WORKING NOTES

Born Born 4/7/1886, Swansea. Parents - Frank (Shoeing Smith) & Sally

1886 - Bapt 28/7/1886, Swansea St Mary. Add-34 Vernon St, Hafod. Dads occ-Shoeing Smith

1891 - 190 Neath Rd, Llangyfelach. 4yo. Scholar. W parents & older bro Fredk Jno

1901 - 14 Field St, Landore. 14yo. Occ-Strike for Shoeing Smith. W parents an older bro Fredk Jno (also Brigade member)

1907 - Married Maria Harris, 20 May 1907, St Pauls, Landore. Add-14 Field St. Occ-Blacksmith

1911 - 5 Byng St Landore. 25yo. Occ-Blacksmith Man, Tube Works. W wife May, Son Ronald A (1908) & widowed mum

1918 - Elec Reg. 5 Byng St Landore. Abs Voter

1921 - 5 Manselton Ter, Swansea. 34y11m. Occ-Blacksmith, Richard Thomas Tinplate. W wife, May, Ronald Arthur (1908), Wm Leslie (1911)

1939 - 5 Manselton Ter, Swansea. DOB 4/7/1886. Occ-Master Blacksmith. Widower

1980 - Died aged 93. 23 Jun 1980, New Earlsmoor, Bryn Rd, Brynmill, Swansea. DOB 4/7/1886

Arthur Raddon enlisted in the 1st Welsh (Howitzer) Brigade between June 1909 and May 1910, following in the footsteps of his brother Fred, who had enlisted in April 1909. Unfortunately, Arthur’s service record was destroyed in the Blitz, but some details can still be pieced together from surviving fragments.

A native of Swansea, Arthur likely served with the 1st Glamorgan Battery, based at the Drill Hall on Richardson Street. Given his civilian occupation, it is probable that he immediately took up the role of Shoeing-Smith in the Brigade, an essential position due to the large number of horses required.

At the outbreak of the Great War, Arthur was mobilised and travelled with the Brigade around the UK as they prepared for war, visiting locations such as Shrewsbury, Northampton, Cambridge, and Bedford. In November 1915, as the Brigade prepared to depart for overseas service, two pictures of the then-promoted Farrier-Sergeant H.A. Raddon appeared in South Wales newspapers.

The Brigade sailed for France on the night of 21/22 November 1915, and Farrier-Sergeant H.A. Raddon was among the 401 men who made the journey from Southampton to Le Havre. From Le Havre, the Brigade moved to the Somme region to acclimatise to the front line. This area would later mark the southern edge of the Somme battlefield, just six months later.

In January 1916, the Brigade received orders to rejoin the 53rd Division (who had been fighting in Gallipoli) in Egypt. They embarked on the dangerous 5-day journey from Marseilles to Alexandria in February. While no records confirm it, it is likely that Farrier-Sergeant Raddon made this journey.

Upon arrival, the Brigade moved to Wardan Station, Beni Salama, to acclimatise to the desert conditions. In May, they took up defensive positions near the Suez Canal at Ismalia. By late 1916, their General decided that offensive action was the best form of defence, and the Brigade began the arduous march across the Sinai Desert, culminating in the three Battles of Gaza in 1917 and the eventual capture of Jerusalem that November.

In 1918, the Brigade continued its advance through Palestine and Jordan until the Armistice. After the war, the men returned to Alexandria and, following a brief delay, began their journey back to Wales in February/March 1919.

According to his military pension records, Arthur was discharged on 31 March 1920 with the rank of Staff-Sergeant. He was granted a military pension due to tuberculosis, which had been aggravated by his service.

His family confirmed:

Henry Arthur Raddon.... I remember vividly. This was due to his long life (94 years I think). He was a Farrier by trade and owned a forge in the (then) village of Norton in the Oystermouth and Mumbles area of Swansea. I was told that he was stationed in Egypt during the Great war (no doubt shoeing those horses).

For his service in the Great War, Staff-Sergeant HA Raddon was awarded the 1914/15 Star, the British War Medal, and the Victory Medal. He also received the Territorial Force Efficiency Medal in May 1919.

Post-War Service

Arthur re-enlisted on 11 June 1920 and served for an additional two years as a Farrier Staff.

BQMS

Arthur’s son, Ronald, followed in his father’s footsteps by enlisting in the Royal Artillery. He was awarded the OBE and the British Empire Medal for his heroic actions at Dunkirk during World War II.