Arthur Wymer would have enlisted about February 1915 and served in the 2/6th (Clyclist) Battalion of the Norfolk Regiment until transferred for overseas service amongst a group of men in mid-1916. Most men of this group had not signed the Imperial Service Obligation volunteering for service overseas, but Arthur Wymer obviously had because he is wearing the ISO badge on his uniform in the photo. He would have been part of a group of 2/6th Norfolks transferred to the Northamptonshire Regiment in the summer of 1916 following casualties taken on the Somme. The group embarked to France via Folkestone/Boulogne on 30 July 1916 being transferred for records purposes to the 1/1 Hertfordshire Regiment. On arrival each became entitled to the British War Medal and Victory Medal. They arrived at No. 17 Infantry Base Depot at Etaples on 31 July 1916. They were posted to 1st Battalion Northamptonshire Regiment on 23 August 1916. They were then permanently transferred to the 4th Reserve Battalion, Northamptonshire Regiment on 1 September 1916 and renumbered (Arthur Wymer getting his 43447 number at that point), and posted to 1st Battalion for active service in the trenches.
Arthur Wymer was killed at High Wood during an attempt to seize the German held half of High Wood on 9 September 1916. The British blew an underground mine under the German lines (the second in the same location) and rushed forward to attack the disoriented German defenders. They were not able to get enough men up in the tangle of the wood to hold on to the trenches and were pushed back. High Wood was finally taken in full on the 15 September 1916.
Steve.
