Private Arthur Denton was born in Rushden, Northamptonshire in 1888 and served with the 2nd Battalion Northamptonshire Regiment before the war. He was stationed in Malta in 1911, and was in Alexandria, Egypt, on the outbreak of the war. They returned to England briefly in October 1914, and disembarked at Le Havre with the 24th Brigade, 8th Division on 5th November 1914.

In 1915, the battalion would fight in the Battle of Neuve Chapelle, Aubers and the divisionary attack of Bois Grenier during the Battle of Loos. By 1916, they were gearing up to the Somme offensive and fought in the first phase at the Battle of Albert.

On 6th July, the battalion moved in to the front line at Fricourt (by now, occupying an old German support trench), and at 9 am the following morning, the battalion moved into the Sunken Road towards the village of Contalmaison against heavy machine gun fire. The battalion where unable to advance from Peake Alley due to severe artillery fire and suffering many casualties.

Once the enemy barrage stopped, they advanced towards the village but were pushed back due to other battalions retiring, and held the line at Lonely Copse despite their rifles and lewis guns kept jamming due to the heaving rain and mud.

During the night of the 7th July, information was received that the enemy had evacuated the village and a new attack commenced to occupy it in spite of heavy machine gun fire and artillery barrage. Some of the battalion reached the line a little beyond Peake Wood, but very few made it and casualties were very high.

During the 7-8th July, Arthur was killed in action. His body was never recovered and he is remembered at Thiepval Memorial, panel 11A.11D. He left behind his wife Sarah Ann whom he had married mere months before the war began. 

Rachel Ayres