225835 Gnr. Arthur Montgomery British Army 173nd (East Ham) Brigade. Royal Field Artillery from:Rainham, Essex Art Montgomery was born in 1894. He enlisted in the British Army in May 1915. His service record states that he served `at home' from 26th May 1915 to 26th November 1915. He was posted to France from 27th November 1915 until 11th August 1918. Arthur's records show that he was on leave from 12th to 26th August 1918, although it doesn't state where he took that leave. He is recorded as being in France from 27 August until 20th February 1919. He was discharged from the army on 31 March 1920.
He married Annie Low in 1918. They lived at Rainham where he worked as a farm foreman and had two children.
There is only one story about his time as a gunner in the artillery. During a German breakthrough, he and his fellow gun team had to make a hasty escape on horseback, abandoning the gun. They had removed the firing mechanism from the gun to render it useless to the enemy. This was thrown in the nearest water-filled ditch as they went hell for leather for their retreating lines.
I remember his comment when my brother, who was about six years old at the time, showed a great interest in the shotgun Uncle Art used for controlling vermin. `If you knew what damage guns can cause', he said, `you wouldn't be so interested in them.'
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