Category: Military
Rank: Private (demobbed as Transport Corporal)
Regiment or Ship: When demobbed, ‘C’ Company 1st Battalion Machine Gun Corps
Service Number(s): 115601
Occupation: Baker and Confectioner
Date of Birth: 17.10.1898
Place of Birth: 79 St. Peter’s Road, Edmonton, Middlesex.
Date of Death: 06.12.1981
Place of Death: 21, St Andrews Road, Bexhill
Place of Burial / Memorials:
Cremated Eastbourne Crematorium and ashes scattered there (Area B2)
Address: Before marriage: 53, Devonshire Road. After marriage: 13, Western Road and 95A Reginald Road. From 1936, ‘Cortlandt’, 21, St Andrews Road., Bexhill
Photos and newspaper articles
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Family Information
Wife:
Kathleen Rosalie Newport, born 19 April 1907, died in St Helen’s Hospital, Hastings on 5th September 1983. They married on 25th July 1931 at St. Oswald’s Church, Hooe. She was the daughter of John James Newport and Emily Harriet Newport of Caritas Villa, Hooe, East Sussex. Before the marriage she worked for the subject’s father in the household at 53 Devonshire Road, Bexhill-on-sea.
Children:
Arthur Bernard Wells, born 29th May 1935.
Diana Kathleen June Goddard nee Wells, born 8th June 1937. Married Peter Albert Goddard, born 2nd July 1938, on 22 January 1967 at Bexhill. Two children.
Audrey Cynthia Wells, born 14th July 1942.
Howard Gordon Wells, born 2nd April 1949.
Parents:
Arthur George Wells and Alice Mary Wells nee Tompkins, born 26 February 1874, Great Bowden, Market Harborough. They were married on 7 August 1893 in Weedon Bec, Northamptonshire. They lived in various places in Essex before settling in Bexhill in 1902. They were divorced in July 1906. Alice moved to Brighton where she married David J. McAllister on 24 December 1926. Alice died in Brighton Municipal Hospital on 3 March 1943. LINK TO W0175 WELLS Arthur George
Step-mother: Ada Wells, nee Soane, b.circa 1883 Buxted, Sussex. Died 26th January 1924 at Bexhill, aged 40. Married subject’s father on 30th June 1908 at Battle.
Step-mother: Constance Winifred Morton Wells, formerly Bishop (previous marriage) nee Dixon (maiden name). Died 19th December 1967 in Hastings, aged 80. Married subject’s father on 1st June 1929 at Laughton Parish Church. Well-known singer in Bexhill at the time of her marriage (as Madame Winifred Dixon). Later, taught singing in Hastings and was associated with the Hastings Music Festival.
Siblings:
Brother: Aubrey George Wells, born 25 January 1895 Leyton, died 1st July 1896, Leyton, aged 17 months.
Brother: Reginald Alfred Wells, born 7th October 1901, Enfield Wash, Middlesex. Died 12th October 1977, Dartford, Kent. Married Beatrice Maud Brooks on 29th August 1931 at Sydenham and they had three sons. Beatrice died in 1987 in Gravesend, Kent.
Half-brother: Victor Arthur George Wells, born 8th April 1909, Bexhill. Died 15th March 1990, Hastings. Son of subject’s father and step-mother Ada Wells. Unmarried.
Two half-brothers, or full brothers: Gerald Rudolph Wells, born 12th April 1904, Bexhill and Cyril Henry Wells born 28th March 1905, Bexhill, to Alice Mary Wells. They lived in Brighton after the divorce of their mother from subject’s father.
Half sister: Phyllis Wells born 21st September 1907, Brighton to A M Wells. Lived in Brighton.
Step-sisters: Joan Hastings (née Bishop) and Heather Winter-Taylor (née Bishop), daughters of subject’s step-mother, Constance W M Wells. No further details.
FAMILY:
Wife:
Kathleen Rosalie Newport, born 19 April 1907, died in St Helen’s Hospital, Hastings on 5th September 1983. They married on 25th July 1931 at St. Oswald’s Church, Hooe. She was the daughter of John James Newport and Emily Harriet Newport of Caritas Villa, Hooe, East Sussex. Before the marriage she worked for the subject’s father in the household at 53 Devonshire Road, Bexhill-on-sea.
Children:
Arthur Bernard Wells, born 29th May 1935.
Diana Kathleen June Goddard nee Wells, born 8th June 1937. Married Peter Albert Goddard, born 2nd July 1938, on 22 January 1967 at Bexhill. Two children.
Audrey Cynthia Wells, born 14th July 1942.
Howard Gordon Wells, born 2nd April 1949.
