Service No: 9th – Battalion Royal Warwickshire Regiment
Arthur Edward Irons was born in Castle Bromwich in 1899 and baptised at St Mary and St Margaret Church on 24th December of that year. He was the eighth of eighteen children born to Charles Irons and Lizzie White over a period of twenty years. By 1911, Arthur known as Edward, was working as a Blacksmith.
His war records suggest that he enlisted with the army on the outbreak of war. He joined the Royal Warwickshire Regiment and was attached to the Supply and Transport Corps. In June 1915 the Battalion embarked from Avonmouth for Gallipoli. Landing in July the Division was engaged in various actions including the Battle of Sari Bair, Russell’s top, Hill 60 and the last Turkish attack at Helles.
In January 1916 the weather was particularly harsh and due to severe combat losses and disease the Division was evacuated to Mudros and then Egypt. They were then dispatched from the Suez to Basra. They saw some action during 1917 before being transferred in 1918 to the North Persia Force.
By 1919 Edward had been promoted to sergeant and was serving in Western Asia. The Battalion had been on active service for four years. General Dunsterville wrote “This Brigade composed entirely of New Army Battalions has covered itself with glory second to none.”
Sergeant Edward Arthur Irons, 9th Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment died in India on 6th June 1919. He was the third of three brothers from Castle Bromwich to die as a result of service in the First World War.
He is buried at Madras War Cemetery and commemorated on the Castle Bromwich War Memorial and the on a plaque inside St Mary and St Margaret Church. He was the third of three brothers to die in the war.
