Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of Robert Johnstone, a Cordwainer and his wife Susannah, who was the daughter of David Mault. Arthur was educated at Holy Cross Roman Catholic School in Whitwick, Leics., and became a Miner upon leaving school. He enlisted on the 31st August 1914 and served with the Expeditionary Force in France and Flanders, and died on the 1st September 1914 from wounds accidentally received when practising bomb-throwing at Mondicourt, near Arras France the previous day, he was buried in Beauval Cemetery. Arthur married Beatrice May, the daughter of William Garner, at Ashby de la Zouch in May 1913, sadly she died on the 6th July 1914. The War Diary entry for the 31st August 1915 records. MONDICOURT. A serious accident occurred during instruction in grenade throwing this afternoon resulting in the death of the instructor Lt. BALDWIN and 5 other ranks also, 8 other ranks wounded, 2 of which died in hospital.

Source: Leicestershire War Memorials Project.
Coalville Times article - Friday September 24th, 1915

Two Whitwick Soldiers Killed - The result of an accident - Hand grenade prematurely explodes

We regret to report this week the deaths of two Whitwick soldiers, at the front, as a result of an accident. They were Private H. Smith Hurst, No 13172, whose parents, Mr and Mrs Bowley Hurst, reside at Parsonwood Hill, and Pte. Arthur Charles Johnstone, No. 12435, whose home was at Castle Hill, his father being Mr Robert Johnstone, who is employed at Messrs. Brown and Sons’ boot factory in Whitwick. Both men were in the ‘B’ company of the 8th Leicesters and the official notice received by their parents from the military authorities state that on August 31st, Pte. Hurst was accidentally killed by the exploding of a hand grenade and from the same cause Pte. Johnstone received wounds to which he succumbed the next day, September 1st. Hurst had gained a good reputation as a bomb-thrower and from letters received from other sources, it was learned that he was preparing to throw the grenade towards the German lines when it prematurely exploded.

PRIVATE JOHNSTONE’S LAST LETTER

In his last letter to his mother and father, written only about two days before he died, Johnstone said he was quite well and hoped they were all were at home. “I will send M____ a soldier’s button to make a hat pin of and also one for F_____ and some other souvenirs if possible. I have got a ring made out of the aluminium nose-piece of a German shell. While I am writing this letter shells are bursting about a hundred yards away. W. Wright has had a letter asking if it right that I have been killed. I don’t know who circulated the news, but you can tell them from me that I am as much alive as any of them. They wanted to know if ‘Rabbit’ had gone under, but he wishes them to know that he is very much alive yet.”

OLD PLAYMATES

Asked by the writer to whom ‘Rabbit’ referred, Mrs Johnstone, the deceased soldier’s mother, said it was Pte. Hurst who used to go to school with her boy and they were playmates together. Hurst was known by the nickname of ‘Rabbit’ and her boy as ‘Bunny’.

Pte. A. C. Johnstone was only 21 years of age and was a widower. His wife died about a month before he enlisted in August last year. He went to the front on July 30th, last, so had only been there a few weeks.

OFFICER’S TRIBUTES

Mr and Mrs Johnstone have received letters both from the captain and lieutenant of the deceased’s soldier’s company, in which they both testify to Johnstone’s excellent character as a soldier and a man. The lieutenant said he was one of the finest men in his platoon, a conscientious worker and always willing and the men all miss him very much.

MEMORIAL SERVICE

On Sunday evening a memorial service for Pte. Johnstone was held in the Whitwick Holy Cross Church, being impressively conducted by the Rev. M. J. O’Reilly. There was a large congregation. The priest read extracts from the officer’s letters testifying to the deceased’s worth and spoke of the righteousness of the cause in which he had died.

WHITWICK SOLDIER WOUNDED

PRESENT AT HIS BROTHER’S MEMORIAL SERVICE

Pte. George Johnstone, of the 1/5th Leicestershire Regiment, brother of the deceased soldier above referred to, was admitted to the Cambridge Hospital, Aldershot, on August 10th last, suffering from a severe gunshot wound in his right thigh. Happily, this soldier is now convalescent and is assisting in recruiting at Loughborough. He visited Whitwick on Sunday and attended his brother’s memorial service in the evening at the Holy Cross Church.

Coalville Times article - Friday February 15th, 1918

WAR MEMORIAL UNVEILED AT WHITWICK

TABLET IN HOLY CROSS CHURCH

The Bishop of Nottingham, the Rev. Father Dunn, unveiled a memorial tablet in the Whitwick Holy Cross Church, on Sunday containing the names of 12 men, formerly connected with the church, who have made the supreme sacrifice in the war. The names and dates each recorded on small square bronze plates, and fixed on the tablet in three columns, are as follows:

Private James Cairns, Connaught Rangers, killed in action, August 21st, 1915.
Private A. C. Johnstone, 8th Leicesters, killed in action, September 1st, 1915.
Sapper B. Whittaker, 2nd Leicesters, killed in action, September 25th, 1915.
Private Edward Jarvis, Grenadier Guards, killed in action, October 17th, 1915.
Private Ed Hunt, 2nd Leicesters, killed in action, January 7th, 1916.
Private C. Stanford, 8th Leicesters, killed in action, July 14th, 1916.
Private Jos. Sheffield, 2nd Leicesters, killed in action, September 26th, 1916.
Lance-Corporal B. Morley, 2nd Leicesters, killed in action, April 23rd, 1917.
Private Harold Edwin Ketcher, 12th Northumberland Fusiliers, killed in action, June 16th, 1917
Corporal A. Concannon, M.M. Sherwood Foresters, killed in action, July 31st, 1917.
Private William Beasley, 1st Leicesters, killed in action, September 11th, 1917.
Rifleman L. Haywood, Scottish Rifles, torpedoed at sea, December 30th, 1917.

The tablet, which is surmounted by a crucifix, reads, “In memory of our devoted heroes who fell in the great war. Your prayers are requested for the repose of the souls of (names)”.

At the foot appear the words, “May they rest in peace.” Space is left for the addition of any further names if this becomes necessary. There was a large congregation, including the relatives of the deceased soldiers, and after the unveiling, a memorial service was held. This was conducted by the Rev. M. J. O’Reilly, assisted by Father Degan of Coalville, and the Bishop preached the sermon.

Research undertaken and submitted (including photograph from the Coalville Times) by Andy Murby 09/09/2017