Sgt Arnold Loosemore VC (WW1)

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Sheffield has recently been remembering its VC heros with the laying of memorial paving stones around its cenotaph. Yesterday was the 100 year anniversary of the day when Pt Arnold Loosemores' brave actions in WW1 earnt him the VC, and so a service was held at the Sheffield cenotaph as his memorial stone was unveiled.

The action took place on 11th August 1917 to the south of Langemarck, in Belgium, during an attack on a strongly held German position. His platoon was held up by heavy machine-gun fire. Crawling through a partially cut wire, Arnold dragged his Lewis gun behind him. He then, single-handed, dealt with a strong detachment of German soldiers, killing approximately 20 in total. His Lewis gun was destroyed almost immediately, and he was rushed by three of the enemy but he managed to shoot them with his revolver. Later, after shooting several enemy snipers, he returned to his original post carrying a wounded soldier under heavy fire. (Chris Hobbs.com)

His story is made all the more sad by the fact that after his Military funeral, Sheffield Council decided to send the funeral bill to his wife, despite her being penniless. Her pain didn't stop there, because she had married Arnold after he had received his injuries she didn't qualify for any War pension.

You can read up on Pt Loosemore VC here...

http://www.loosemore.group.shef.ac.uk

https://www.chrishobbs.com/arnoldloosemore1917.htm


I attended this event yesterday, and was pleased to see a good turn out for the service. Here are some photos....


Before the unveiling of the memorial stone (under the Union flag).
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The Lord Mayor addresses the service.
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VIP's, guests and family..
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I was now feeling a bit hungry, so I popped into the adjacent Weatherspoons for a bit of lunch (its what Arnold would have wanted)..

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As I was on my motorbike and it was a dry pleasant day I went to see a few locations relevant to Pt Loosemore. My first stop was where he lived when he was born, 3 Dyson Place off Sharrow Vale Rd. Sadly the house isn't there any more, but heres the road..

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Just a few yards up the road is where his parents later moved to, 1 Lescar Lane, which is next to the Lescar pub. Again the house no longer stands...

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Then just a few streets away is the school that Arnold attended, Clifford Church of England School on Psalter Lane...

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I didn't go inside but I do know that they have plaque inside dedicated to him. This plaque was originally located in a now demolished church elsewhere in the city..

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Arnold Loosemore VC sadly died just a few years after the end of WW1, and was given a military funeral. His coffin was pulled through the city on a cannon cart and thousands lined the streets to pay their respects. He was laid to rest at All Saints church, Ecclesall Road South..

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At the southern aspect of the church are a couple of plaques, one with a map of where the grave is located. The plaques can be seen on the ground bottom left...

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Following this map leads you to this area of the grave yard, with another small plaque on the floor pointing out the grave..

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https://flic.kr/p/XxAo27


Being penniless, Arnold was buried in an already occupied grave.. His wife Amy later joined him, but there is no mention on the grave of her being buried here, which sums up how poor they were and how disgusting it was of Sheffield Council to send her the bill for Arnolds military funeral..

https://flic.kr/p/WoecKr


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In the brief years between WW1 ending, and Arnolds death, he lived on Stannington Rd with his wife and young son. Finding it difficult to get about in his home due to his disabilities he struggled to get up the stairs of this 3 storey house and so the Rotary Club kindly supplied him with a wooden hut for him to live in. This was positioned in his garden. After his death, this hut found its way to the Rotary Club in Castleton where it stands today, and is used to holiday disadvantaged children. Heres a link to their website..

http://www.rotarycentrecastleton.co.uk


I rode over to Castleton to see it. The Rotary centre is located just off the tight 'S'bend in the centre of Castleton. Turn right as you enter the first left bend (from Sheffield) and follow this road, going right where it forks. Its a rough bumpy track with the club at the very end. When I arrived there were people there preparing it for a wedding the next day, but they kindly let me have a look inside the hut..

I was surprised at just how big this hut was, I can only assume his house in Stannington, Sheffield would have been a small terrace type house, yet its garden was obviously big enough for this hut to fit..

https://flic.kr/p/WkVeMw


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I managed to step inside what was once his home..

https://flic.kr/p/XpygsT


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There is a plaque mounted on the inside wall..

https://flic.kr/p/XmPR1J


Sadly, following the death of his parents, Arnold & Amy's son (also called Arnold) had to sell his fathers medals.

There is a road in the Gleadless area of the city called Loosemore Drive, which is named after Arnold. I remember there being a plaque on a wall at the start of this road, but sadly that has long been stolen. I shall post a photo of Loosemore Drive later.

This was a very enjoyable day, it was great to see that these heros are being remembered, and it was lovely to see some of the locations associated with this brave man.
 
Loosemore was of slight build, standing one 5' 4" tall. He could have taken a back office role after receiving his VC, but instead chose to return to the front line. He later got shot my machine gun and had to have a leg amputated. His remaining leg was badly damaged. Weakened by his injuries he found he couldn't work, and just a few years after the war he died of tuberculosis.

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Loosemore's medals from their sale at Sothebys 1st May 1969

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The road in Sheffield named after Loosemore. This plaque has long since been stolen, and it replaced an earlier plaque from 1986 which had also been stolen...

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Well done Bear! Thanks for posting. Glad you enjoyed your memorial lunch. As you say, it's what Arnold would have done (if he could have afforded it. ) The stat that always sticks in my mind is that recruits in 1914 GAINED a stone in weight during their basic training. That's despite the calories they lost in physical exercise. Just an indication of how under nourished most of them were.
 
Thanks for that, it's a sad read. I could never understood the value of buying someone else medals.
There is a law in the USA making it illegal to buy and sell the Medal of Honour.
What buzz is there in holding a gallantry medal not earned. The VC should stay with the family.
 
Thanks for that, it's a sad read. I could never understood the value of buying someone else medals.
There is a law in the USA making it illegal to buy and sell the Medal of Honour.
What buzz is there in holding a gallantry medal not earned. The VC should stay with the family.

True, but if they are to be sold then I would hope they would go to a collector who allows them to be displayed in museums etc.
 
That medal should never leave the family as my fathers medals will stay with us or go the the SAS museum. Cheers bear reading that sent a chill through my body.


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Treating him more compassion and human decency almost a 100 years after his death than they did after he was invalided out of the army ,no mention about when he died in 1924 his family were refused a widows pension as he didn't ( in the eyes of the authories that made the rules ) have the decency to die during the war he helped to win
 
his family were refused a widows pension as he didn't ( in the eyes of the authories that made the rules ) have the decency to die during the war he helped to win

Disgusting isn't it. His wife was refused a pension as she married him after he got his injuries, so she know she was marrying damaged goods. And for her to be handed the bill for his military funeral???? Was that normal in those days?
 
Well done Bear.

That is a really nice write up about a forgotten hero.

I like the fact that you also took us on a historical tour as well. :thumb2
 
Great stuff..thanks for posting :beerjug:
 


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