Ashtead War Memorials - WWI - Gunner Arthur Culver
354th Siege Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery

Arthur was born at Banstead, probably in Gravel Lane Cottages, [reg. Epsom 9/1881] into the family of Elisha Culver [born Shalford, Surrey], sometime Farm/Road Labourer, and his wife Emma [born Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire]. By 1901, after Arthur gained employment as a Grocer’s Assistant, they had moved to Memory Cottages, Burgh Heath, but later again migrated into the Epsom area.

Arthur Culver married Harriett Percival Cordwell [born 1878 at Alverstoke, Hampshire] for the event to be registered in Epsom for the September Quarter 1905. Four children appear to have resulted from this union, Herbert Archibald 1908, Mary Isabel 1909, Percival A 1911 and Olivia G 1913.

Soldiers who died in the Great War indicates that A Culver 156361 enlisted with Royal Garrison Artillery as a resident of Epsom, although at some stage Mrs HP Culver held a tenancy of 1 Woodman Cottages [now 190] Barnett Wood Lane, Ashtead.

He was assigned to 354th Siege Battery, established at Gravesend on 6 January 1917, before that unit went to France and Flanders on 22 May 1917. It formed part of various other Heavy Artillery Groups eventually joining the 21st on 27 December 1917. As a result of the reorganisation of Heavy Artillery, the Battery was then incorporated in 21st Brigade RGA for which the War Diary is held at the National Archives under WO95/469.

An entry for 4th April 1918, soon after Gunner Culver’s death, provides some idea of conditions around Aubigny within the area of XIX Corps Heavy Artillery: - “3 p.m. 354 s.b. heavily shelled, 16 Casualties. Position temporarily vacated.”

It is not known when Arthur actually sustained his injuries but, evidently, he had been evacuated to one of a number of hospitals established on the southern outskirts of Rouen. On 29 March 1918, he succumbed to his wounds and his body was interred in an extension to the city cemetery, St Sever.

His name also appears on Epsom memorials at Ashley Road and St Martin’s Church, but not at Banstead.

http://www.epsomandewellhistoryexplorer.org.uk/WarMemorials.html

text: Brian Bouchard: if you can add to this page please contact the editor
page added 5 Mar 2009: amended 6 Mar 09