Arthur Stephen Middleton BEST (1885-1917)

Arthur Stephen Middleton Best (1885-1917) was a day pupil at Christ College, Brecon, at the same time as some of the Sladden sons.

Arthur Best was born in Fulham on 25th May 1885, the second of six children of Charles William Best, a civil engineer who was county surveyor for Brecknockshire, and his wife, Julia, of Penbryn, Brecon.  On leaving school, he studied engineering under his father and obtained a BSc from the University of London.  He joined the 1st Brecknockshire Battalion of the South Wales Borderers the following month.

In 1915, he joined 71st Field Company, Royal Engineers.  Lieutenant Arthur Best was killed in Mesopotamia, on 23rd February 1917, aged 32, and is buried in the Amara War Cemetery.  His two younger brothers, Lieutenant Frank Harrington Best and Lieutenant Stephen Wriothesley Best, were also both killed in Mesopotamia, the former in February 1917 and the latter in April 1917.

All three sons are commemorated on the war memorial in the grounds of St Mary’s Church, Brecon.  The memorial was unveiled by their mother in November 1920.