Letters from Arthur Francis Savory Sladden (1884-1966), fifth child of Julius and Eugénie Sladden

Arthur Francis Savory Sladden (1884-1966) was the fifth child of Julius and Eugénie Sladden.  He was born on 21^st February 1884 at Seward House, Badsey.  The Worcestershire Archive and Archaeology Service at The Hive in Worcester contains 234 of his letters written between 1893 and 1955; the Imperial War Museum contains four of his letters.

There are 76 letters from the pre World War I period; these have not been transcribed but may be viewed at Worcester.  These letters were mainly written from Christ College, Brecon, where Arthur was a pupil, and then from Oxford University where he studied medicine.  Subsequent letters were written from St Bartholomew’s Hospital and various addresses in London.  From October 1910 to April 1911, Arthur was Medical Officer at an American archaeological excavation at Cyrene, Libya; 28 letters were written from Cyrene.  On his return, some letters were written from 12 Charleville Circus, Sydenham, where he lived with his siblings for a short time.  From March 1914, just before his marriage, letters were written from a flat at 9 The Manor House, Marylebone Road.

Arthur signed on with the Royal Army Medical Service two days after the outbreak of war. After a short spell in Nantes, Arthur spent most of the war in Rouen.  There are 159 letters from the WW1 period, all of which have been transcribed.  They are mainly written from France, though a few were written in the UK whilst on home leave.

There are also three letters written after the First World War; these have not been transcribed but may be viewed at Worcester (subject to access restrictions for the later letters).