Durrant, A M
ARTHUR MICHAEL DURRANT
Remembered with honour Pont-du-Hem Military Cemetery: Plot II, Row C, Grave 11.
He originally enlisted in the Honourable Artillery Company 1 March 1909: aged 20, 5’8″ tall, of Leverstock Green, Herts. He resigned from the H.A.C. 21 November 1910; and also had four years service in the Sussex Yeomanry, being discharged 1913. He attested for Short Service (3 years with the Colours) 29 August 1914: an architect aged 25, 5’6″ tall, C of E, and was Private 662 10th Battalion Royal Fusiliers. He served at Home 29 August to 4 December 1914, when he was discharged on appointment to a commission. He was promoted Captain 1 July 1916, was entitled to the Victory, British War and 1914 Star medals, his qualifying date being 12 August 1914, and was killed in action.
There are articles about Arthur in the: Birmingham Evening Despatch, Lancashire Evening Post, Liverpool Echo, Manchester Evening News, all dated 24 January 1916; the Thanet Advertiser dated 5 February 1916; and the Leverstock Green Chronicle dated 4 November 1916.
Son of the Reverend Arthur and Alice Mabel (nee PELLY) DURRANT; husband of Jemima (nee WILSON) DURRANT.
His parents married 1 October 1885 at St John’s, Stratford, Essex. Alice died 2 October 1927 in Leverstock Green aged 61, and was buried 6 October at Holy Trinity, Leverstock Green; Arthur died 3 July 1936 aged 77 in Leverstock Green, and was buried 8 July, also at Holy Trinity.
Arthur was born 29 September 1889 in West Ham, and married 1916 in the St George Hanover Square, London, district. Jemima remarried 1923 in the Sherborne, Dorset, district to Wilfred A DICKINSON.
On the 1891 Census, aged 2 he lived in Saffron Walden, Essex, without his parents but with one sibling. On the 1901 Census, aged 12 he was a boarder in West Malvern, Worcs. On the 1911 Census, an architect aged 22, he was a passenger on a boat in Hastings, Sussex.
Rank
CaptainUnit
257th Tunnelling CompanyRegiment
Place buried
Date of death
05/12/1916Age at death
27Place of death
Awards
M.C.Memorial(s)
Notes
Arthur does not feature on the St James' Memorial outside the church, but has a plaque inside (as the architect responsible for the design of the church)- 1st S.W. Herts Scout Troop [in St Mary's Parish Church Watford] (4)
- Abbot's Langley Herts War Memorial (17)
- Aldbury Herts War Memorial (1)
- Aldenham Herts War Memorial (located in Letchmore Heath Herts) (8)
- All Saints Church Croxley Green Herts (12)
- All Saints Church Harrow Weald Middx (2)
- All Saints Church Hertford (1)
- All Saints Church King's Langley Herts (1)
- All Saints Church Leavesden Herts (31)
- All Saints Church Witham Essex (3)