Commemorated: | |||
| 1. Memorial: | Pozieres Memorial | ||
| 2. Book: | The (1921) Masonic Roll of Honour 1914-1918 | Pg.134 | |
| 3. Memorial: | The (1940) Scroll - WW1 Roll of Honour | 3D GQS | |
Awards & Titles: | |||
Early Life :
Born around Poole early 1897, (baptised 21st February 1897), to Arthur Augustus Charles and Lilian Sharp.Service Life:
Campaigns:
- The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.
| Unit / Ship / Est.: 2ND BTN Tank Corps |
| Action : The First Battles of the Somme 1918 and associated actions |
21 March - 4 July 1918. The Battles of the Somme in 1918 were mostly concerned with stemming the German advance which started in March 1918 and which made considerable gains in the Somme/Arras sector. Utilising surplus troops which had become available following the surrender of Russia after the October Revolution, the Germans gambled on a massive campaign that could win the war in the west before the USA could bring its resources to bear. Initial gains were in places spectacular but eventually dogged resistance coupled with supply problems and sheer exhaustion closed down the battle. Other attacks were launched along the front to probe the Allied defences but the same pattern of initial gains followed by stalemate prevailed. British casualties were almost 345,000.
Detail :
His medal card and other military documentation show a diverse set of ranks and units. He started off in the Royal Army Service Corps as a Private, was either attached or posted with the Machine Gun Corps, but ended up as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Tank Corps. He was embarked to France on the 7th March 1915.
Probate SHARP Arthur Augustus Charles of Sandbanks-road Parkstone Dorsetshire temporary second lieutenant H.M. Tank Corps died 22 March 1918 in France or Belgium Administration Blandford 30 August to Augustus Arthur Charles Sharp licensed victualler. Effects £215.
He was awarded the 1915 Star as a Private on the roll of the R.A.S.C., and both the British War Medal and the Victory Medal as an officer of the Tank Corps.
He is commemorated on the Pozieres Memorial as being part of the 2nd Battalion, Tank Corps.
Masonic :
| Type | Lodge Name and No. | Province/District : |
|---|---|---|
| Mother : | Lodge of Amity No. 137 E.C. | Dorset |
Initiated | Passed | Raised |
15th December 1915 | 21st February 1917 | 18th July 1917 |
Listed as a Driver, resident at Poole upon initiation in 1915. It appears he had a family connections in the Lodge: his father, Augustus, who joined in 1903 and member of various lodges in the area had joined in 1913 and provided the introduction to Arthur, him being 19 (Lewis). The contribution record shows no war service, but does show "Killed in Action March 1918."
Source :
The project globally acknowledges the following as sources of information for research across the whole database:
- The Commonwealth War Graves Commission
- The (UK) National Archives
- Ancestry.co.uk - Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History online
- ugle.org.uk - The records of the United Grand Lodge of England including the Library and Museum of Freemasonry
Additional Source:
- Founder Researchers : Paul Masters & Mike McCarthy
- Researcher : Bruce Littley