Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of James Shelton, an iron ore mine labourer, born 1857 in Eaton, Leicestershire and his wife Elizabeth Marshall Shelton (nee Turton, married in the 4th quarter of 1883 in the Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire district), born 1863 in Kinoulton, Nottinghamshire. Arthur, a schoolboy, was born in the 3rd quarter of 1885 in Eaton, he had one sibling, a sister Elizabeth, born 1888 in Eaton, also residing with the family was Arthur’s widowed maternal Grandmother, Ann Turton, born 1827 in Kinoulton, in April 1891 the family home was at Main Street, Eaton. In March 1901 Arthur was absent from the family home at Vicarage Road, Eaton, residing there was his father, an ironstone miner, his mother and siblings, Elizabeth, a schoolgirl, Harold James, a schoolboy, born 1892, Amelia Victoria, born 1897 and Eric Fred, born 1900, the latter three siblings were all born in Eaton, Arthur was employed as a farm boy and was residing as a servant at Devon House, Knipton, Leicestershire. In April 191 Arthur was absent from the family home in Eaton, residing there was his father an ironstone labourer, his mother and siblings, Elizabeth, a domestic servant and Eric, a schoolboy, Arthur was serving with the 2nd Battalion Leicestershire Regiment and was stationed in Fort Saint George, Madras, India. On the 30th April 1914, Arthur married Edith Catherine Main in the Parish Church in Eaton, Edith was born in 1888, in Evington, Leicester, they had two children, Arthur Aisne, born 4th April 1915 and Janet Mary, born 10th May 1916, both children were born in Waltham, Leicestershire.
Arthur attested into the Army on a Short Service engagement of 3 years with the Colours and 9 years in the Reserve on the 3rd August 1904 in Leicester. He gave his place of birth as Eaton, Grantham, Leicestershire, his age as 19 years and 11 months and his trade or calling as farm labourer, his present employer being Mr. W. Thorpe of Eaton. He confirmed that he was unmarried. He gave his father James, his mother Elizabeth, his brothers Eric and Harold and his sisters Amelia and Elizabeth all of Eaton, Nr. Grantham, Leicestershire as his next of kin. His medical examination recorded that he was 5 foot 7¼ inches in height, weighed 140 pounds and he had a chest measurement of between 35 and 37 inches. His complexion was described as fresh, he had hazel eyes and his hair colour was brown. It was noted that he had a scar on the inner side of his right palm. His physical development was described as good. He gave his religion as Church of England. He was pronounced fit for the Army on the 3rd August 1904 in Leicester.
His record of service began when he joined the Depot of the Leicestershire Regiment as a Private, service number 7407 on the 8/8/04. Transferred to the 2nd Battalion Leicestershire Regiment stationed at Colchester on the 21/11/04. Granted Messing Allowance on the 3/2/05. Extended his service to 8 years on the 12/8/05. Posted to the 1st Battalion Leicestershire Regiment and embarked on the S.S. Sicillia for India on the 20/9/05. Granted Good Conduct Badge on the 3/8/06. Awarded the 3rd Class Army Certificate of Education on the 4/10/06. Posted to the 2nd Battalion Leicestershire Regiment on the 16/10/06. Granted Good Conduct Badge on the 17/9/07. Posted to Madras, India on the 13/2/11. Embarked aboard H.T. Plessy on the 10/1/12. Transferred to the Army Reserve on the 1/2/12. Mobilised on the 5/8/14. Posted to the 1st Battalion Leicestershire Regiment on the 5/8/14. Slightly wounded in action on the 29/10/14. Posted to the Depot on the 29/10/14. Posted to the 3rd Battalion Leicestershire Regiment on the 31/12/14. Forfeits 18 days pay for absence on the 26/5/15. Posted to the 2nd Battalion Leicestershire Regiment on the 4/10/15. Embarked in Marseilles on the 10/11/15. Disembarked in Alexandria on the 17/11/15. Embarked at Port Suez on the 23/11/15. Disembarked at Basra on the 8/12/15. Killed in action, in the field on the 13/1/16. A summary of his service records: Home Service, 3/8/04 – 19/9/05, 1 year 48 days. India, 20/9/05 – 1/2/12, 6 years 135 days. Home Service, 2/2/12 – 8/9/14, 2 years 219 days. British Expeditionary Force, France, 9/9/14 – 28/10/14, 50 days. Home Service, 29/10/14 – 3/10/15, 340 days. British Expeditionary Force, France, 4/10/15 – 13/11/15, 41 days. British Expeditionary Force, Mediterranean, 14/11/15 – 13/1/16, 61 days. Total Service 11 years 164 days. Arthur was awarded the 1914 Star, British and Victory medals. Arthur’s surviving service documents are in a very poor condition, and much of the finer detail relating to the period of time that he spent in the Army, is either illegible or missing, hence the sparse overall description of his military and personal family history.
