King's Own Royal Regiment Museum

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Company Sergeant Major Arthur Motto

Prisoner of the Germans in Two World Wars

There cannot be soldiers of the King's Own Royal Regiment who had the misfortune to have been held as a prisoner of the Germans in both the First and Second World Wars.  Arthur Motto was in that unfortunate position.

Boy Arthur Motto, number 10175, attested at Devonport and enlisted into the King's Own Royal Lancaster Regiment on the 3rd March 1910 at the age of 14 years and 243 days.  In June 1910 he was appointed bandsman with the 2nd Battalion.  He was still with the 2nd Battalion at the outbreak of the First World War.  He went overseas to France and Flanders on 9th February 1915 and was thus entitled to the 1914-15 Star along with the British War and Allied Victory Medals. 

Lance Corporal Arthur Motto, was listed as missing and unofficial a prisoner of war at the Battle of Frezenberg on 8th May 1915, and was held a prisoner until the end of the war.

After the war Arthur rejoined the regiment, and received the new number 3701535, and served with them until June 1934 when he retired at the rank of Warrant Officer Class 2 and Company Sergeant Major.  In April 1934 he had married Georgina Muriel Wallman at Jersey. 

When the Germans invaded Jersey in 1940 Arthur and Georgina Motto were on the island, and they were eventually sent to German where they were held captive for three years, until repatriated when the war was over.  He moved to 7 McArthur Terrace, Charlton, London. 

© Images are copyright, Trustees of the King's Own Royal Regiment Museum.
 You must seek permission prior to publication of any of our images.