Lieutenant Loftus ARKWRIGHT
364th Battery, 20th Brigade Royal Field Artillery

Date of birth: 20th June 1895
Date of death: Unknown

Survived
Unknown
Loftus Arkwright was born at Parndon Hall Farm, Little Parndon in Essex on the 20th of June 1895 the eldest son of Loftus Joseph Wigram Arkwright, a gentleman, and Julia Smith (nee Caldwell) Arkwright of Parndon Hall, Harlow in Essex.

He was educated at Hazelwood School until July 1904. He left at the age of 9 for a preparatory school feeding Charterhouse School. He was educated at Charterhouse School where he was in Weekites House from January 1909 to December 1913.

He attended the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich before being commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Royal Artillery on the 10th of February 1915 and joined the 1st Reserve Brigade, Royal Artillery at Newcastle on the 12th of February. He embarked for overseas service on the 29th of March 1915 where he served with the 20th Brigade, Ammunition Column. On the 22nd of May 1915 he transferred to 67th Battery Royal Field Artillery and on the 20th of July 1915 he was posted to 128th Battery, 20th Brigade. In late 1915 he was posted to 364th Battery 20th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery. He was taken ill and was evacuated from France and landed at Southampton on the 19th of February 1916. On his return he was posted to the 1st Reserve Brigade, Royal Artillery at Forest Row on the 27th of October 1916 and returned to France on the 26th of February 1917. He was wounded and was evacuated, landing at Dover on the 23rd of June 1917. On his recovery he was posted to 395 Battery, Royal Field Artillery at Woodbridge on the 3rd of August 1917.

He was posted to the Anti Aircraft Depot at Parkhurst on the 27th of March 1918 and transferred to the Anti Aircraft Reserve Battalion from where he embarked for France once again on the 2nd of October 1918 and joined an Anti Aircraft Battery in the field on the 5th of October. He was serving with the Thames and Medway Anti Aircraft defences in late 1919 before resigning his commission on the 3rd of December 1919.

He later owned a garage in the Kensal Road and was last heard of in 1933 while “driving recklessly and over the speed limit late at night in London.”

His brother, Lieutenant Commander John Joseph Arkwright RN DSO HMS Avenger, was killed in action on the 15th of November 1942.

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