William Arthur James Arnold was born 1891 in Wymondham, Norfolk. He was the second child of James William Arnold and Sarah Arnold (nee Norton).
On 31st March 1901 the Census was held. William Arthur James Arnold was living in the Bakers Shop, Mundford, Norfolk with his parents James William Arnold and Sarah Arnold (nee Norton) and his siblings Annie Arnold, Charles Arnold and Percy Arnold.
On 2nd April 1911 the Census was held. William Arthur James Arnold was living in the Bakers Shop, Mundford, Norfolk with his parents James William Arnold and Sarah Arnold (nee Norton) and his siblings Annie Dora Arnold, Charles Arnold and Percy Arnold.
On 21st December 1911 William Arthur James Arnold signed up for the 4th Battalion Norfolk Regiment in Brandon, Suffolk. He was given the original number of 1528, which was later on given the number 200063. When he joined up he was 5" 8.5' tall, with a 35" chest.
On 23rd Janurary 1912 he joined the regiment.
Between 21st December 1911 and 29th July 1915 he was based in England.
On 29th July 1915 he was transfered to Liverpool, where he boarded H.M.T. Aquitania.
He set of for the Dardanelles.
On 10th August 1915 William Arthur James Arnold landed at Suvla Bay, Turkey.
To find himself in the middle of an attempted invasion. He found himself pined down on the beach, with shrapnel and bullets whizzing past. The regiment dug in on the beach, living in trenches.
On 4th October 1915, whilest in the trenches in Suvla Bay, William Arthur James Arnold was struck down with diarrhoea and was taken off to No.5 Canadian Stationary Hospital, Abbassia, Egypt.
On 17th October 1915, William Arthur James Arnold was discharged to the Rest Camp at Abbassia, Egypt.
On 6th Janurary 1916, William Arthur James Arnold rejoined his Unit at Alexandria.
On 4th July 1916, William Arthur James Arnold was once again hospitalised, this time at No.1 Australian Hospital, Somalia.
On 3rd August 1916, William Arthur James Arnold rejoined his unit at El Sudan.
On 5th August 1916, William Arthur James Arnold was awarded the Good Conduct Badge.
On 9th August 1916, William Arthur James Arnold was admitted to Citadel Military Hospital, Cairo, Egypt, suffering from Diptheria.
On 7th September 1916, William Arthur James Arnod was discharged to the Convalescent Depot, Abbassia, Egypt, for treatment.
On 11th September 1916, William Arthur James Arnold was readmitted to Citadel Military Hospital, Cairo, Egypt.
On 4th November 1916, William Arthur James Arnold was invalided to England from Alexandra via H.S. Dunluce Castle.
On 21st November 1916 William Arthur James Arnold arrived back in England and was admitted to Bermondsey Military Hospital. (Which is now based in Dressington Avenue, Lewisham, London). He was also transfered to 3rd (Reserve) Battalion.
On 21st December 1916 William Arthur James Arnold was informed that he would be retained for service under the Military Service Act of 1916.
He spent 49 days in the hospital. He informed the medical staff that he had dipptheria in June last followed by unusal nerve lesions, on admission he was convalesing: Dischard Cured.
On 9th Janurary 1917, William Arthur James Arnold was discharged from the hospital and sent to Felixstowe.
On 24th April 1917, William Arthur James Arnold set sail from Folkstone, and landed at Bolougne, France with the 8th Battalion Norfolk Regiment.
On 6th Feburary 1918, William Arthur James Arnold transfered to 7th Battalion Norfolk Regiment.
On 22nd March 1918, William Arthur James Arnold received orders that they were about to be moved.
On 23rd March 1918, William Arthur James Arnold boarded a motor lorry and moved to Albert.
On 24th March 1918, William Arthur James Arnold arrived in the area of Senlis, Warloy and Bouzincourt. After much marching 35 Brigade, which he was part of, took up a position covering Albert.
On 26th March 1918, Germans were seen advancing down the slopes into the Ancre valley. By 7pm Albert was full of Germans. William Arthur James Arnold had to withdraw through the ruined town to the western side of the railway line. Many of the enemy attacks were repelled with heavy casualties.
On 29th March 1918, the 47th (London) Division relieved William Arthur James Arnold's Division and the moved onto Warloy.
On 2nd April 1918, William Arthur James Arnold was moved back to the front line.
On 5th April 1918, the Germans carried on their offensive of attacking the British lines.
On 6th April 1918, the 38th (Welsh) Division relieved the Division and they moved back to Toutencourt.
On 13th April 1918, William Arthur James Arnold was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Corporal.
On 2nd May 1918, William Arthur James Arnold was making his way up the line to relieve another Battalion, when going over the ridge he was shot in the left chest. The bullet went through his body and lodged in his abdomen. He was picked up by Regimental Stretcher Bearers.
He was taken to the Advanced Dressing Station.
From there he was taken by Ambulance, either a Wagon, Car or Light Railway to 29th Casualty Clearing Station, Gezaincourt, near Doullens.
On 17th May 1918, William Arthur James Arnold was moved to 1st Australian General Hospital, Rouen.
On 22nd May 1918, William Arthur James Arnold was moved to England. Where he was admitted into the Lord Derby's War Hospital, Warrington, Lancashire, (which is now Hollins Park Hospital, Hollins Lane, Warrington, Lancashire).
On 20th August 1918, William Arthur James Arnold was moved to 3rd Battalion in Felixstowe.
On 25th September 1918, William Arthur James Arnold attended a Military Medical Board in Sutton, Surrey, where he was deemed no longer fit for military service.
On 26th September 1918, William Arthur James Arnold was discharged from the Norfolk Regiment and was given a silver badge to be worn for the remainder of the war, to so why he was not in the armed forces and so he would not be persercuted.
William Arthur James Arnold returned to Mundford, Norfolk, to take over from his father and ran the bakery.
In 1940 William Arthur James Arnold died in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire.
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