ARNOLD JOHN BOOTH

Arnold’s portrait and profile will be displayed at a V.J. Day exhibition, “Be Ye Men of Valour”, from Saturday, 9th August to Monday, 25th August (Bank Holiday) 2025, at St. Margaret’s Church, Ipswich, IP4 2BT. 

Image from the Evening Star – 20th January 1944.

“JYPHER”

Born: 9th February 1897, at Seckford Street, Woodbridge, Suffolk.

Died: 7th January 1944; age: 47; KiA in Burma.

Residence: 108, Valley Road, Ipswich.

Occupation: Army Officer.

First World War:

1916 – 2nd Lieutenant – R.G.A.

1918 – Lieutenant – R.G.A.

Date of Entry Therein: 4th April 1916 – France. Awarded: Victory & British War + Military Cross.  Medals were sent to the 29th Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery, British Army on the Rhine.

Arnold was mentioned in the King’s Birthday Honour List  4th June 1917  (Gazette: 5477)

Rank: Lieutenant Colonel; Service Number: 13507.

Regiment: Royal Artillery, attached to 25 Mountain Regiment, Royal Indian Artillery.

The body was originally buried at Akyab War Cemetery. On the 3rd June 1952, the body was exhumed, identified and reburied at Taukkyan War Cemetery.

Grave Reference:

11.B.22.

Taukkyan War Cemetery,

Sagaing Region,

Myanmar.

Relatives Notified & Address: Youngest and only surviving son of George & Elizabeth Booth, of Granville, New Street, Woodbridge; husband of Dorothy Alice Bentham, of Ipswich.

CENSUS

1901   Seckford Street, Woodbridge, Suffolk.

Arnold was 4 years old and living with his parents & siblings.

George Booth, 40, a Printer & Stationer’s Manager, born Woodbridge.

Elizabeth Booth (nee Barrell), 39, born Melton, Suffolk.

Ethel Adeline Booth, 12, born Woodbridge.

Ernest George Booth, 11, born Woodbridge – died 1906, Woodbridge.

Ella Winifred Booth, 9, born Woodbridge.

Muriel Edith Booth, 7, born Woodbridge.

Leonard Alfred Booth, 5, born Woodbridge.

1 general domestic servant.

1911   Glenville, New Street, Woodbridge, Suffolk.

Arnold was 14 years old and living with his parents & siblings.

George, 50, a Printing & Stationery Manager – Letter-press Printer.

Elizabeth, 49.

Ethel, 22, a Stationer’s Shop Assistant.

Muriel, 17, a Pupil Teacher – County Council.

Leonard, 15.

Gladys Eleanor Booth, 9, born Woodbridge.

1 general domestic servant.

Arnold’s brother, Leonard Alfred Booth, died during the First World War. Leonard was ranked a Sergeant, service number 203338, of the Suffolk Regiment, 2nd Battalion. He was KiA on the 27th September 1918, and laid to rest at Lowrie Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France – he was 23 years old and had been awarded the Military Medal.

On the 9th June 1920, Arnold became a Freemason at the Doric Lodge, number 81, at Woodbridge, Suffolk. He was 22 years old, a Lieutenant for the R.G.A., at Rhine Garrison.

Photograph courtesy of Rob

In 1920, in Melton, Suffolk, Arnold married Dorothy Alice Bentham, born in 1898, in Melton, Suffolk – daughter of Richard Bentham, a school headmaster, and Hannah Bentham (nee Hardy), of Alma House, The Street, Melton.

Dorothy and Arnold had three daughters:

Doreen Ruth Booth, born August 1922, Cologne, Germany.

Pamela Elizabeth Booth, born August 1925, Cologne, Germany.

Susan Nancy Booth, born May 1931, Conway, Caernarvonshire, Wales.

At the Port of London, on the 4th February 1938, Arnold and his young family embarked on the S.S. ‘Narkundra’ of the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company, bound for Bombay, India – Master W.D.C. Smith and 390 crew. The Booth family, of Alma House, Melton, Suffolk, sailed 1st Class and were contracted to land at Bombay, India.

Arnold, 40, an Army Officer.

Dorothy, 39.

Doreen, 15.

Pamela, 12.

Susan, 6.

Probate to Harry Bentham – brother-in-law, a Bank Manager.