2nd Lt Arthur Grant Bourne Chittenden, 2nd Bn, Manchester Regiment
Second Lieutenant ARTHUR GRANT BOURNE CHITTENDEN
2nd Bn., Manchester Regiment
who died age 20
on 09 September 1914
Son of Mr. and Mrs. C. G. T. F. Chittenden, of High Croft, Steyning, Sussex.
Second Lieutenant Arthur Grant Bourne Chittenden of the 2nd Battalion, Manchester Regiment, died of wounds on this day - 9th September - in 1914. He was born in 1894, his birth registered in Epsom, Surrey and, according to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, was the 20 year old son of Mr and Mrs C. G. T. F. Chittenden of High Croft, Steyning, Sussex.
The Bond of Sacrifice, published in 1915, carries a small entry on - and a portrait photo of - Arthur. It reads:
"[Arthur Grant Bourne Chittenden] who was reported as having died of wounds received in action, in France, the actual date of his death not being known, was the youngest son of the late Charles Grant Thomas Faithfull Chittenden and Mrs Chittenden, Steyning, Sussex. Second Lieutenant Chittenden, who was only twenty years old when he died, was gazetted to the Manchester Regiment on the 24th January 1914."
Arthur's heavily annotated medal index card indicates that he arrived overseas with the 2nd Manchester Regiment on 14th August 1914. In 1917, his mother applied for the 1914 Star and in 1921 the clasp for this medal was also sent. The "roses" were not sent as these were to be affixed to the 1914 Star medal ribbon when worn on a jacket. As Arthur was dead, the roses would therfore not have been required. Mrs Chittenden's address is shown as High Croft, Steyning.
Arthur is buried in Montreuil-aux-Lions British Cemetery which was made after the Armistice when graves were brought in from the battlefields of the Aisne. The cemetery contains 16 special memorials and Arthur has one of these.
St Augustine, Broxbourne, Hertfordshire
Lieutenant Arthur Grant Bourne Chittenden, d.1914, killed in action near Soissons, France. Nice alabaster panel with a mosaic border in dark blue-green and gilt around the central inscribed area. Characteristic of the time.
Arthur Chittenden was born in the summer of 1894 in Epsom, Surrey, the son of Charles Faithfull Chittenden, a banker’s clerk, and his wife Eliza. Charles was originally of Hoddesden, Hertfordshire, and by the time of the 1901 census the family had moved back to the area, and were living in Grosvenor Road, St. Albans. On census night Arthur, aged 6, and his elder brother Hugh, aged 8, were at home with their governess and servants, while their parents were on holiday in Sidmouth, Devon.
Arthur had joined the Army prior to the war, having been gazetted to the Manchester Regiment on the 24th Jan 1914, with the rank of Second Lieutenant, and in August 1914 the 2nd Battalion were at the Curragh, County Kildare, Ireland. On the outbreak of war they were immediately mobilized, and arrived in France on the 14th August, and after action they began the long retreat towards Paris. On 1st September 1914, the battalion were south of Compiegne at Crepy-en-Valois, and just two later they crossed the Marne at Esbly, a few miles east of Paris. From that time they were to turn, and head back north-east, skirting Meaux, crossing the Marne a second time at Saacy on 9th September. The battalion war diary for the period gives this account: 1st September 1914. After bivouac at RapparieFarm, 1 mile north of Crepe-en-Valois, the Battalion, at 5 am, was ordered to support the 13th Brigade covering Crepy. Then took up a covering position at Sablieres, then in reserve at Rouville, and then marched to bivouac at Nanteuil, at 9 pm., a distance of 17 miles. 2nd September 1914. Started at 3 am, and marched 13 miles to Chateau Thibauld where the Battalion found outposts A and D, commanded then by Lts’. Harper and Van der Spar respectively, covering Montge. 3rd September 1914. Formed rearguard to Trilbardon, where 15 Brigade, which had been acting as flank guard, took on rear guard, crossing Marne at Esbly, where Brigade halted one and half hours. Reached Bouleurs at 6 pm. Lt. Scully and twenty men rejoined the day after being away six days, having been on outpost at Bretigny and had not been relieved by 3rd Division as told he would be. 4th September 1914. Rested till 10.30 pm. When by night march we reached Tournan at 8 am. When Lt. De Patros joined with the reinforcement from base, 16 miles through Bois de Crecy. 6th September 1914. Commenced at 7 am. For St. Avoe Chateau, reaching it at 9.30 am. 7th September 1914. Crossed the Grand Marin and passed through Colommiers to Pontmoulin. 8th September 1914. Marched to Rougeville. 9th September 1914. Crossed Marne at Saarcy, Battalion advance guard to Le Limon where they came under very heavy shell fire and then deflected to attack enemy holding ridge and wood Pisseloud with the remains of the 2nd Battalion, Suffolk Regiment, ist E. Surrey and 1st D.C.L.I. in support. Enemy’s resistance great and Capt. Foord was wounded. Lts’ Smith and Chittenden being killed outright and we lost 8 men killed and 37 wounded. The Battalion bivouacked on hill covering Bezu. 10th September 1914. Marched to Chezy-sur-Ourcq where 2nd Lts’. Moore and Walker joined with 2nd and 3rd reinforcements of 17.
After the war many bodies buried on the Aisne battlefield were moved to the British Cemetery at Montreuil-aux-Lion,although more than half of those bodies are identified, there are two special memorials to sixteen men known to be them, including Arthur Chittenden. Arthur’s brother Hugh survived the war, winning the Military Cross in 1917, and this in the Sussex Daily News, gives some information about the brothers. It suggests that there was a previous report of Arthur’s death, but several searches have failed to find anything other than his name in the casualty lists of 23rd September 1914. ‘Reported missing, now died of wounds’.
Part of the above was taken from the web site link below. Some of the other information has been covered on the forum before.
http://www.chittenden.com.au/uk%20military%20records.htmTimberman