Arthur Thomas Measures was born on 25 June 1890 in Plumstead, London, the son of Arthur Thomas Measures (1864-1929) and Mary Ann Measures née Lockwood (1869-1948). His birth was registered in the 3rd quarter of 1890 in the Woolwich Registration District, London.
In the 1891 census he is shown as aged 9 months and living in four rooms in 20 Oliver Road, Plumstead, with his parents. His father was shown as a labourer employed at Woolwich Arsenal.
On 20 April 1906 he enlisted in the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class, service number 236277 and was posted to the training establishment at HMS Ganges. Promoted to Boy 1st Class on 10 December 1906 he served on HMS Defiance and HMS Cambridge. On 25 June 1908, his 18th birthday, he signed on for 12 years as an Ordinary Seaman gaining promotion to Able Seaman on 1 November 1910. He served aboard several ships, the last being HMS Ajax which he joined on 2 April 1914. He was transferred ashore on 31 August 1914 and after spending some time at the Royal Naval Hospital Haslar in Gosport, Hampshire he was made invalided.
He married Ella Florence Lee in the 4th quarter of 1917 in the Lewisham Registration District, London. The birth of their daughter, Lillian Ella Measures, was registered in the 1st quarter of 1919 but she died and was buried on 30 September 1919 in Lewisham.
He died, aged 28 years, on 15 April 1919 suffering from phthisis (now known as tuberculosis) and his body was buried in Plot D, Grave 3206, in the Ladywell Cemetery, 113 Brockley Grove, London, SE4 1DZ. As he has no headstone he is shown there as 'Able Seaman A T Measures RN 236277 H.M.S. "Ajax". Age 28. Thy will be done' on the Screen Wall.
He was posthumously awarded the British War Medal 1914-1918. He is also commemorated on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission's website, on the Imperial War Museum's Lives of the First World War website, on the A Street Near You website and on the British Legion's Every One Remembered website.
Credit for this entry to: Andrew Behan.
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