Captain Victor ARNOLD
1/4th Battalion East Kent Regiment (the Buffs) attached to the 1/5th Battalion

Date of birth: 22nd December 1887
Date of death: 15th January 1917

Killed in action aged 29
Commemorated on the Basra Memorial Panel 6
He was born at Hackney in Middlesex on the 22nd of December 1887, the youngest son of Henry William Arnold, farmer, and Mary Ann of Nickle Farm, Chartham near Canterbury.

He attended the King's School Canterbury from September 1902 to July 1905 where he was a dayboy. He was known as a fine cross country runner, earning his sports colours in March 1905.

After King’s he went into farming and he applied for a commission in the 5th Battalion East Kent Regiment (The Buffs) on the 23rd of February 1910. At a medical examination, which was held on the same day, it was recorded that he was six feet tall. He was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in B Company, 4th Battalion East Kent Regiment in a detachment at Chartham on the 1st of July 1910. He was promoted to Lieutenant on the 8th of February 1913, to Temporary Captain on the 16th of March 1915 and to Captain on the 26th of June 1915.

In March 1914 he competed for the OKS against the school at cross country running.

Following the outbreak of war he sailed for India on the 30th of October 1914 in command of B Company. From India he sailed with the battalion for Aden on the 26th of July 1915, landing there on the 5th of August.

Whilst in Aden, on the 20th of September 1915, he led two platoons of A Company to escort a 15 pounder battery to Assala along with two platoons of B Company. During the mission they came under fire from 7 until 10 in the morning, being the first time the battalion had come under fire during the war.

In February 1916 the battalion returned to India and on the 1st of October 1916 he left with three other officers and 150 men for attachment to the 1/5th Battalion in Mesopotamia.

In January 1917 the battalion was part of the force which had been despatched to relive General Townshend's forces which were surrounded and under siege in the city of Kut. In early January the Turkish forces withdrew over the River Tigris but had left some positions on the far side of the Hai stream. The Buffs spent a number of days on reconnaissance pushing their line closer to the Turks. One advanced post had been established by Lieutenant Filmer on the 12th and during a reconnaissance on the 15th two unsuccessful attempts were made by 2nd Lieutenant Angus in an attempt to push further forward. It was during these operations that Victor Arnold was killed.
Day Boy

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