Rectory Lane Cemetery, Berkhamsted

Arthur Draper

23/03/1883 –1946

A labourer who served in the Army in WWI and upon discharge enlisted in the RAF

Relatives

Jane Draper — wife

• Melanie Hilton

Unmarked grave Arthur Draper (1883-1946)

Arthur was born in Berkhamsted 23 March 1883, the son and oldest child of Thomas Draper, a labourer, and his wife Sarah.

In the 1901 census Arthur was recorded living at 7, Eddy Street, Northchurch. He was a labourer and was living with his parents.

Arthur married Jane Price in Berkhamsted 28 June 1902 and they were to have five children:

Ernest Arthur (1903), Edward Thomas (1905/6), Margaret Lilian (1911), William Robert (1914) and Hilda Loos (1915).

In 1911 they were living in Unity Cottages,

Arthur joined the Bedfordshire Regiment 14 August 1914 – just over a fortnight after the outbreak of war. He was later transferred to the Liverpool Regiment. He served with them in France 30 July 1915 to 19 July 1916 and again 3 September 1917 to 18 April 1918.

 Discharged from the Army with the rank of Sergeant on 5 August 1919, he joined the RAF the next day. His RAF record describes him as having brown hair, grey eyes and a fresh complexion.

He was taken on as an “aircraft hand”. In 1920 he was posted to Egypt and worked in stores and the clothing department.

Arthur was transferred to the RAF Reserve 25 August 1923 and discharged 24 January 1924 because he was suffering from cancer – a carcinoma of the submaxillary gland, that is, one of the salivary glands below the angle of the jaw. Whatever treatment he received proved to be successful as Arthur lived for another twenty two years.

In the 1939 Register Arthur was recorded living in New Street, Watford in the home of widow Eva Lipscombe. Their relationship is not recorded, but given that several other men were also living at the same address it would appear he was a lodger. His occupation is shown as “Navvy, heavy work”. Meanwhile Jane and their son William were living in Berkhamsted at the home of their married daughter Hilda.

 As Arthur was to die in Watford in 1946 aged 63 it would appear that the couple had parted company, although Arthur was buried here in Berkhamsted, as was Jane when she passed away in 1947.