Captain Arthur Francis Craig of the 1st/4th Battalion Queen's Own (Royal West Kent Regiment), attached to the 30th Battalion Machine Gun Corps...

...was born at Marple, Stockport, Cheshire, in the third quarter of 1894, the son of John Francis and Ada Georgina Morton of 1, Mount Ephraim Mansions, Tunbridge Wells.

The 1901 census finds him with his family at 6, Fairlawn Road, Lytham, Fylde, Lancashire. John, aged 49 is a shipping merchant, born in Lancashire. Ada, aged 35, was born in Middlesex. Children recorded are Hilda M, aged 8, born in the Straits Settlements, Arthur, aged 6 and Ailsa, aged 4, born in the Straits Settlements. The family servant is Lizzie Fennelly, aged 23, born in Ireland. Also present are sister in law Agnes Morton, aged 42, born in Middlesex and sister Marian Craig, aged 51, born in Lancashire.

Arthur attended Charterhouse School from the 1908 to 1912, in Robinites House. The 1911 census records him in the School sanatorium, Peperharow Road, Godalming, Surrey.

Arthur enlisted into the Queen's Own (Royal West Kent Regiment). His Medal Index Card records him serving in India from the 29th of October, 1914 and in France from June 1918. Also, that he served with the 4th QORWK as a 2nd Lt and attached to the Machine Gun Corps as an Acting Captain and with the RWK as a Captain.

His promotions can be traced through the London Gazette.

London Gazette 17th October 1914.The under mentioned to be Second Lieutenants - Arthur Francis Craig, (late Cadet Charterhouse School contingent, Junior Division, Officer Training Corps).

London Gazette 4th May 1917. War Office, 4th May 1917 - TERRITORIAL FORCE – INFANTRY. Royal West Kent Regiment - 2nd Lieutenant A F Craig, to be Lieutenant, with precedence as from 1st June 1916 - 5th May 1917.

London Gazette 13th February 1918. War Office, 13th February 1918. Regular Forces - Machine Gun Corps. The under mentioned Lieutenants to be Lieutenants: A F Craig (Royal West Kent Regiment, Territorial Force). 15 September 1917, with seniority 1st June 1916.

London Gazette 16th February 1918. Royal West Kent Regiment - Lieutenant A F Craig is seconded. 15th September 1917. London Gazette 23rd September 1918. Machine Gun Corps (Infantry) - Lieutenant A F Craig (Royal West Kent Regiment, Territorial Force) to be acting Captain while 2nd in command of a Company. 17th July 1918.

Arthur died of wounds on the 4th of October 1918, and is interred in the La Kreule Military Cemetery, near Hazebrouck, France.

His probate gives his address as Erin Lodge, Camden Park and that he was a Lieutenant, Acting Captain in the 4th Battalion QORWK TF. His estate of £311-7-2d was administered to his father, a retired merchant.

Arthur is remembered on Tunbridge Wells War Memorial and on the grave of John Francis Craig, born on the February the 18th 1851, died on the 20th of June 1921, and buried on the 23rd of June. 

Note: La Kreule Military Cemetery was opened in April 1918 by the 1st and 2nd Australian Casualty Clearing Stations, and the 17th. These three stations, known collectively as "Ana Jana Siding". In the middle of April, they withdrew to Blendecques, near St. Omer, and the cemetery was then used by heavy artillery and fighting units. In October 1918, the 17th Casualty Clearing Station returned with the 8th and the 64th. The cemetery was closed at the end of the month. The cemetery contains 585 Commonwealth First World War burials, of which nine are unidentified. There are also eleven German war graves here.