Peterborough & The Great War

Biography

Arthur Crossley Cossins was born in Stockton on 18 August 1889, the eldest son of John and Mary (nee Rowell).  In the 1891 Census, the family were living at 45 Thompson Street, Stockton. By 1901, the family had moved to 13 Mount Street, Darlington.  Arthur married Florence May Shutt on 2 May 1908, and they had a son, Arthur Crossley born 1910/11.  In 1911, the entire family were living at 14 Green Street, Darlington and both Arthur and his father were joiners at Bridge Yard.

Arthur’s service records could not be located but his medal card indicates that he was a Staff Sergeant in the Royal Army Medical Corps, 3rd/2nd Northumbrian Field Ambulance and served in France from 19 January 1915.  He was awarded the 15 Star, British War and Allied Victory Medals.

Arthur passed through Peterborough East Station on 5 May 1916 and wrote in the visitors’ book “Wishing the Mess Committee many thanks for the kind way in which they are showing that they do not forget the boys who have left their homes for their King & Countrys Sake.”

Arthur and Florence had at least eight children, but only four survived to adulthood. In 1939, Arthur and Florence were living with their youngest daughter Marjorie in Darlington and Arthur is employed as a Joiner Constructional Engineer. During World War Two, Arthur served with Cleveland Borough Engineers Air Raid Precautions (ARP), dedicated to the protection of civilians from the danger of air-raids.

Arthur died in Darlington in 1952, at the age of 62.

“The Field Ambulance was a mobile unit of the Royal Army Medical Corps, situated quite close behind the fighting front. They treated men who could be quickly returned to unit and prepared men for moving to a Casualty Clearing Station. In 1914, each infantry division had three Field Ambulances divided into three sections, comprising stretcher bearer and tented subsections.  The Field Ambulance comprised 10 officers and 224 men and relied heavily on horses for wagons, water carts, forage carts, ambulance wagons and the cook’s wagon. They also had a single bicycle. Neither officers or men carried weapons or ammunition. By the end of 1914, each Field Ambulance also had seven motor ambulances.”  http://bit.ly/2iF6c2D