Born on December 13th.1919 the eldest son and second child of a family of nine children. Times were hard in those days and he and his older sister Emily bore much of the responsibility of caring for their younger brothers and sisters. Typical of him is that his interests then, fishing and football remained his relaxing hobbies all his life. Relaxing perhaps is not a suitable word to use for those early days because he always had two brothers in tow. One of them the one I know best was far more likely to be up a tree or in the river than watching a float many a chastisement was saved by Arthur's vigorous brushing down or invented excuse.

He started work as an indentured apprentice coppersmith at 14 years of age he could not have known that with a 7-year break for war service he would be 28 years old when he received his qualification.1939 found him in the Army in France. Our next sight of him is one that no one at home at that time will ever forget, a gaunt figure standing in the doorway dressed in a blood stained battle tunic covered in mud carrying a steel helmet, a rifle and two bandoleers of bullets, he wore boots but no underclothes or socks

It was three Weeks after the fall of France and it seemed like a miracle at the time. Apparently his unit, as a rearguard, had been surrounded and cut off but a small group had refused to surrender and had fought their way to the coast on the Cherbourg Peninsular. At St.Malo the remnant now small in number acquired a fishing smack and put to sea, 15 days later they were picked up by a British destroyer and taken to Falmouth in Cornwall.

Later in the war he took part in the invasion and campaigns of North Africa, Sicily and Italy eventually finishing at Klagenfurt in Austria where he met and married Makrina.

He needed all his undoubted courage when, upon demobilisation, he brought his rather temperamental wife to join the seven adults already living at our Parents three-bedroom bomb damaged house. The position eased slightly when with typical generosity he lent me £150 ($200) probably all he had, this enabled my wife and I to move out into a one bedroom back to back house where we set up our first home.

About two years later Arthur and Makrina bought the house in Lozells where John and Christine were born eventually leaving for the United States. Here his skills as a first class tradesman were much appreciated and he was able to build a good home and future for his family. From here on you had more contact with him than I did and I am sure that many people have personal anecdotes that they could tell but I truly believe that, supported by his family his children and Grandchildren his later years brought him the peace and contentment due to this brave, generous, honest and uncomplicated man. To a Loyal American and an English Gentleman

REST IN PEACE.

You did us proud our kid,

P.S. he never claimed his campaign medals so I applied for them on his behalf and sent them on his 75th Birthday

Aunt Edna wrote:

I might like to tell you a memory of mine.

When I was about 16 years old I was staying with the Jones family (George and I had a boy & girl friendship) Your Dad came home on leave and he offered to take me out (George was at work) I jumped at the opportunity to be taken out by this tall soldier I felt grown up)

I thought we would be going to the pictures or a ride out to the Lickey hills but guess where we went he took me to Villa Park to see Aston Villa and I had to ride on the back of the tandem I must add that he looked after me well and protected me from the crowd That was my first and last visit to football.