Private Arthur Procter (1890 - 1973)

Arthur was born in Bootle, Lancashire and educated at Port Sunlight and Exeter. His first employment was at the Corn Exchange in Liverpool - he was a wholesale provision grocer. In November 1914 Arthur joined the war effort enlisting with the 1/5th Battalion, the King's (Liverpool) Regiment; Territorial Forces.

In the supplement to the London Gazette dated 5th August 1916 (p744) the following citation appears, awarding Arthur the Victoria Cross.

The award was for his actions on 4th June, 1916 near Ficheux (south of Arras in the Pas de Calais region of France). Arthur noted some movement on the part of two wounded men who were lying in full view of the enemy about seventy five yards in front of the British trenches. On his own initiative and under heavy enemy fire, he ran and crawled to the two men, got them under cover of a small bank, dressed their wounds and promised that they would be rescued after dark. He left them warm clothing and then returned to the British lines again under heavy and sustained fire. The two wounded soldiers were rescued at dusk.

After Ficheux, Arthur fought on the Somme as well as Neuve Chapelle, Festubert, Givenchy and Arras

Arthur Procter VC. HM King George V at Amiens presented Arthur 9 August 1916. Arthur was the first British soldier to be decorated with the Victoria Cross on the battlefield

On his return to Liverpool he received a hero's welcome, being paraded through the streets and given a gold watch. In 1918 Arthur married Hilda Codd in Birkenhead and a year later they had a son also called Arthur. He returned to his old occupation of wholesale grocer but at sometime around 1925 Arthur decided to pursue a new vocation and start practice for entry into the Church. He was ordained in 1927.

During the 1930's he was vicar of St Stephens Church, Bennett Street, Hyde. In the Second World War he served as a chaplain in the Royal Air Force and after leaving the services in 1946 became Rector of St Mary's Church in Droylsden near Manchester. In 1951 he moved to St Peters Church in Claybrook, Leicester. Between 1963 - 1965 he was vicar at the parish church in Bradworthy, Devon but he finally moved to Sheffield where he died in January 1973 aged eighty two. The reason for his move to Sheffield was simply retirement. He spent the last years of his life in a bungalow for retired clergymen

The Times Obituary is reproduced below

Sheffield Cathedral houses a memorial tablet to Arthur whilst his Victoria Cross is held  at the National Museums and Galleries of Merseyside

 
Additional Sources

Borough of Tameside

The Times 1973

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