The War Diary records: 13 Jan-16 - Patrols sent out at daybreak who reported small parties of enemy in the direction of the WADI RIVER. It was believed that the enemy were holding an advanced entrenched position with their left on the the Fort. Orders were issued for the Battn and the 56th (F.F.) RIFLES to drive back the enemy from the forward position and take up a line 800 yards or so beyond it to enable our artillery to shell the main position on the WADI RIVER. C and D Coy’s were in the firing line, A and B Coy’s in Reserve. The orders were carried out without encountering any opposition and the Battn dug themselves in. At 1.27pm report on enemy’s position was forwarded to Bde. At 2.17pm further report on enemy’s position forwarded. At 3.30pm the Battn with the 56th (F.F.) RIFLES on their right resumed the advance with orders to attack and occupy enemy’s main position along the WADI RIVER, thereby assisting the turning movement being carried out by the rest of the VII Div. Formation of Battn attack. Enemy opened fire at about 1100 yards range. The line continued steadily to advance until they got to within 450 yards of the enemy, by which time the Reserves (A and B Coy’s) had reinforced the firing line. Here a heavy fire was kept up on the enemy’s trenches which could now be seen extending along the whole length of the WADI. Ammunition was brought up and the Battn prepared for the assault. (Time about 4.48pm). At this stage the right flank of the Battn became subjected to enfilade machine gun and rifle fire. The assault was not carried out and the Battn dug themselves in with both flanks thrown back. About this time Major LEWIS was wounded and the Battn had suffered a loss of 3 other officers (Lt A. E. DAKIN, 2nd Lt R. W. G. CARD, 2nd Lt T. C. D. HASSALL all wounded) and 197 other ranks. Capt WEIR now in command. At 5.30pm and 8.00pm messages were sent by orderly to 28th Bde explaining the situation. As darkness set in the enemy’s fire developed into desultory sniping with occasional bursts of fire along different parts of the line. At about 11.00pm verbal orders arrived from Bde for the Battn to withdraw from its present position and take up a line 800 yards or so in rear in conjunction with the other units of the Bde, with a view to our artillery preparation being carried out the next morning. This withdrawal was carried out with no casualties, by 2.30am, and the Battn again dug themselves in.
On Friday February 25th 1916 The Melton Mowbray Times & Vale of Belvoir Gazette published the following article under the heading. “LOCAL AND DISTRICT NEWS.” – EATON. LOCAL SOLDIER KILLED. News has been received of the death of Lance Corpl. Arthur Shelton of the 2nd Battalion Leicestershire Regiment, who was killed in action in the Persian Gulf on January 13th. He is the first soldier from this village to lose his life, and much sympathy will be felt with the bereaved widow and baby boy, and his other relatives. Deceased was a native of Eaton, and lived there until he enlisted in August, 1904. In 1905 he went out to India, and served with the colours there for seven years, returning to England in February 1912. He was married in April 1914, and shortly afterwards served as a postman at Uppingham, where he was stationed when the war broke out. On August 4th 1914, he rejoined the army and went to France in September, where he took part in the fighting at the battles of the Aisne and Marne. In October he was wounded in the left hand at Armentieres, and was admitted to Cambridge Hospital, after four or five weeks at Portsmouth Alexandra Hospital, it was found necessary to amputate one finger. He went out to France again in October, afterwards to Egypt, and then to the Persian Gulf. During his service in India, he was keenly interested in physical development, and was one of the winning team in the Physical Drill Competition, of the 6th Poonah Division (1908), one of the winning teams of the lightweight tug of war contest for two successive years, and was in the final for the championship. He also gained a prize in a six mile race in which about 200 competitors started, and was an expert dumb bell operator and weight lifter. The officer who signed his discharge, after mentioning some of his good qualities, added. “He was perhaps the strongest man in the Battalion.”