Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of Arthur Granville Shipley M.A., a Church of England Clergyman, born on the 15th July 1867 in Nottingham and baptised on the 19th August 1867 in St. Botolph’s Church, Shepshed, Leicestershire (son of Hammond Shipley, 1835-1919 and Catherine Smith, 1838-1911) and his wife Caroline Mary Ellen Shipley (nee Butler, married on the 15th August 1893 in the Church of St. Michael & All Angels, Markfield, Leicestershire), born in the April quarter of 1857 in Penn Street, Buckinghamshire (daughter of Alfred Stokes Butler, 1823-1899 and Jane Underwood, 1824-1872). Arthur Hammond Butler was born on the 26th August 1895 in Ledbury, Herefordshire, in March 1901 he was residing at 449, Crooksmoor Road, Nether Hallam, Yorkshire, also residing in the family home was his maternal aunt, Charlotte Louisa Anna Butler, who was living on her own means, born in the July quarter of 1855 in Penn Street, Buckinghamshire.
In April 1911 Arthur was absent from the family home at 1, West Street, Wath on Dearne, Rotherham, Yorkshire, residing there was his father a Clergyman in the established church and his mother, meanwhile Arthur was a student and was residing as a boarder at Hailey House, Great Amwell, Herefordshire.
Arthur’s Army enlistment documents were not researched, and as such all that is known of his military service is that he was commissioned into the Yorkshire Regiment, and was posted as a 2nd Lieutenant to the 6th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment, attached to “A” Company, and with this unit he first entered the theatre of war in Mudros in August 1915 then entered the theatre of war in France on the 1st July 1916. He was awarded the 1914-15 STAR, British War Medal and Victory Medal.
In the event of his death, Arthur nominated his father, Arthur Granville as his sole legatee.
MILITARY NOTE:
The War Diary records: 27 Sep-16 – 11.30am. Orders received to move into support of 34th Brigade into RATION and SULPHUR trenches.
12.10pm. First Company “C” Company moved off. Other Companies following at 5-minute intervals.
1.30pm. Orders received for Battalion to attack at 3.00pm. Objective R.21.c.5.8 – 5.5 (STUFF REDOUBT) C.18 – 4.5 – R.20.d.9.1. Battalion moved to QUARRY thence “C” and “B” Companies to assembly trench R.33.b.5.9 – R.33.a.7.7.
2.55pm. “C” and “B” Companies advanced in artillery formation to ZOLLERN TRENCH, “A” Company moved up in support to assembly trench.
3.00pm. Message received that attack postponed. “C” and “B” Companies were stopped in ZOLLERN TRENCH.
4.06pm. “C” and “B” Companies assaulted and took trench 91 – 45 afterwards gaining with WEST YORKSHIRE REGIMENT 45 – 18. WEST YORKSHIRE REGIMENT attacked on our right but failed to gain objectives. “A” Company moved to ZOLLERN TRENCH and “D” Company to assembly trench.
9.15pm. Dispositions –
“B” Company d.91 – C.34.
“C” Company C.34 – C.45.
Part of “C” Company and WEST YORKSHIRE REGIMENT C.45 – C.18
2 Platoons of “A” Company with “C” Company.
2 Platoons of “A” Company in ZOLLERN TRENCH.
11.20pm. “D” Company moved up to ZOLLERN and 1 Platoon “A” Company to 91 – 45.
Casualties amongst officers.
2nd Lieutenant A. H. B. SHIPLEY killed.
2nd Lieutenant A. O. VICH, 2nd Lieutenant C. E. SOWERBY and Captain K. HURCHENCE wounded.
2nd Lieutenant W. A. BOOT and 2nd Lieutenant G. A. RICHARDSON missing.
On Wednesday October 25th, 1916, The Leicester Daily Mercury published the following article on page 4, under the heading. – LOCAL CASUALTY LISTS. – Great sympathy is expressed at Markfield with the Rev. A. G. Shipley and Mrs. Shipley, at the loss of Lieut. A. H. B. Shipley, Yorks Regiment, killed in action on September 27. He was educated at Haileybury College, and won an open history scholarship, tenable at Peterhouse, Cambridge. He, however, joined up in August, 1914 and had served in the Dardanelles, in Egypt, and in France. He was 21 years of age, and grandson of the late Rector of Markfield (Rev. A. S. Butler).
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