Also Served: Arthur Herbert Procter - Arthur Herbert PROCTER
Curate of Prescot 1928 – 1931 Private 3156 (Later 200996), 1/5th Bn, King’s (Liverpool) Regiment Arthur Herbert Procter VC
Although not a native of Prescot, I have decided to include Arthur Procter due to his service as Curate at the church across the dates above, and also to highlight his Victoria Cross.
Arthur Procter was born in Bootle in 1891. He was educated at Port Sunlight and Exeter and his first employment was at the Corn Exchange in Liverpool. On 26th November 1914 he joined the 1/5th Battalion, the King's (Liverpool) Regiment, and went overseas with the Battalion on 21st February 1915.
His gallantry in June 1916 in saving two comrades resulted in the award of the Victoria Cross. The citation reads :
'For most conspicuous bravery at Ficheux, France, on 4th June 1916, 3156 Private Procter, noticing some movement on the part of two wounded men who were lying in the open in full view of the enemy at about seventy five yards in front of our trenches, went out on his own initiative, and though heavily fired at, ran and crawled to the two men, got them under cover of a small bank, dressed their wounds and after cheering them with the promise of rescue after dark, and leaving them with some of his clothing for warmth, regained our trenches again being heavily fired at. At dusk both men were brought in alive.'
He received his Victoria Cross from King George V in France and on his return to Liverpool had a hero's welcome being paraded through the streets and given a gold watch.
He was discharged from the army on 14th october 1918 and returned to Liverpool. In 1918, he married Hilda Codd in Birkenhead and then decided on a new vocation in the ministry. He was ordained in 1927 and became Curate of Prescot in 1928.
After serving at Prescot until 1931, he became vicar of St Stephens Church, Hyde. In the Second World War he served as a chaplain in the Royal Air Force after which he was vicar of St Mary's Church in Droylsden. In 1951 he moved to St Peters Church in Claybrook, Leicester and finally to Sheffield where he died in January 1973 aged eighty two.
Sheffield Cathedral houses a memorial tablet to Arthur Procter whilst his Victoria Cross is at the National Museums and Galleries of Merseyside. Ref. No.:
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