There is a card for Arthur in the Flintshire Roll of Honour at the County Archive Office in Hawarden. It gives the address Grove House Connah’s Quay and says his regiment was Flintshire Reg No 25434 770 A.E. Coy Lab Corps Pte. It says he enlisted on 23rd February 1915 and demob 14th March 1919. Died on 9th August 1919 from the effects of war service. The card was signed S McManus (I think, now I have done more research, that this is his sister, Lizzie who married Patrick McManus, although her initial was not S.)
He does not appear to have a Commonwealth War Grave Certificate probably because he died after he left the army. Presumably he is buried in the Deeside area of Flintshire but so far we have not established where. There is a Death Certificate for an Arthur Dalton in the September quarter of 1919 (Flintshire (Mold) FLNT/33/1).
Because I couldn’t find Arthur on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Website, I wrote to them to see if they could find him, and this is the reply I had from them:-
From: Casualty Enquiries
Date: 30/10/2012 14:54:12
To: MotherMave@
Subject: Commonwealth War Graves Commission – Enquiry 75162: Mrs M Williams
Our Ref: 75162
Date: 30 October 2012
Dear Mrs Williams
Thank you for your e-mail of 3rd October 2012.
I have examined our First World War records and can find no mention of Private Arthur Dalton .
Our records are based on information given to the Commission by the Service Authorities after both world wars, and it may be possible that his details were never given to us. As this may be the case, you would need to provide documentary evidence, to support his death in the First World War. Such documentary evidence could include the following:
1)The casualty’s birth and death certificates. Copies can be obtained from the following address:
Certificate Services Section
General Registrar Office
PO Box 2
SOUTHPORT
PR8 2JD
Dedicated Telephone Number for Certificate Enquiries and Applications: Tel: 0845 603 7788 E-Mail: certificate.services@ips.gsi.gov.uk Website: www.gro.gov.uk
PLEASE NOTE, A COPY OF THE DEATH CERTIFICATE IS ESSENTIAL, the case will not be considered without one.
2)A rubbing of his death (bronze) plaque
3)Memorial card
4)Newspaper obituary
5)Letter from his Commanding Officer
6)Service record
In addition, if his death occurred in the United Kingdom, then it would prove particularly helpful if you could send details of the location of the grave, if known.
Once you have as much documentary evidence as possible, please send it to us, either by post (address at the bottom of this e-mail) or you can scan documents and send to casualty.enq@cwgc.org
I hope that this information is helpful to you.
Yours sincerely
Julie Williams (Mrs)
Enquiries Administrator
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
2 Marlow Road, Maidenhead, Berkshire, SL6 7DX, United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0) 1628 507200 | Facsimile: +44 (0) 1628 771208 | Website: www.cwgc.org
I contacted the Registrar, but unfortunately it appears that the death certificate didn’t state that he died from war wounds, so I will be unable to make a case for Arthur to be included in the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Database. I will keep trying to find a way to have him included. If anyone has the death certificate or any family letters etc., to help build a case, please get in touch.
His service records survive and are accessible on www.ancestry.co.uk though they are not in good condition and difficult to decipher. They reveal that he attested on 23rd February 1915 at the age of 37. He enlisted in Connah’s Quay and his next of kin was given as his sister Mrs McManus of Grove House Connah’s Quay. His occupation on his attestation papers was ‘packer’.
His records seem to suggest that Arthur signed on being demobbed, an army form stating that he was not suffering from any disability due to military service but clearly his family believed that his death was directly attributable to his war service. (see Flintshire Roll of Honour card)
Arthur first appears on a census in 1881. He was just 4 years old and lived at 11 Strickland Row, Grosvenor Street, Mold. His family at that time comprised of his parents – father Thomas aged 43 a tanner who came from Ireland. Mother was Catherine 39, also from Ireland. The children were John 16 a labourer, Thomas 12, Anne 8,Arthur 4, Elizabeth 2 and Peter 8.
Ten years later in 1891 the family lived at 5 Strickland Street, Mold. Thomas Dalton was 53 and a farmer, Catherine was 50 and living at home were Thomas 22 a coal miner and five more children all scholars – Lizzie 12,Arthur 14, Peter 10, Agnes 8 and Winifred 6.
In 1901 we find Arthur living at 34 High Street Bersham, Southsea, Denbighshire. He was living at the home of one of his brothers, probably Thomas but where he was is a mystery. The household consisted of Catherine Dalton described as the married head of the household. She was 30 and a green grocer originally from Mold. Her children were Katie 9. John 7 and Lillie 1. There was a niece there – Josephine Meacock aged 12. Arthur Dalton brother in law was single, 23 and a hawker green grocer.
Then in the 1911 census we find that Arthur is living at the home of a different brother at Tyn Twll Cottages, Soughton (Sychdyn). This household was headed by Peter Dalton 30, a coal mine hewer, his wife was Nora 26 – from Ireland. Living with them was father Thomas Dalton 75 year old widower and Arthur brother, single, 34 a coal mine filler underground.