Marine Gunner Arthur Edward Murgatroyd

Arthur Edward Murgatroyd was born 3 Dec 1888, Son of Myers (Quarry Owner and member of Fartown Christian Fellowship) and Mary at 2 Smalewell Road. Arthur married Jane Nichols of 24 South Parade Pudsey, on 11 Dec 1912. He worked as a delver in fathers Quarry. Arthur had been serving as a Gunner with the Royal Marine Artillery and it is possible he was recruited to give merchant shipping some additional firepower to counter the U-boat menace. He eventually served aboard the steamship S.S. War Song. Built by Detroit Shipbuilding Co., Wyandotte launched July 27, 1917, A British steamer of 2535 tons, it was entrusted to the management of W. France, Fenwick & Co, London to serve as a transport for raw materials. On January 15th, 1918, War Song, on a voyage from Bilbao to Brest with a cargo of iron ore, was sunk by shellfire from the German submarine U-93 (Helmut Gerlach), 12 miles west of L'isle-de-Sein near Brest. 16 persons were lost, six members of the crew; Charles Audigier Lombard Sailor. Brown Mr T. Steward. Goulding William Patrick, Second Officer. Hollingsworth J Second Engineer. Murgatroyd A. E. Gunner. James Ramsay Rankine Master, are buried together in L'isle-de-Sein Communal Cemetery, France. He was 29 and is also commemorated at Fartown Christian Fellowship and Pudsey St. Lawrence.

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