ARTHUR ARCHIBALD RICE
Born: 29th December 1884, Bloomsbury, Middlesex.
Baptised: 19th January 1885, St. Pancras, Middlesex. Address: 113, Whatfield Street, St. Pancras.
Missing in the Field – Death on or since- accepted: 22nd March 1918 age 33. Served 2 years & 103 days.
On the 3rd July 1918, Beatrice received a letter from the War Office:
As no news of your husband Pte. A. Rice is forthcoming, I fear that he is not in German hands as a prisoner, and that in the heavy fighting he may have been killed. The German offensive was so rapid on March 22nd, that in some cases it was impossible for the British to bury their dead.
Residence: 6, Jefferies Road, Ipswich.
Occupation: Jeweller’s Manager.
Enlistment Details: Location: Ipswich; Date: 10th December 1915; Age: 30 years & 11 months. Signed up for the duration of the war. Height: 5ft & 6 1/4ins.
Date of Entry Therein: 6th May 1917 – France. Embarked – Folkstone -Disembarked – Boulogne.
Service:
Home: 10th December 1915 – 5th May 1917.
France: 6th May 1917 – 22nd March 1918.
Offence: Absent Without Leave from 12 midnight on the 25th December 1916 until 11pm on the 26th december 1916. Forfeited one days pay.
Rank: Private: Service Number: 88146
Regiment: Machine Gun Corps (Infantry), 58th Coy.
Formerly 273594, R.A.S.C.
Medals Awarded: Victory & British War.
Memorial Reference:
Panel 90 – 93.
Somme,
France.
Relatives Notified & Address: Son of Mrs. S. Rice, of 22, Highgate Road, Kentish Town, London; husband of Beatrice Rice, of 3791, Verdun Avenue, Verdun, Quebec, Canada.
CENSUS
1891 Marchmont Street, Bloomsbury St. George, London.
Arthur was 6 years old and living with his parents & siblings.
Henry Rice, 39, an Upholsterers – Spring Maker, born Reading, Berkshire.
Sophia Rice (nee Dumbleton), 43, born Brompton, London.
Henry Joseph Rice, 14, born Marylebone, London.
Ellen Rice, 13, born St. Pancras, London.
Sophia Rice, 11, born Bloomsbury.
John Rice, 8, born Bloomsbury.
1901 32, Euston Road, St. Pancras, London.
Arthur was 16 years old and living with his widowed mother & siblings.
Sophia, 53.
Henry, 24, a Railway Clerk.
Ellen, 23, a Finisher Bottler – Perfumery.
Sophia, 21, a Wrapper bottler – Drugs.
John, 18, a Printer – Compositor.
1911 21, Springfield Lane, Ipswich.
Arthur was 26 years old, a Jeweller’s Assistant. He was married and Head of the Household.
Beatrice, 25.
Arthur’s father, Henry Rice died 1892, Islington, Middlesex.
On the 15th November 1908, at St. James Church, Hampstead Road, St. Pancras, London, Arthur, a Jeweller, of 36, William Street, married Beatrice Bearman, born July 1885, Bloomsbury, London, daughter of James Bearman, a Coachman.
They had 1 daughter:
Marjorie Beatrice Rice, born October 1913, Ipswich.
On the 19th March 1919, the Tourist and Travel Offices of Waters & Son, of 45, Princes Street, Ipswich, sent a letter to the Repatriation Officer asking that he allows Beatrice Rice, of 11, King’s Avenue, Ipswich, a passage by repatriation to enable her to join her relatives in Canada.
Beatrice’s parents, sister and brothers had immigrated to Canada in 1909.
On the 13th May 1919, in response to the Repatriation Officer’s reply, Waters & Son returned Beatrice’s completed forms, signed on the 6th May 1919, by the Jusice of Peace for Ipswich, J.H. Grimwade. Mrs. Graham, of 206, Spring Road, Ipswich and Mrs. Cook, of 11, King’s Avenue, Ipswich verified the statement that Beatrice had no close family in this country. Waters & Son wrote that Beatrice was agreeably to his instructions and understands if her claim to repatriation is allowed, she must be prepared to embark whenever a passage is offered.
On the 9th August 1919, 34 year old, Beatrice, 34, and her 5 1/2 year old daughter, Marjorie arrived at the Port of Quebec. They had departed from the Port of Liverpool, sailing on the S.S. ‘Minnedosa’. They were to join Beatrice’s father and family at their home in Wellington Street, Verdun, Quebec, Canada.
Soldiers’ Effects to Beatrice Rice – widow.
MACHINE GUN CORPS.
The Machine Gun Corps was formed in October 1915 as the machine gun proved to be held affective as infantry support in trench warfare. Cavalry and Motor branches, followed in 1916 by the Heavy Branch. A depot and training centre was established at Belton Park in Grantham Lincolnshire also a training base depot at Camiers in France .the men were trained to a higher technical standard, capable of stripping down and mending the guns in the field.
The Machine Gun Corps had 62,049 casualties, including 12,498 killed out of 170,500 officers and men earning it the nickname ’the Suicide Club’ manly as machine guns were static or fix positions becoming prime targets for the enemy.
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