William Arthur Payne: Sunday 13th August 1916
Arthur enlisted at Shaftsbury Street North as Private 2823 in the 4th Batt. London Regiment, Royal Fusiliers. He was killed in action and is buried in Hebuterne Military Cemetery.
Christened as William Arthur he is commemorated as Arthur at SMM which implies he used this name to avoid confusion with his father who was also William Arthur. In 1911 the family lived at 13 Heslop Road. The census shows his parents had been married 27 years and had five children of which William Arthur was the eldest followed by Bertha Winifred (24), Agnes Muriel (21, milliner’s assistant), Constance Eva (19, Telephone operator) and Kathleen Elsie (12). The two eldest were born in Gosforth Northumberland although the younger children were born in Balham. His parents William Arthur senior, a draper, and Bertha later moved to 16 Loxley Road.