Arthur Gibbs. Died 19 April 1917
Arthur was born in 1894 the eldest son of Ellen. We do not know when Arthur’s father died, but by 1911 Ellen had been re-married 10 years and had 4 younger children with Edward Richard Beaven, who was a bricklayer. They lived at 3 Exchange Road, Denmark St Wokingham.
Arthur joined the 4th Battalion Royal Berkshire Regiment (200367) and rose to the rank of Lance Corporal. We do not know in which action Arthur was wounded, but he must have been brought back through the casualty evacuation process and died at home on 19th April 1917. He is buried in All Saint’s Wokingham.
From the Reading Mercury 28th April 1917;
“The funeral of Private Gibbs. The deceased was wounded in the head and had been in hospital at Leeds for about 9 months having undergone several operations. He was 22 years of age and an old Palmer school boy. The funeral was attended by the Palmer school Cadet Corps , the Boys Brigade and members of the local volunteer Corps, a bugler and 6 men were present from the depot in Reading. “
From this account we can tell that Arthur was probably wounded in the summer of 1916, the 4th Battalion were fighting on the Somme that summer and probably he was another casualty of that battle.