Commemorated: | |||
| 1. Memorial: | Hancourt British Cemetery | B. 12. | |
| 2. Book: | The (1921) Masonic Roll of Honour 1914-1918 | Pg.136 | |
Awards & Titles: | Distinguished Service Order | ||
Family :
Son of Emily Frances Stone (nee Miéville), of 21, Vanbrugh Park, Blackheath, London, and the late Edward Stone FSA who died in 1918. Emily died in 1943.Arthur was the second son of five.
His brother Walter won the VC as a 25-year-old Acting Captain in the 3rd Battalion, The Royal Fusiliers, attached to the 17th (Service) Battalion for his actions on 30 November 1917 in the Cambrai Sector, France, which lead to his death.
The other brothers also served with distinction:
Lieutenant Commander Reginald George Stone DSO RN
Lt Francis Le Strange Stone MC, 3rdHussars
Capt Edward Stone 2nd Dragoon Guards (Queen's Bays)
There is a family memorial stone at Greenwich Cemetery, London.
Education & Career :
Stone went to Clifton and then up to King's, taking a degree in law. He went on to be articled in his father's practice.
A “well known rifle shot” who played football both for Cambridge University and Kent.
He continued playing football on active duty. He was playing left back for the 16th Lancs Fusiliers (as CO) when he broke his collarbone. given the issues of the time and his leadership position, a statement from a Capt Watts was required to confirm that the injury was not self inflicted.
Service Life:
Campaigns:
- The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.
| Unit / Ship / Est.: 16th Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers |
16th (Service) Battalion (2nd Salford) Formed in Salford, 15 November 1914, by Mr Montague Barlow MP and the Salford Brigade Committee. Moved on 28 December 1914 to Conway and on 21 June 1915 to Catterick. 21 June 1915 : attached to 96th Brigade, 32nd Division. Moved on 13 August 1915 to Codford and formally adopted two weeks later by the War Office. Landed at Boulogne 22 November 1915. |
| Action : The Battles of the Hindenburg Line and associated actions |
12 September - 12 October 1918. As the momentum of the British advance continued it was clear that the Hindenburg Line defences offered the greatest threat to further advances. It was highly likely that the magnificently engineered defence system would re-establish the status quo of static trench warfare. However a series of magnificent actions at Havrincourt and Epehy paved the way for dramatic crossings of the Canal du Nord and the St Quentin Canal by early October. Both canals had been integrated into the Hindenburg Line system and their capture effectively broke the defensive capability of the system. Soon afterwards the British were attacking at Cambrai (again) and then by mid October were pursuing the Germans to the River Selle.
Attesting as a Private on 11 September 1914 in the Corps of School of Musketry, he was immediately appointed Company Sergeant Major, Instructor at Bisley until 2 October. Having applied for a commission, he was gazetted to 15th Lancashire Fusiliers, where he appears to have known the CO, Lieutenant-Colonel H.B. Moss.
He was promoted Major on 6 December 1914. Proceeding to France with the battalion in November 1915, he was awarded the DSO for actions in command of a raiding party.
He took over as CO when Lieutenant-Colonel J.H. Lloyd was given command of 90 Brigade from 28 September to 26 December 1916, reverting to second-in-command before being promoted to command 16th Lancashire Fusiliers from 5 April to 2 October 1918 when he was killed
Detail :
Stone was killed in the attempted capture of Ramicourt on the Beaurevoir-Fonsomme line as part of the operation to break the Hindenburg Line. The Battalion became isolated as the attack faltered. They suffered heavy losses owing to enfilade machine gun fire and Stone was killed as they fell back.
Citations & Commemorations :
Stone was made a DSO for actions in command of a raiding party.Masonic :
| Type | Lodge Name and No. | Province/District : |
|---|---|---|
| Mother : | Isaac Newton University No. 859 E.C. | Cambridgeshire |
| Joined : | Old Cliftonian No. 3340 E.C. | London |
Initiated | Passed | Raised |
6th February 1900 | 6th March 1900 | 24th April 1900 |
Initiated into the Isaac Newton University Lodge No. 859 in 1900. Became a petitioning and founder member of the Old Cliftonian Lodge, consecrated on 5th November 1908.
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