681838 BDR. A. R. RODGERS.  R.F.A.

 

Arthur Reginald Rodgers was born in April 1896 in Toxteth, Liverpool and baptised at St James the Less on 12 April.  His father was Alfred Henry Rodgers (b. 1865 in Liverpool), a whitesmith (a whitesmith is a metalworker who specialises in finishing and polishing, also sometimes a tinsmith).  His mother was Eliza Ann Magraw (b. 1868 in West Derby).  Alfred and Eliza were married in 1890 and they had 6 children: William (b. 1891), Ada (b. 1892), then Arthur, tehn Alfred (b. 1897), Elsie (b. 1901) and finally Harold (b. 1909).  In 1911, the family was living at 94 Woodcroft Road, Liverpool.  Arthur was apprenticed to a plumber.

 

Arthur was probably in the Territorials before the War.  He was originally assigned service number 4582 and posted to “D” Battery of 276 Brigade.  “D”Bty was a howitzer battery.  Arthur did not go to France with 55th Division in 1915 but joined them in the field probably sometime in 1916.  He was later assigned the new service number 681838 and also promoted to Bombardier.

 

The War Diary reports that on 9 June, 276 Brigade carried out special operations in connection with a raid by 1/4th Royal Lancaster Regiment on Ibex Trench, and on 10-12 June they “vigorously engaged in retaliation for hostile fire on our trenches.  D/276Bty carried out special neutralising fire on various enemy batteries”.  Arthur died of wounds at the 2/1st Wessex Field Ambulance on 11 June 1917.  He was 21 years old.

 

Rank:  Bombardier

Service No:  681838

Date of Death:  11/06/1917

Age:  21

Regiment/Service:  Royal Field Artillery, “A” Bty, 276 Bde.

Cemetery/memorial reference:  I. A. 2.

Cemetery/Memorial:  VLAMERTINGHE NEW MILITARY CEMETERY

Additional Information: Son of Alfred Henry and Eliza Rodgers, of 31 Portman Road, Wavertree, Liverpool.

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