| No. 1191 Pioneer Sergeant Arthur John Linington Lidstone Wills of the 2nd Battalion, The Suffolk Regiment. Arthur John Wills was born at Ipswich, Suffolk about 1865 the son of John and Margaret Wills. He attested the Suffolk regiment at the age of 19 on 22 January 1885. At that time his occupation was given as being a bricklayer. Wills transferred from the Suffolk Regimental Depot to B Coy, 2nd Battalion, The Suffolk Regiment on 27 March, 1885 and appointed Lance Corporal on 30 May 1885. He was promoted Corporal on 1 September, 1889 Lance Sergeant - 25 March, 1892 In 1892 Wills extended his service to complete 12 years and after being awarded a certificate of qualification was promoted to Pioneer Sergeant on 15 May, 1893. On 4 September 4, 1895 he re-engaged with the Suffolk Regiment at Secunderabad to complete 21 years service. Promoted Quartermaster Sergeant on 3 May, 1903 On 2 December, 1905 he was allowed to extend his service once again this time to beyond the 21 year limit. Wills was granted the Long Service and Good Conduct Medal on 14 March, 1906 and received the 5 gratuity on 11 October, 1912. Wills had previously claimed his discharge on 6 July, 1912 at the age of 46 years. He had completed 27 years 167 day with the 2nd Battalion of the Suffolk Regiment. His deployments were: Home - 22 January, 1885 - 16 December, 1889 Egypt - 17 December, 1889 - 10 February, 1891 India - 11 February, 1891 - 21 March, 1904 Home on Furlough - 22 March 1904 - 30 September, 1904 India - 1 October, 1904 - 27 December, 1907 Home - 28 December, 1907 - 6 July, 1912. On 7 July, 1912 Wills was appointed Quartermaster and Honorary Lieutenant in the 5th Battalion, The Suffolk Regiment. With the outbreak of World War One, Wills was still with his battalion when it embarked for the Dardanelles on the RMS Aquitania. In C.C.R. Murphy's The History of the Suffolk Regiment 1914-1927 the author states that the 5th Suffolk arrived at Mudros on 6 August launched a major attack against Kavak Tepe and Teke Tepe just six days later. After advancing some 1200 yards against determined resistance the battalion was pulled back two hundred yards to a line that was held until the battalion was evacuated. During its four months at Gallipoli the battalion would suffer some 800 casualties. On 3 October, 1916 Wills transferred to the 3rd Reserve Battalion, The Cambridgeshire Regiment as Quartermaster/Honorary Lieutenant and was later promoted Captain. Wills would receive the 1914-15 Star and the British War and Victory Medals for his service during the war. Arthur John Linington Lidstone Wills died at Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk in 1936. Cabinet Photograph Molkenteller, Maisch & Co. - Photographer Secunderabad, India c 1894 |
