in 1923 and had two sons; Douglas and Alwyn.  The family resided at 79 Handley Road, Ambrose worked as a machine tool fitter.  Winifred lived to the age of 84 when she died in 1985, her husband Ambrose had died three years earlier in 1982.

Bertha Olive Callis married a Henry (Harry) Vickers in 1943.  Henry had been widowed when his wife Beatrice had died in 1938.  Harry had two daughters by Beatrice.   

Bertha and Harry's wedding was covered in the Derbyshire Times (5th November 1943 page 6).  The marriage took place at the Methodist Church on Wellington Street, New Whittington and was very well attended.  Bertha was given away by her half brother Charles Hubbard and her sister Dorothy was one of the bridesmaids.  Bertha's nephew Douglas Knowles was a groomsman.  The reception was held at the Methodist Church and around 80 people were present, including the Mayor and Mayoress.

The couple lived at 167 Handley Road, not far from Bertha's sister Winfred.  Harry died on 6th December 1960.

Bertha found happiness again when she married neighbour Charles Wilfred Arblaster.  Charles lived at 213 Handley Road, his wife Winifred had died in 1957.  He worked above ground at the colliery.

Bertha and Charles notched up 25 years of marriage until Bertha died on 8th February 1985 aged 82 years old, she still lived at 167 Handley Road.  Charles died in 2001. 

Arnold's half siblings -

Alice Hubbard may have married Frank Goodwin on 26th November 1911.  The marriage took place at St Bartholomew's Church but Alice's fathers name was left blank on the marriage register entry.  If this is correct then the couple had one son named Frank in 1914.  What became of the Goodwin family after that date is not known. 

Was Alice the mother of illegitimate Charles William Hubbard born 1910?  without the birth certificate I cannot say for definite.  

Charles William Hubbard (Snr) lived with his mother until he died in 1945.  He was only 55 years old and appears never to have married.

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If you may be connected to this family or have any further information on Arnold Callis or his family please do either leave comments via the pen icon below or drop me an email.

I hope that I have not given details of living persons, if so please advise and I will remove immediately.

Please note all information has been taken from online indexes and sources.  Due to the sheer numbers of people to be researched I am unable to purchase vital event certificates to confirm my research.

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Ref and further reading  -

Census

Parish registers

Medal rolls

Soldiers who died in the Great war

Register of soldiers effects

Service record - www.ancestry.co.uk

With thanks for the kind permission of the Derbyshire Times to include the images of the relevant newspaper articles within this write up.....

Newspaper articles - Derbyshire Times 4th May 1918 p5

                               - Derbyshire Times 25th January 1919 p4

                               - Derbyshire Times 20th February 1892 p5 

                               - Derbyshire Times 8th December 1939 p11

CWGC  http://www.cwgc.org

War diaries - piece 3021/9 2/6th South Staffordshire Regiment February 1917 - July 1918

2/6th South Staffordshire Regiment https://www.forces-war-records.co.uk/units/321/south-staffordshire-regiment/

2/6th South Staffordhire Regiment http://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/regiments-and-corps/the-british-infantry-regiments-of-1914-1918/south-staffordshire-regiment/

Battle of St Quentin http://www.greatwar.co.uk/battles/somme/1918-somme-spring.htm

German retreat to the Hindenburg Line http://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/battles/battles-of-the-western-front-in-france-and-flanders/pursuit-of-the-german-retreat-to-the-hindenburg-line/

Battle of Polygon Wood - interesting facts https://www.cwgc.org/learn/news-and-events/news/2017/09/15/13/13/7-facts-about-the-battle-of-polygon-wood

Battle of Bourlon Woods http://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/battles/battles-of-the-western-front-in-france-and-flanders/the-cambrai-operations-1917-battle-of-cambrai/

Shoe and boot clicker https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boot_and_shoe_clicker