Sergeant Arthur Verrant Marriott
Arthur Marriott was born in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, England on August 6, 1889, the son of Frank and Rebecca Marriott. At some point he immigrated to Paris. He was employed as a shoe cutter at Penmans No. 1 mill. He attended St. James Anglican Church. Arthur enlisted in 1915 at 26 years of age with the 125th Battalion. He was a member of the 10th Platoon that embarked aboard the S.S Scandinavia on February 12, 1916. The 9th and 10th Platoons were the first contingent of soldiers from Paris, nearly 100 men, to go overseas. He would have been transferred to another battalion after arriving in England, but there are no details of his military service until his death, on September 28, 1918. While taking part in the attack at Bourlon Wood on September 27, Arthur was wounded in the abdomen by shrapnel from an enemy shell. He was taken to No. 38 Casualty Clearing Station where he died the next day.
The Battle of the Canal du Nord and the subsequent capture of Bourlon Wood took place as a critical part of the Allied Hundred Days Offensive during the First World War. The main assault, spearheaded by the Canadian Corps, occurred on September 27, 1918. Bourlon Wood sits on the highest hill in the area, offering a crucial observational advantage, and was a key position in the German Hindenburg Line defenses near Cambrai, France.
The Canadian Corps, under the command of General Sir Arthur Currie, was tasked with forcing a passage across the partially built, dry Canal du Nord and seizing Bourlon Wood to cover the British Third Army's flank. A frontal assault on the canal itself was deemed madness, so a narrow-front penetration strategy was devised. On September 27, 1918, at 5:20 a.m., the attack began with a surprise artillery barrage. Canadian engineers quickly followed the infantry to build bridges across the canal. Despite heavy German resistance and casualties, the Canadian Corps captured Bourlon Wood and the nearby village of Bourlon by nightfall on September 27. The success at Bourlon Wood was a major achievement, as the Canadian Corps broke the main German trench system and forced the enemy to fall back. This victory enabled further Allied advances towards Cambrai, Denain, Valenciennes, and eventually Mons, playing a significant role in the final months of the war. Arthur is buried in Sunken Road Cemetery in Boisleux-St.Marc, south of Arras. The First World War would end six weeks later.