Captain Arthur Hilliard Williams TEMPLE
A Company, 2nd Battalion Suffolk Regiment

Date of birth: 12th January 1875
Date of death: 14th December 1914

Killed in action aged 39
Commemorated on the Menin Gate Panel 21
He was born in Rochester on the 12th of January 1875, the second son of the Reverend Robert Charles Temple OKS, Rector of Thorpe Morieux, and Catherine Frances Scaife (nee Close), later of Albert Lodge, Shanklin on the Isle of Wight.

He was educated at the Junior King's School from January 1885 to July 1888, before going on to complete his education at the King’s School, Ely from September 1888 to July 1891 where he was King's Scholar.

He was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the 3rd Battalion King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry (Militia) on the 17th of March 1894 and received a regular commission as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Suffolk Regiment on the 1st of December 1897, being promoted to Lieutenant on the 7th of January 1900.

He saw action in the South African War in which he was employed in the mounted infantry and was present at operations in the Transvaal and in the Orange River Colony, including action at Colesberg. He was awarded the Queen's Medal with three clasps and the King's medal with two clasps.

After the Boer War he was seconded for service in Somaliland with the King's African Rifles. He was a fine shot and collected many trophies during his time in Africa. He was promoted to Captain on the 8th of April 1905 1905 and was appointed as Adjutant of the newly formed Territorial 5th Battalion of his regiment on the 6th of September 1909. He retired from the active list to the Reserve of Officers with the rank of Captain on the 19th of February 1913.

He was married in October 1909 to Enid Adela Powys (nee Stone) at St George’s Church Arreton on the Isle of Wight and they went to live at “The Retreat”, Shalfleet in Hampshire. They had two children, Margaret Powys born in 1910 and William Robert Hilliard, born in 1912.

Following the outbreak of war he was mobilised and reported for war service at the depot of his old regiment in Bury St Edmunds on the 5th of August 1914 where he was initially attached to the 3rd (Special Reserve) Battalion.

On the 9th of August the battalion marched to the railway station an entrained for Felixstowe where they were to be serving in a home defence role. They spent a period there practicing the digging of trenches, going on route marches and practicing musketry. Captain Temple was in command of the sea defence section in which role he helped rescue the crew of an aeroplane which came down about a mile offshore. He was attached to the 2nd Battalion as a replacement and sent to France, with a group of thirteen other officers where he joined the battalion in the field at Missy-sur-Aisne at 7.30pm on the 16th of September 1914. Due to the heavy casualties the battalion had sustained they were commanded by 2nd Lieutenant Oakes so Arthur Temple took command of the battalion from his arrival until the 21st of September.

On the 14th of December 1914 the battalion was in support of a successful attack on Petit Bois. At 4.30pm they moved forward and relieved the 2nd Battalion Royal Scots in the captured trench and it was here, twenty minutes after the relief that Arthur Temple was shot through the head, falling into the arms of his servant, Private 7774 Robert George Girbow, who was himself shot and killed by a sniper in the same place the following day.

Private 3/9221 Edwin F. Catchpole from his battalion wrote the following to Arthur Temple’s sister following his death which was published in the East Anglian Daily Times:-

“We have just come out of a terrible battle; I shall never forget it, but want to as soon as possible. I would like to let the Suffolk people know what our late Captain was to his Company. It was on Monday December 14th that we went in support of the Gordons and Royal Scots who charged the German trenches. We strengthened the positions on the right, the Middlesex on the left. The charge was successful, the Germans being driven into a wood in the rear of their trenches, making the latter very dangerous and exposed. Our regiment relieved the Gordons and Royal Scots after the charge, and we had to withstand several charges of the Germans to get the trenches back again, but they found the task beyond their power. It was in these trenches that we lost our beloved Captain--Captain Temple. He was loved and respected by all, those who served with him in South Africa, also in this campaign. The kindness he showed to our company when they came from the trenches, sodden wet through, giving us new socks and other articles of clothing which his wife had sent out to him for his company, we shall never forget. I have seen him when meeting refugees put his hand in his pocket and assist them; no one knew what he gave; he did not believe in show. A shell burst in the trenches in which I was lying, and the Captain came up and enquired if anyone was hurt. His cheery remarks always gave us inspiration, and when the word was passed round that he was wounded, and subsequently that he had died, there was grief among all-officers and men. He was fearless, brave and self-sacrificing under all conditions, and was never satisfied until he had done his very best for all. He will be missed by all who came in contact with him”.

The Isle of Wight County Press wrote in their edition of the 26th of December 1914: -

“He had gained the highest respect and esteem of everyone in the parish and his devoted work in connection with the church was very greatly appreciated. Since the death of Mr. Matthew Saunders he had ably discharged the duties of Vicar’s warden, and his loss will be keenly felt by the church.”

He was mentioned in Sir John French's despatches of the 14th of January 1915.

He is commemorated on the war memorial at the King’s School Ely and in the parish church at Shalfleet in Hampshire where he was a church warden.
Junior King's School

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