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Rung near the centenary of the death of Private Arthur Townroe PO/505, Royal Marine Light Infantry, died of wounds 10th November 1918. Arthur enlisted at Mansfield (1914) for the Navy, but with an overspill of over 20,000 Royal Naval Volunteer Reserves, they were transferred into the Army which formed a Royal Naval Division. Arthur was drafted to serve with the 1st battalion ( Drake ) of the 1st Brigade. Initially posted to Gallipoli in April 1915, the battalion were deployed to France in May 1916. Private Townroe served the next two and half years on the Somme. On 31st October 1918, Arthur and the battalion were in billets at the village of Ambrines. On 9th November, the Drake battalion were eight miles south-east of Mons. At 11.15am, they moved forward to the village of Asquilles were they came under fire. During the advance Private Townroe was wounded and taken to the rear. Quote from a letter to his wife of six weeks from Private F Murphy " I am sorry to relate the last hours of your husband. When we picked him up we found there wasn't much chance of life left in him, the poor lad knew it himself...… I am please to say he was not in much pain, from the time he was hit, which would be around 12 midday, Sunday 10th November, he was conscious till 9pm. When I noticed a great change in him. He asked for a drink and told me to write to you. Then he asked to be moved and he never spoke again. We buried him with nine other men in a place called Asquillier……. Private Arthur Townroe is buried in Cement House Cemetery, XV11.B22 Ypres, Belgium.