BINGHAM, Arthur

Arthur Bingham was the brother of Edward Bingham and was born at Lye. He was a nephew of Amos Perrins, the first Chairman of the Lye Urban District Council, and he attended Wollescote school. His parents, Mr and Mrs Samuel Bingham, later moved with their family to 1 Woodland Cottage, Highley, a mining village in Shropshire near the River Severn. Arthur Bingham volunteered for the Shropshire Territorials but was later transferred, probably after injury, to the 2nd Battalion of the South Wales Borderers. In 1916 they returned from Gallipoli and were posted to the Western Front and Arthur Bingham might have joined them during the long conflict of the 1916 Battle of the Somme. In 1917 they were at Arras and Third Ypres but the year ended with the Battle of Cambrai. The opening phase was remarkably successful but the subsequent German counter-attacks led to heavy casualties. Private Arthur Bingham was killed in action on the 3rd December and is commemorated on the Cambrai, Lye and Wollescote, Lye church and Wollescote school Memorials.