Arthur Charles Sprange, died 22nd October 1917, aged 25.
Private G/43948, 12th Battalion, The Duke of Cambridge’s Own (Middlesex Regiment).

Born on 5th May 1892 and brought up at Curtisden Green, Arthur Sprange became a carpenter and worked for some time at Bethany School before enlisting in 1916. He was wounded while on patrol in no man’s land, probably early in 1917 near Bapaume on the old Somme battlefield, as a result of which he spent several months in hospital at Ashford. He returned to the Western Front when the Third Battle of Ypres was in progress, and was lost when heavy shelling obliterated his battalion’s frontline trench near Poelcapelle. He is commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial.

Parish Magazine, St Mary’s, Goudhurst, August 1917
Pte. Arthur Sprange was wounded while out scouting: he worked round a wood which it was thought that the Germans had evacuated, but he discovered a machine gun force in ambush and thus saved British troops from falling into a trap; he had to be out from home till it was dark or he would have been discovered by the enemy.

Parish Magazine, St Mary’s, Goudhurst, December 1917
Pte. Arthur Sprange, Middlesex Regt, was brought up at Winchet Hill. On leaving school he was employed at Bethany House School. It was only a year ago that he was called up. In the Army he distinguished himself as a Scout and it was on a scouting expedition by himself that he was wounded. He was for some month in hospital at Ashford but having quite recovered he returned to the Front and met his death in action. He was 22 years of age.

Kent & Sussex Courier 14th December 1917
The Death Roll: Private Arthur Sprange
Taught at Winchet Hill School , afterwards employed at Bethany House School, and called up a year ago, distinguished himself as an Army Scout, and was on a scouting expedition by himself when he was wounded. After spending some months in Ashford Hospital, he returned to the Front, and met his death in action, at the age of 22.