Early Life :

Education & Career :

Arthur was initially educated at Lichfield Grammar School, before attending further education at a school in Carshalton, South London. On the 7th August 1855 he entered the Royal Military Academy at Woolwich, known then as "The Shop" as a Gentleman Cadet aged fourteen. He received his commission on the 22nd June 1858 into the Royal Regiment of Artillery as a Lieutenant serving with the C Field Battery, 4th Brigade RA.

Service Life:

Campaigns:

• The Third Maori War 1863-1872, South Pacific.

Natural causes is attributed those deaths due to causes that were not directly associated with the war. Included in this are wartime deaths resulting from, for example, theSpanish Influenza pandemic and its associated pneumonia problems and other attributions such as age and exhaustion. It also groups those who through Post Traumatic Stress committed suicide as a result of their experiences.

Detail :

Rangiri - The retreating Maoris withdrew up the river for some thirteen miles and occupied a very strong entrenched position between Lake Waikare and the River Waikato at Rangiriri. This stronghold was protected by two deep ditches behind which rose a nine foot high parapet. In the rear was a central redoubt with a twelve feet wide ditch and a parapet eighteen feet high. Rangiriri was defended by approximately 500 Maori's from the various tribes.

The London Gazette records in its edition dated Friday, September 23rd, 1864: "For gallant conduct during the assault on the enemy's position at Rangiriri, in New Zealand, on the 20th of November last, in exposing their lives to imminent danger, in crossing the entrance of the Maori keep, at a point upon which the enemy had concentrated their fire, with a view to render assistance to the wounded, and, more especially to the late Captain Mercer, of the Royal Artillery. Lieutenant Pickard, it is stated, crossed, and re-crossed the parapet, to procure water for the wounded, when none of the men could be induced to perform this service, the space over which he traversed being exposed to a cross-fire; and testimony is borne to the calmness displayed by him, and Assistant-Surgeon Temple, under the trying circumstances in which they were placed."

On the evening of 1st March 1880, Arthur suffered a haemorrhage whilst in Cannes, France after which he died from tuberculosis and is buried in the Cimetiere Protestant du Grand Jus, Canne in the Provence Alpes Cote d'Azur. A floral tribute of white camellias from Her Majesty Queen Victoria was sent with the message: " A mark of high esteem, gratitude and frienship from Queen Victoria."

Masonic :

At the time of his initiation Arthur Pickard was listed as a Major and resident at 11 Carlton Crescent, Southampton. He joined the Lodge of Friendship at Gibraltar in 9th December 1875, the same day as HRH Arthur William Patrick Albert, the Duke of Connaught. Lieutenant Colonel Pickard, as he was in 1867 had been assigned to the young Prince Arthur and stayed with him until 1878.

A commemorative memorial was unveiled in the Memorial Gardens, Worksop on 20th November exactly 156 years since the action that led to the award of his VC. He is further commemorated at the Royal Artillery Victoria Cross memorial at the Royal Garrison Church of St. George at Woolwich. Also at the Royal Garrison Church of St Albans and St Barbara (The Home Church of the Royal Regiment of Artillery) at Larkhill, Wiltshire. Also at the Union Jack Club listed on the Boards and the Roll of Honour Book.

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
• Researcher : Valentine Howard