Arthur William Abbott

Rank: Private

Service Number: 235326

Date of Birth: 1892

Regiment:  12th/13th Bn Northumberland Fusiliers

Date of Death: 27 April 1918

Age at death: 26

Cemetery / Memorial: Tyne Cot Memorial

Country: Belgium

Grave / Reference: Panel 19 to 23 and 162

Relatives: Son of Peter and Annie Abbott, husband of Lottie Chisnall (formerly Abbott)

Address: (Parents) 87 George Street, Hadleigh.  (Wife) 91 George Street, Hadleigh.

Private Arthur William Abbott was the only Hadleigh man known to have been killed during the Battle of the Lys.  He was born William Arthur Abbott Martin in 1892, the son of Peter Abbott of Elmsett and Annie Martin of Hadleigh, their home was 179 Angel Street.  Arthur went to Bridge Street School.  In 1911 he was a carrier’s labourer and that same year he enlisted with the 4 Suffolk territorial battalion.

 In August 1917 he was transferred again, this time to the newly amalgamated 12/13 Battalion of the Northumberland Fusiliers and was with them at Passchendaele in 1917. 

In early 1918 he spent some time in hospital suffering from trench foot, but by April he was back in the front line with his unit on the Messiness Ridge near Wytschaete. 

On the 26th April the unit suffered very heavy enemy shelling and sustained many casualties and Arthur’s body was lost on the battlefield.

In 1913 he married Lottie Goody and they had one daughter.  Lottie came from a large family and lost two of her brothers during the war.  Arthur was mobilised with the 4 Suffolks at the outbreak of war, however he was not sent to France until after the Army Service Act of January 1916 which made overseas service compulsory.  He was transferred to the 1/4 Suffolks and sent to France. 

Arthur William Abbott is remembered on the Tyne Cot Memorial in Belgium and on the Hadleigh War Memorial.

Click on the pictures below to view Arthur's gallery

We hope that this page has been able to tell Arthur’s story.  If you know of any information which might help to add to the story then please get in touch.