Arnold Waters V.C.

[O.C.]

One week just before the war ended in 1918 Major Arnold Waters, D.S.O., M.C. a Sutton Coldfield man of the 218 Field Company Royal Engineers won the Victoria Cross
Waters won his VC on the first day of the second battle of Sambre (4 November 1918, which was part of the final offensive of the war. The attack was opened on a front of 30 miles from Valenciennes to the Sambre, north of Oisy. At this point the 60-70 feet wide Sambre-Oise canal runs approximately north-south, about 5 miles east of Le Cateau. The canal was first barrier to be encounted by troops in the northern attack. The British XIII and IX Corps reached the canal first. German guns quickly ranged the attackers, and bodies piled up before the temporary bridges were properly emplaced under heavy fire.

(London Gazette: 13 February 1919)
For most conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty on 4 November 1918, near Ors, when bridging with his Field Company the Oise-Sambre canal. From the outset the task was under artillery and machine-gun fire at close range, the bridge being damaged and the building party suffering severe casualties. Major Waters, hearing that all his officers had been killed or wounded, at once went forward and personally supervised the completion of the bridge, working on cork floats while under fire at point-blank range. So intense was the fire that it seemed impossible that he could escape being killed. The success of the operation was due entirely to his valour and example.
After the war he lived in Four Oaks

 

[ChrisM]

Thanks, Cromwell, really very interesting.

As far as you are aware, is anything known about this remarkable gentleman's early life - in particular when did his association with Sutton begin and was he educated there?

Chris

 

[O.C.]

ChrisM, when the unknown warrior was carried to his last resting place in 1920 nearly a 100 Victoria Cross holders formed the guard of honour in two lines... Arnold Waters was in one of the lines of these men as was Arthur Vickers

 

[O.C.]

ChrisM
Arnold Waters a native of Plymouth came to Birmingham in January 1910 to join the staff of Messrs. Willcox & Raikes who were consulting engineers, he was commissioned in the Royal Engineers after the war finished then returned to his life in Birmingham and branched out on his own as a consulting engineer dealing in water supply, sewage and later became a member of the Institute of Civil Engineers, Mechanical Engineers and Water Engineers he was that well thought of and respected he was made their President in 1933 but you could never get him to talk about his army career and the deeds that won him his medals.
He took a keen interest in the welfare of Ex-soldiers and was Chairman of the Birmingham and Sutton Coldfield Pensions Committee and a Justice of the Peace for Sutton Coldfield