GUNNER 1427537 ARTHUR SINGLETON
ROYAL ARTILLERY
1913 – 1940
Arthur was born in Bristol in 1913 to William Singleton and Harriett Cook who had married in St Mark’s, Victoria Park, Tower Hamlets, London in 1912. William was described as a bachelor, and Harriett as a widow. For a time, they lived with the Cook Family on the London Road, Capel St Mary. Arthur’s mother, Harriett, was born around 1866 as Harriett Crow in St Luke’s Parish, Middlesex, and married Frederick Cook in 1883 at St Jude’s, Tower Hamlets. Frederick died in 1910 in Poplar, London. Harriett then married William Singleton who was also born around 1866 in Bethnal Green, London. At the time of their marriage, he was working as a coal porter in London; Harriett was working as a charwoman. William died in Bethnal Green in 1939. There is no record of Harriett’s death.
Arthur was educated in Capel School while living on the London Road. He married Amy G Ward in Stoke Newington in the early part of 1940. Amy was born in Wickham Market, Suffolk in 1907 and lived with her father, Josiah, a widower, in Wickham Market. On the 1939 Register he is listed as a retired bricklayer; Amy is listed as an unpaid domestic servant. The Singletons lived for a time not far from the Methodist Church in The Street, Capel. Following Arthur’s death, the family moved back to Wickham Market where Arthur is remembered with Honour on the Wickham Market War Memorial.
Arthur was serving with the 4th Battalion 2nd Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery, possibly as part of the ring defences around the BEF evacuation from the beaches of Dunkirk during Operation Dynamo that took place between 26th May and 4th June 1940. Following the evacuation, a second BEF was formed to try and link up with those cut off by the German advances. It failed, and the second evacuation took place from Le Havre between the 10th and 13th June. It was during this time that Arthur was killed in action on 10th June 1940.
Arthur is remembered with Honour in the Calais Canadian War Cemetery, Leubringen, France, and is buried in grave 7 g 2.
Arthur would have been entitled to:
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•1939 – 1945 Star.
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•1939 – 1945 War Medal.
