Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of William Widdowson, a saddler, born 1853 in Sileby, Leicestershire, and his wife Catherine Widdowson (nee Jordan), born 1854 in Groby, Leicestershire. Arthur was born in 1880 in Sileby, Leicestershire, his siblings were, George Cooke Widdowson, a schoolboy, born 1877 and Harold, a schoolboy, born 1878, both his siblings were born in Sileby, Leicestershire, in April 1881 the family home was at Cossington End, Sileby, Leicestershire. In April 1891 Arthur was a schoolboy and was residing in the family home at Oxford Street, Syston, Leicestershire, together with his parents and siblings George, a tinsmith, Harold a cutter, Kate, a schoolgirl, born 1882 and William, a schoolboy, born 1885, the latter two siblings were both born in Sileby, Leicestershire, and Owen S., born 1891 in Syston, Leicestershire. In March 1901 Arthur was employed as a shoe trade finisher and was residing in the family home at Albion Street, Syston, Leicestershire, together with his parents and siblings, Harold, a journeyman baker, Kate, a sewing machinist, William a painter’s assistant, Owen and May, born 1891 in Syston, Leicestershire. In April 1911 Arthur was employed as a shoe trade finisher and was residing in the family home at Swan Street, Seagrave, Leicestershire, together with his wife of seven years, Jessie Jane Widdowson (nee Ford), born 1882 in Northmouth, Hampshire, and their children, John A., born 1905 in Sileby, Leicestershire, Jessie B., born 1907 in Liverpool, Lancashire, Thomas, born 1908 and Lilian M., born 1910, the latter two siblings were both born in Sileby, Leicestershire. In the first quarter of 1919 Arthur’s widow married Alfred Cook in the Barrow upon Soar, Leicestershire registration district, they resided at 34, Cossington Road, Sileby, Leicestershire.
The War Diary records: 14 Sept-14 – On the morning of September 14th we crossed the AISNE by a pontoon bridge in place of that destroyed by the retreating Germans. The 2nd Grenadier Guards formed the advanced guard and the 3rd Battalion followed them with a battery of R.F.A. between – here insert Appendix D, on page.
Appendix D
To be inserted on page 6
SOUPIR
At 7:00am on September 14th the Battalion left its billets in ST. MARD, and crossed the river AISNE about 8:30am at PONT ARCY. The bridge there had been destroyed by the enemy, but the R.E. had replaced it by a pontoon bridge. The Brigade formed part of a “left” column with the command of Colonel Hall R.F.A with orders to march on Point 197 N. of SOUPIR. The 2nd Grenadier Guards formed the Advanced Guard picketed the heights, and as the Advanced Guard left the village, it came under shell fire along the road, and heavy infantry firing was to be heard in a N. Westerly direction. The Battalion under the command of Major T. G. Matheson was at the head of the main body. Orders were received to push on in support of the Grenadiers, who were being opposed somewhere in the direction of LA COUR DE SOUPIR FERME, and seemed unable to advance. As the Battalion moved up the hill, it came under somewhat heavy shrapnel fire, when Colonel Fielding (the Acting Brigadier) and Brigadier General Perceval (who had apparently about that time taken command of the column), met the Commanding Officer and directed him to take the Battalion through the lower part of the wood. The Battalion moved in the following order, Nos. 1,2,3,4 Companies, through the wood in a northerly direction till a broad side running east and west was reached. As each Company arrived here it was formed into a line and the men lay down. The Adjutant, Lt. G. A. Smith, was sent in a north westerly direction, to get in touch with the Grenadiers, and ascertain the general situation. Meanwhile Major Matheson ordered Captain Longueville with No. 1 Company to push patrols forward in a northerly direction. When the Adjutant returned he reported the position of the Farm, and stated that the Connaught Rangers on the east of the Farm and the Grenadiers on the west, required support. No. 2 Company – under Captain Brocklehurst was then ordered to move to the left of the Farm to support the Grenadiers. About this time an officer of the Connaught Rangers reported to Major Matheson that his Company on the right had been driven in, and had fallen back to the same broad side as the Battalion was in but further to the East. He stated that with the assistance of another Company, he could regain the ground lost. No. 3 Company under Captain Vaughan was allotted this task. Shortly afterwards a message was received from Captain Vaughan that another Company was required in support. In response to this the Commanding Officer ordered a platoon of No. 4 Company to support the movement and almost immediately afterwards Major Stepney, Commanding the Irish Guards Battalion, came in sight on the right and asked how he could best assist. Major Matheson directed him to send 2 Companies up on the right to support No. 3 Company 3rd Coldstream and the Connaught Rangers. The Commanding Officer and the Adjutant then proceeded up to the left to ascertain the situation, and Captain Brocklehurst asked for further support on his left. Consequently the remainder of No. 4 Company under Captain Banbury