Private
Arthur Willie Sibley
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About Arthur Willie

  • Name
    Arthur Willie
  • Initials
    AW
  • Surname
    Sibley
  • Date of Birth
    15 October 1881
  • Birth town
    Bocking Essex
  • Resided town
    Thurrock Essex
  • Commemorated
  • Nationality
    English
  • Place of death
    Orsett Essex
  • Date of death
    10 February 1960
  • Married
    yes
  • Occupation
    Blacksmith

Service Information

  • Army

  • Service Number
    33321
  • Rank
    Private
  • Regiment
    Bedfordshire Regiment

  • Army

  • Service Number
    63343
  • Rank
    Private
  • Regiment
    Suffolk Regiment

Biography

Private A W Sibley was serving with the 26th Training Reserve Battalion stationed at Dovercourt, Harwich when he passed through Peterborough East Station on 30 November 1916.  He wrote in the visitors’ book “I wish the Soldiers, and Sailors Rest Room, every success for the kindness shown to me, while staying here for our train”.

It has not been posible to positively identify this soldier as his service records have not been located.  However, research has established that the 10th (Reserve) Battalion Suffolk Regiment was based in Dovercourt in March 1916, and in September 1916 it converted into the 26th Training Reserve Battalion in 6th Reserve Brigade. http://www.1914-1918.net/suffolks.htm.  This puts Arthur in Dovercourt in the 26th Training Reserve Battalion and we were then able to search for him in the Suffolk Regiment.

So, this soldier may be Arthur Willie Sibley who served with the 4th and 8th Bedfordshire and 12th Suffolk Regiments and was awarded the British War and Allied Victory medals.

Arthur was born on 15 October 1881, in Bocking, Essex to parents William, a brewer’s drayman, and Hannah.  In 1891, Willie (9) was living with William (41), Hannah (52) and his sister, Alice (14) apprentice to a dressmaker.  In 1901, the family were in Lower Bradford Street, Bockford St Mary.  Willie (19) is a shoemaker and his father is a stockman on a farm.  Both his parents died in 1902.  In 1911, he is living with his uncle Joseph Sibley and aunt Elizabeth at Chapel Lane, Hadleigh, Essex and Arthur Willie (29) is a blacksmith striker.

Arthur married Olive C Tobias in 1915 in Orsett, Essex.  They had six children all born in Orsett, these were Violet (1916), Elsie (1921), Arthur (1924), George (1926), Doris (1930) and Stanley (1934).  In 1939, Arthur, a sewerage worker, and Olive are living at 30 Kipling Avenue, Thurrock with Elsie and George and also three other children whose records on the 1939 register are still officially closed.  Arthur died at Orsett Hospital, Essex on 10 February 1960, aged 78.  He was living at 39 Lea Road, Chadwell St Mary, Essex.

Please get in touch if you can you help confirm the identity of this soldier.

Campaign Medals

The Allied Victory Medal
The British War Medal, 1914-18

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