202719 Private Arthur Ernest BLOXSOME was born in Charlton Kings, the son of Walter & Alice BLOXSOME of 3 Woodville Cottage, Church Street, Charlton Kings, Cheltenham. He enlisted in the Gloucestershire Regiment in Gloucester. He was drafted to the 2/4th (Territorial) Battalion and was killed just after the battle of Langemarck, 3rd Ypres, in one of three minor operations in the vicinity of St. Julien. During the evening of the 23rd August the 2/4th Glosters relieved the 2/6th Glosters in the front line just north of Weiltje. On the 25th orders were received from 183 Brigade (which included the 2/4th Glosters) to attack the enemy on the 27th. The 2/4th Battalion struggled to make its way to attack assembly positions due to the dark night, unfavourable ground (made worse by heavy rain) and intense enemy shelling. Two platoons went astray and did not participate in the attack which began, under cover of an artillery barrage, at 1.55 pm. The attackers were forced to slog through a clinging morass and many of their rifles and machine guns were clogged with mud and made useless. Owing to extremely heavy machine gun and sniper fire the attack stalled and at 4.30 pm the attackers consolidated their new positions. At the end of the day casualties were reported as 3 officers and 180 other ranks. Failure to take the attack objectives was attributed to the mud and to the fact that the troops were forced to lie in water for 12 hours prior to the attack. Private BLOXSOME has no known grave and is commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial.
Memorials: Charlton Kings, Horsefair Street
L'est we forget
