William Arthur was born in Melton on 6th June 1898. The eldest son of Charles and Leah, William was one of twelve children; his father was a basket maker. In 1911, the family lived at 1 Beulah Villas, Melton.

When war broke out, in August 1914, William was sixteen years old and too young to enlist. In 1916, however, he was called up to join the services and was then posted to the Norfolk Regiment for training. Later, William joined the 9th South Lancashire Regiment, based in Salonika, with whom he remained for the rest of the war.

In 1923, William was working as a railway signalman when he married Jessie Ella Bloomfield. They lived together in Hasketon for a while and then returned to Beulah Villas after the death of William’s father, Charles, in 1941. William died there on 19th December 1972 and is buried in Melton Old Church. For his war service, William received the British War and Victory Medals.