Arthur Edward Branston was born in Lyddington at the beginning of 1893, the son of Harry and Mary Branston. He grew up in the village before moving across the county border to Allexton to work as a servant for the Everest family at the Lodge. After marrying Beatrice Woodward in 1912 the couple moved to Stockerston near Uppingham. Meanwhile his parents moved to Pleasant Terrace in Uppingham where Arthur enlisted with the 7th Battalion Leicestershire Regiment. He was killed in the Battle of the Somme on 30 September 1916 as his battalion was occupying the newly captured village of Gueudecourt. The battalion war diary states: "During the two days 29/9/16 - 1/10/16 the battalion held and consolidated the line in front of Gueudecourt. The enemy shelled the village without cessation but caused few casualties as he did not appear to have located our line which was a little in advance of the edge of the village. Our casualties were therefore slight." Arthur has no known grave but is remembered on Pier 3A of the Thiepval Memorial, along with more than 50 other Rutland men. He is not remembered on the war memorials in Lyddington or Stockerston. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission has his age as 22. 

See where all our Rutland soldiers died during the Battle of the Somme on our interactive map.