Arthur Thomas Allen was born in Plumstead in early 1878 and was baptised on 10th February 1878. He was the son of Edward and Mary Ann Allen .
Arthur’s father was born in Blackfriars, London, in 1847 and was a bricklayer. His mother originated from Kings Lynn, Norfolk and was a year younger than her husband. Arthur had six siblings but two had died by 1911 and only Arthur, then 33 years old and employed as a general labourer, was still living with his parents at 9 Elm Grove, Plumstead. Ernest, a bricklayer’s labourer, Walter, a car man and Rose, a domestic servant had all left home.
Sometime after 1911 the family moved to 47 Burnell Avenue, Welling.
Arthur joined the 20th Battalion, Kings Royal Rifle Corps (British Empire League Pioneers). The 20th Battalion was formed in August 1915 and were incorporated as the Pioneer Battalion for the 3rd British Division on 31st March 1916 when it first landed in France. Many of the early recruits came from the Woolwich area but also included miners from the North East of England and Somerset.
Although a Rifleman, Arthur and the other the Pioneers were not normally engaged as infantry, but often served at the Front assisting Royal Engineers in tasks such as trench improvement, wiring and other construction activities.
After landing in March and for the remainder of 1916 the Battalion trained and worked in the Ypres area and then transferred to work near Carnoy and other areas of the Somme battlefield.
In 1917 the Battalion transferred to Monchy-le-Preux area and later to Tilloy both in the Arras area and close to the Front line. From 24th April, during the Battle of Arras, and whilst still in this area they spent the week wiring an area known as Shrapnel Alley.
During that week the Battalion came under heavy and sustained bombardment and suffered serious casualties. For instance on the 27/28th April number 10 Platoon of 30 men suffered 15 killed or mortally wounded, 14 wounded and 1 unhurt. Between the 1st and 2nd May the Battalion were also working in the area known as Arrowhead Trench and Bit Lane, still under fire. It is possible that Arthur received his mortal wounds during this time as the Battalion were not called out to work on the 3rd May, the day of his death.
Arthur Died of Wounds on the 3rd May 1917 aged 38. He is buried at Duisans British Cemetery, Etrun. Near Arras, (Pas de Calais), France. (Grave Ref.IV.D.47.)
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