Pte. TURK A.F. 48786 8th (Service) Battalion, North Stafford Regiment

Turk, Arthur Frederick. DoD: 30/05/1918. Age: 30. Son of Frederick and Mary Turk of Tompsett’s Farm, Horsmonden, Kent. Occ: Carman. Unit Text: 8th (Service) Battalion, North Stafford Regiment. Cemetery: SOISSONS MEMORIAL.

Arthur, born in Egerton near Ashford in Kent was the eldest of five children of Frederick and Mary Ann Turk (nee Collins). The family moved to Tompsett’s Farm in Horsmonden in 1891 where Frederick worked as a bricklayer for S E Railways on the Hawkhurst Branch Line, Horsmonden being one of the five stations on the Line.

By 1911 Arthur had moved to live in Maidstone with his aunt Emma and Uncle George Godstone and he enlisted in Maidstone in April of 1915.

Part of the British Expeditionary Force was placed in the 8th Battalion North Staffs Regiment and was sadly killed in action in the 3rd Battle of Aisne on 30th May 1918.

Arthur’s body wasn’t recovered from the battlefield and he is commemorated on the panels of the Soisson Memorial in France with the 3,886 other soldiers with no known graves.

(Article V2 published 05 12 2022)

Arthur’s nieces Vera Fallon and Audrey Guntrip (their father was Herbert, Arthur’s brother) are still living in Horsmonden.