Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of William Gretton, a game keeper, born 1833 in Newtown Linford, Leicestershire and baptised on the 26th February 1833 in All Saint’s Church, Newtown Linford (son of Joseph Gretton, 1810-1893 and Elizabeth Foulds, 1810-1878) and his wife Mary Anne Gretton (nee Clarkson, married on the 4th September 1862 in All Saint’s Church, Leamington Spa), born in the April quarter of 1839 in Leamington, Warwickshire and baptised on the 19th May 1839 in All Saint’s Church, Leamington Spa (daughter of Christopher Clarkson, 1811 and Mary Ann Allwood, 1821). Arthur Harry was born in the January quarter of 1880 in Kettlestone, Norfolk and baptised on the 1st February 1880 in All Saint’s Church, Kettlestone, Norfolk, his siblings were, Benjamin Clarkson, a farm labourer, born in the October quarter of 1866 in Newtown Linford and baptised on the 2nd December 1866 in All Saint’s Church, Newtown Linford, Mary Ann, a schoolgirl, born in the July quarter of 1868 and Annie Elizabeth, a schoolgirl, born in the January quarter of 1872, the latter two siblings were both born in Ockbrook, Derbyshire, Clara Fanny, a schoolgirl, born in the October quarter of 1873 in Markfield, Leicestershire and baptised on the 11th January 1873 in All Saint’s Church, Newtown Linford, Edith Agnes, born in the October quarter of 1875 in Thursford, Norfolk and baptised on the 19th December 1875 in St. Andrew’s Church, Thursford and Alfred Joseph, born in the January quarter of 1878 in Kettlestone and baptised on the 3rd March 1878 in All Saint’s Church, Kettlestone, in April 1881 the family home was at The Oak Cottages, Bylaugh, Mitford, Norfolk. In April 1891 Arthur was a schoolboy and was residing in the family home at Hallgates, Newtown Linford, together with his father, an agricultural labourer, his mother and brother Alfred, an agricultural labourer. On the 12th September 1894, Arthur’s father died, aged 61 years in Newtown Linford. On the 17th January 1898, Arthur’s widowed mother married George Smith in All Saint’s Church, Newtown Linford. In March 1901 Arthur was employed as a teamster and was residing in the family home at Main Street, Newtown Linford, together with his step father, George Smith, a parish clerk and roadman, born in the January quarter of 1842 in Newtown Linford and baptised on the 3rd April 1843 in All Saint’s Church, Newtown Linford (son of Francis Smith, 1812 and Ann Geary, 1816), his mother and sister Clara, a domestic parlour maid. In April 1911 Arthur was employed as a general labourer and was residing in the family home at Newtown Linford, together with his step father, a roadman, his mother and brother Alfred, a butler.
Arthur’s army service enlistment documents do not survive, therefore the currently available information pertaining to his military service has been obtained from the following sources: - 1921 HMSO Publication, Soldiers Died in the Great War, 1914 - 1919, WW1 Service Medal and Award Rolls, Army Registers of Soldiers’ Effects, WW1 Medal Rolls Index Cards, WW1 Pension Ledgers and Index Cards and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Registers.
Enlisted/Attested in Leicester into the Regular Army. 13/8/02.
Joined. At Place and date not known.
Posted. To Northumberland Fusiliers. Pte. Date not known.
Allotted the Regimental Service number 8654.
Posted. To 1st Bn. Northumberland Fusiliers. Pte. Date not known.
Discharged. To Army Reserve. Date not known.
Mobilised. 4/8/14.
Posted. To 1st Bn. Northumberland Fusiliers. Pte. Date not known.
First entered the theatre of war in France. 8/10/14.
Killed in action. In the Field. 12/11/14.
Body not recovered. Commemorated on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial, West Vlaanderen, Belgium.
Awarded the 1914 Star with Clasp & Rose, British War Medal and Victory Medal.
In the event of his death, Arthur nominated his brother Alfred and sister Mary, as his sole legatees.
The War Diary records: 12 Nov-14 – A quiet day generally but two out of three Machine Guns were put out of action by rifle fire. During the day one Company of the ROYAL SUSSEX REGIMENT occupied the trench in our rear in touch with the right of the ROYAL SCOTS FUSILIERS. At dusk the enemy opened up a Machine Gun fire from the front and both flanks but did not leave their trenches.
APPENDIX X – Casualties at YPRES.
12th November 1914.
7749 Pte. Chapman. Killed.
1074 Pte. Quick. Killed.
9141 Pte. Levick. Killed.
8654 Pte. Gretton. Killed.
9538 Pte. Leach H. Wounded.
145 Pte. Hull G. Wounded.
2498 Pte. Thompson R. Wounded.
7326 Pte. Nichol T. Wounded.
1554 Pte. Eastman A. S. Wounded.
95 Pte. Taylor R. Wounded.
694 Pte. Payne R. Wounded.
219 Pte. Loughman C. Wounded.
1535 Pte. Coulton H. Wounded.
9957 L/Cpl. Finegan H. Wounded.
1481. L/Cpl. Hickling J. S. Wounded.
892 Pte. Brown H. Wounded.
1436 Pte. Hammond G. Wounded.
1014 Pte. Buckland G. Wounded.
1558 L/Cpl. Harrington H. Wounded.
767 Pte. Cruze W. Wounded.
545 Pte. Smith S. Wounded.
682 Cpl. Cooper B. Wounded.
2013 Pte. Glynn J. Wounded.
2199 Pte. Lungford J. Wounded.
9361 Pte. Hithrington E. Wounded.
1145 Pte. Hall. Wounded.
316 Pte. Storie. Wounded.
On Monday July 31st, 1916, The Leicester Daily Mercury published the following article on page 4, under the heading. – ROLL OF HONOUR. – The relations at Newtown Linford of Private George Purt, Leicester’s, have received intimation that he is wounded and in hospital in France, having been shot through the arm and side. Private John Cluer, Leicester’s, has been discharged as disabled, having also been shot through the arm, while Privates Harry Gretton and Herbert Harrison, all of Newtown, were killed early in the war.
[recognitum XXIV-VI-MMXXIII]