Wilfred Leonard Arnett – 17th Lancers

Wilfred was born on 5 March 1899 to Leonard and Florence Mary Alberta in Middleton, Herefordshire.  His parents moved up to Wincle in 1912 or 1913 where they farmed at Lower Greasley Farm until the later 1920s or early 1930s. It was from Wincle that Wilfred enlisted. No military records can be found but on the Absent Voters List he is stated to be in the 17th Lancers with regimental no. 15032. As we have been unable to find any medal cards for him this would suggest he didn’t see active service, only training; in any case because of his age Wilfred would only have enlisted towards the end of the war.

Wilfred Arnett on 1918 Wincle Absent Voters List

It was probably Wilfred’s mother Florence who encouraged the family to move up north. She was a daughter of Matthew Shufflebotham who had farmed at Lower Greasley in the 1860s. Although Florence was born in Sutton in 1870 she was baptised in Wincle like her older siblings who had been born at the farm. Her father died when she was only 5 and her mother 8 years later. After her mother's death she and her sister Annie moved to Herefordshire to join her uncle, Matthew’s brother John, who had moved there earlier. It was there she met Leonard, married and gave birth to Wilfred. The family later moved to Bromyard, near Much Cowarne.

Wilfred moved back down south to Herefordshire to carry on farming at some point in the 1920s, married Lydia Owens in 1929 and died in 1976.

It is intriguing to note that Much Cowarne features in the life of Wilfred Leonard Arnett as well as the Essex boys also commemorated on the Wincle Memorial.