Born and Bred

Arthur's Story

On the 27th of February 1941 Arthur was called up for active service. During the war Arthur served in The Royal Engineers under a Captain Dennis Healey who later went on to a career in politics and became deputy leader of the labour party. Arthur was to see active service in North Africa and Italy taking part in the Allied landings at Salerno in southern Italy.

Whilst based in Blandford Forum, Dorset, where he was ungoing training, Arthur found himself billeted with a local family by the name of Lavington. It was there that he met and fell in love with their daughter Peggy. Throughout the war Peggy served as a Land Army Girl.

With the ending of the war Arthur married Peggy on the 1st of September 1945. He had wanted his sister, Elsie, to come down to his wedding, unfortunately, times were hard and Elsie could not afford to travel down to Dorset to see him married. After Arthur and Peggy were married they continued to live in Blandford Forum for the rest of their lives, but would often return back to Yorkshire to see Arthur's family.

After the war Arthur became a postman working for the Royal Mail and after some years was lucky enough to become a travelling postman visiting farms and rural communities where he became a much loved character. Quite often, he would happily come home with eggs and fresh produce from the people he would visit and he was always happy to help out people if they needed it.

At home he loved gardening and woodworking, a skill he seems to have inherited from his father, who became a talented woodworker when he could no longer work in the local mines.

×