Parents:
Arthur George Wells and Alice Mary Wells nee Tompkins, born 26 February 1874, Great Bowden, Market Harborough. They were married on 7 August 1893 in Weedon Bec, Northamptonshire. They lived in various places in Essex before settling in Bexhill in 1902. They were divorced in July 1906. Alice moved to Brighton where she married David J. McAllister on 24 December 1926. Alice died in Brighton Municipal Hospital on
3 March 1943.
LINK TO W0175 WELLS Arthur George
Step-mother: Ada Wells, nee Soane, b.circa 1883 Buxted, Sussex. Died 26th January 1924 at Bexhill, aged 40. Married subject’s father on 30th June 1908 at Battle.
Step-mother: Constance Winifred Morton Wells, formerly Bishop (previous marriage) nee Dixon (maiden name). Died 19th December 1967 in Hastings, aged 80. Married subject’s father on 1st June 1929 at Laughton Parish Church. Well-known singer in Bexhill at the time of her marriage (as Madame Winifred Dixon). Later, taught singing in Hastings and was associated with the Hastings Music Festival.
Siblings:
Brother: Aubrey George Wells, born 25 January 1895 Leyton, died 1st July 1896, Leyton, aged 17 months.
Brother: Reginald Alfred Wells, born 7th October 1901, Enfield Wash, Middlesex. Died 12th October 1977, Dartford, Kent. Married Beatrice Maud Brooks on 29th August 1931 at Sydenham and they had three sons. Beatrice died in 1987 in Gravesend, Kent.
Half-brother: Victor Arthur George Wells, born 8th April 1909, Bexhill. Died 15th March 1990, Hastings. Son of subject’s father and step-mother Ada Wells. Unmarried.
Two half-brothers, or full brothers: Gerald Rudolph Wells, born 12th April 1904, Bexhill and Cyril Henry Wells born 28th March 1905, Bexhill, to Alice Mary Wells. They lived in Brighton after the divorce of their mother from subject’s father.
Half sister: Phyllis Wells born 21st September 1907, Brighton to A M Wells. Lived in Brighton.
Step-sisters: Joan Hastings (née Bishop) and Heather Winter-Taylor (née Bishop), daughters of subject’s step-mother, Constance W M Wells. No further details.
DESCENDENTS: If you have been able to find descents beyond the immediate family please list them here, with date of birth, place and date of death etc. To explain who they are, please state their relationship to the person who this biography is about. i.e: Son, Daughter, Grand Daughter, Niece, etc.
First World War Experience
Arthur was a Driver (mules) in Transport Section, Machine Gun Corps (Infantry); in France from January 1918 to April 1918 when wounded. Trained at Belton Park Camp, Grantham. Demobbed 14th October 1919.
Reported in Bexhill Chronicle 20th April 1918 DSCF3867 as wounded through being kicked by a mule. The family believe the incident took place in or near the town of Achiet le Grande, South of Arras in March or April 1918. The Bexhill on Sea Observer 13th April 1918 reported that the subject’s father had visited his son in hospital in Essex the previous day. As understood by subject’s son, but not written down, “he and other soldiers were driving mule teams and took cover from shelling. An officer using a ‘trench-periscope’ spotted them and ordered them to move on. In doing so, one soldier was killed (he was a close friend whose photo was kept by the subject all his life). The mules were presumably terrified and difficult to control. The subject is believed to have been wounded during this action.” The fact that the subject had the wound stripe mentioned in his pay book is evidence that the wound was considered to have occurred through action involving the enemy. The subject recovered and convalesced at Hillsborough Red Cross Auxiliary Hospital (Meadhams), Harlow, Essex and at Down Hall Red Cross Auxiliary Hospital, Harlow. According to his pay book the subject was passed fit and re-trained at Belton Park Camp on the 25th October 1918. He did not return to France.
After the War worked as a baker and confectioner. Main workplaces: Neville Bakery, 53-55 Devonshire Road, Bexhill-on-Sea until its closure in 1928; Arscotts’ Bakery, 45 St Leonard’s Road, Bexhill-on-Sea; Skitt & Son Ltd, 152 Ashford Road, Eastbourne.
Possible connections with subject’s service in Machine Gun Corps :
1.The subject’s father specialised in machine guns during his service with the 4th Btn Sussex Volunteer Regiment (see, for example, Bexhill Chronicle 22 September 1917).
2. The brother of the subject’s step-mother Ada Soane, Corporal Nelson Soane of the 6th Btn, Queen’s Own (Royal West Kent) Regiment, served in the Machine Gun Section. He was killed in action on 17th September 1917. A week earlier he had been awarded the Military Medal (Bexhill Chronicle 13th October 1917). The subject is believed to have been in the Training Reserve at that time.
Arthur received the Victory Medal (Photo on file); British War Medal; 1 wound stripe; 1 blue chevron.
Additional Information
Family archives from Mr Howard Wells, son of Arthur Horatio Wells.