was directed to move up on the left of No. 2 Company. The Commanding Officer then moved to the Farm, and ascertained that the best assistance could be given to the Connaught Rangers who were being somewhat pressed by using the Farm as a pivot and by swinging the troops on the S.W. of the Farm round to the right. A written message was sent down the line for all five units to comply with the order. This was successfully carried out, and to such an extent that when the movement became apparent to the enemy, many of them to the N. of the Farm rose up and waved white handkerchiefs, others throwing down their arms raised their hands above their heads. Instead of ignoring these manifestations of surrender and continuing the fight, the troops all along the line ceased fire, and in various places went out to meet the enemy who were advancing to surrender. In a few minutes a second line of Germans appeared on the sky line, and opened fire, including some of those who had already shown signs of surrendering. By this time the Machine Gun section under Lt. D. C. Bingham was in position by a -?- track just N.W. of the Farm. The Commanding Officer gave him orders to open fire, and avoid shooting our own men as much as possible. There was a certain amount of confusion in various places, as men who had advanced to receive those willing to surrender ran back to their original alignment. A line of defence composed of the 2nd Grenadiers and the 3rd Coldstream was quickly taken up, running along the road on the N. side of the Farm, with the left somewhat thrown back facing in a W.N.W. direction. The enemy’s shrapnel did some execution at the hay stack. This line was held till night. During the afternoon an attempt was made by a portion of the 2nd Coldstream and Irish Guards to attack the enemy’s left flank. This did not succeed, chiefly owing to the fact that the attack came under the fire of the troops holding the road on the N. side of the Farm. At nightfall the situation was as follows. The Irish Guards holding the wood to the E.N.E. of the Farm, the 2nd Grenadiers holding the vicinity of the Farm, the 3rd Coldstream continuing this line to the S.W. of the Farm, and on their left the 2nd Coldstream. During the action Lieutenant’s D. C. Bingham and P. Wyondham were killed. Captain’s Banbury and Vaughan, Lieutenant’s -?- - Ives and Fane were wounded. The number of NCO’s and men killed numbered ---, and wounded numbered ---. The frontage allotted to the battalion that night was held by No. 1 Company, who entrenched themselves, the remainder of the Battalion being withdrawn on to the SOUPIR FARM – SOUPIR road, about 200 yards -?- of the Farm, sheltered by a high bank on W. side of road.
On Friday December 11th 1914 The Melton Mowbray Times & Vale of Belvoir Gazette published the following article under the heading. “DISTRICT WAR ITEMS.” – SILEBY’S ROLL OF HONOUR. - A WORTHY RECORD. – It is estimated that between 80 and 100 men from Sileby are serving in various regiments at the front or in the fleet, and the following is a list of those who have already either fallen or have been wounded, or made prisoners:- Private A. Freer, Highland Light Infantry, died from wounds, and buried with military honours at Versailles, on September 30. He was a reservist and leaves a widow at Sileby. Private W. H. Meadows, 2nd Grenadier Guards, killed in action and buried at Rond de la Reine. He was a reservist, and leaves a widow and one child at Sileby. Private E. Riddle, 10th Hussars, wounded. Private Hollings, 1st Leicester Regiment, has been unofficially reported killed. His parents are unable to obtain any information concerning him, and have not heard from him for five weeks. Sergeant Dennis King, King’s Royal Rifles, died suddenly of heart disease in France. Private A. Widdowson, 3rd Coldstream Guards, reported dangerously wounded on the 14th September. Since that date his friends have been unable to obtain any information concerning him. Private B. Riddle, (brother of E. Riddle). K.R.R., wounded in the foot. Private Shuttlewood, Leicester Regiment, severely wounded, and in hospital at Boulogne. Private A. Sharp, K.R.R., and Private J. Dakin, Leicester Regiment, prisoners of war in Gottingen.
On Friday January 29th 1915 The Melton Mowbray Times & Vale of Belvoir Gazette published the following article under the heading. “DISTRICT WAR ITEMS.” – SEAGRAVE MAN KILLED IN ACTION. – Information has reached Seagrave that Private Arthur Widdowson, a reservist of the Coldstream Guards, was killed in action at Soupir in France on September 14th. The War Office notification of his death was not received by his widow until the end of December. Widdowson had been employed at Messrs. Walker, Kempson, and Stevens (Sileby branch) for nine years, his home being at Sileby, where he leaves a widow and seven young children to mourn his loss. One of his comrades, Private Baker, has written a letter to Mrs. Widdowson, in which he says her husband was greatly liked by all in the regiment, and that he was ever foremost in doing his best for King and country. Widdowson’s last words to him as he left him by a wood, was that if anything happened to him he “hoped his wife and children would be looked after all right.”