4th Bn. East Lancashire Regt.
Killed in action 21 March 1918. Buried in Cabaret Rouge British Cemetery, Souchez (Index No Fr 924) Plot XXX Row F Grave 17.
Memorial: A tall stone cross beside a footpath W of Villeret, S of Hargicourt, 13 km NNW of St Quentin.
Maps: 53/4/2508 Est.
Guardian: WFA
Arthur Leonard Wrenford, born on 25 April 1881 was the son of W. L. Wrenford, a barrister, and his wife Emily. He was placed fourth at Sandhurst and went up to Cambridge as an army candidate where he took a commission in the University Volunteer Rifle Corps before joining the 2nd Bn. Worcester Regiment in July 1903.
Wrenford served in Ireland, South Africa, Ceylon, India and was three times seconded to the North Nigeria Regiment. Promoted Lieutenant in 1907, his Captaincy came through in September 1914 during his African service. He rejoined the Worcesters in the 5th (Reserve) Battalion in August 1915.
Rejoined 4th Bn. Worcesters at Mericourt in July 1916 but almost at once went on an eleven day detachment to the Royal Fusiliers as a T/Major. As an A/Major he served from April until September the following year with the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, before taking command of 4th Bn. East Lanes as an A/Lieutenant Colonel on 23 September 1917. Surprisingly, no reference to his time in command appears until 21 March 1918, the opening day of the German Offensive.
In thick fog the heaviest ever enemy bombardment began at 4 30am. The 4th Bn. East Lanes had three companies in the line and one in support and stood their ground, resisting strenuously, until they were outflanked and attacked from the rear. Almost every officer and man became a casualty or was captured and although the War Diary reported Wrenford "wounded and taken prisoner", in fact he was killed. He was mentioned in despatches on 23 May 1918.
His body could not be found so his mother erected a stone cross with a surround of stone posts and railings inscribed in French on one side and English on the other:
'THIS CROSS WAS ERECTED BY HIS MOTHER TO THE MOST BELOVED MEMORY OF COLONEL ARTHUR WRENFORD WORCESTER REGIMENT KILLED IN ACTION NEAR THIS SPOT MARCH 21 1918'
The wording below is damaged but appears to be:
'FIGHTING FOR ENGLAND AND FRANCE AND BURIED IN AN UNKNOWN GRAVE HEART OF JESUS IN THEE I TRUST'
Above is added:
'HE WAS FOUND IN MARCH 1927 IN THIS FIELD AND RE-BURIED IN THE BRITISH MILITARY CEMETERY AT SOUCHEZ'
And that indeed was the case. Cabaret Rouge was still receiving new burials at the time so Wrenford was taken there.
The Wrenford Memorial was reported to the WFA Register only in 1998 and was found in a poor state with the inscription barely legible, the memorial twisted on its axis and the railings gone. Some minor repairs were carried out some twenty years ago and it is believed there were family visits until then. Arthur Wrenford was married - his wife lived at Southsea after the War - but it is not known if he had children.
With agreement from the landowner the WFA has commissioned the Rivelin Masonry Company to realign the cross and make a loose stone protective base to preserve this remote and lonely memorial while enquiries continue.
