Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of Charles and Ellen Plowright. Other sources show his place of residence as Market Harborough, Leics. The War Diary for today records. During the night the enemy rushed forward his field and heavy guns and in the early morning he opened an intense bombardment of the RED LINE, PEIZIERE and the YELLOW LINE, under a heavy barrage he attacked the RED LINE but was driven off. 10.00am. About this hour news was received that the enemy had captured ST. EMILIE and the southern edge of EPEHY and the 8th LEICESTERSHIRE REGT. had been ordered to form a defensive flank on the EPEHY – SAULCOURT ROAD, to combine with this and to cover the right rear of PEIZIERE a second defensive flank facing south was made with every available man from Battalion HQ between YELLOW SUPPORT LINE and CHAUFOURS WOOD. 11.00am. As it was seen that the enemy were entering EPEHY in force from the south the two Tanks were ordered forward to check his advance and if possible clear EPEHY. The enemy retired on seeing their approach, and they report having inflicted heavy casualties. Unfortunately they were running short of petrol and as the engines required repairs they were unable to proceed further and attempting to withdraw to SAULCOURT both were knocked out. 12.00 noon. About this hour orders were received to withdraw the Battalion behind to BROWN LINE and concentrate at LONGAVENES. 12.15pm. Orders were issued for the withdrawal, up to this hour Captain VANNER M.C. was still holding the RED LINE and driving off every attack made on it. After the withdrawal of his Company he waited to superintend the demolition of both bridges over the cutting. This was successfully carried out. The withdrawal of the Battalion and the extrication of the posts in PEIZIERE was a matter of some difficulty as by the time of the receipt of the order by the Companies the enemy was in occupation of EPEHY and firing in from the north. The withdrawal was made under heavy machine gun fire from the south east and north east and a considerable number of casualties were incurred during it. 3.30pm. Battalion reorganised in valley just north of LONGAVESNES and received orders to march to AIZECOURT LE HAUT. 6.00pm. Battalion arrived and went into camp. Men had a hot meal.

Source: Leicestershire War Memorials Project.
Arthur was the youngest in a large family of eight children. His father, Hallaton born Charles Plowright, a grocer and grazier and his mother Winifred. Tragedy struck when young Arthur was only three years old - Winifred died in the summer of 1898, her funeral taking place in St Michael and All Angels on the 15th August. This left Charles with at least four dependent children. He needed a good woman to look after his family and his unmarried sister-in-law, Ellen Smart came to live with the family as housekeeper. In 1909 she married Charles just as Arthur was starting work on the land. In August 1914 on the declaration of war, in a burst of patriotic fervour, Arthur along with three other Hallaton friends signed on with the Leicestershire Regiment. So swift were they to join that his service number, 10514 was part of the series for regulars joining the 1st and 2nd Battalions. At some stage he was transferred with the new number 36327 to the 7th Battalion. His records do not exist but we know from his medal card that he went to France on 29th July 1915. The 7th Battalion along with the 6th, 8th and 9th formed part of 110th Brigade. All four battalions remained together for the duration of the war and earned a formidable reputation as the “Fighting Tigers”. The first really major battle for the Brigade was the Battle of the Ancre 11th – 21st November 1916, which was the last major British attack of the Battle of the Somme. This was fought in terrible conditions and although moderate gains were made, both armies settled into the stalemate of trench warfare for the rest of the winter. Thereafter in 1917, the Brigade was heavily involved in further desperate battles with names still well known today – Polygon Wood; Passchendaele; Cambrai; Ypres and in 1918 the battle of St Quentin Canal of March 21st / 22nd. And it was here that Arthur was killed – ironically on the same day as another Hallaton boy, William Charles Fox. Arthur is commemorated on Pozières Memorial and Hallaton War Memorial.

Information (including photograph) kindly provided by Dennis Kenyon.