Private Arthur Pryke was born in the Suffolk Village of Drinkstone and was one of the Drinkstone men who never returned from fighting in the First World War. His name is recorded forever on the war memorial in All Saints Church, Drinkstone but his family also commissioned a special commemorative embroidery which hung in the family home. Back in 2010 we were very honoured to be asked to conserve this embroidery and it proved a very poignant commission for us. Please do see our previous posting on the very interesting conservation treatment of this object http://www.mbtexcon.co.uk/?portfolio=wwi-memorial-embroidery.
Since then Robin Sharp, Vice Chairman of Drinkstone War Memorial Institute, has located Arthur Pryke’s war grave in Étaples, France and has visited it several times. He is also the proud author of a newly published book ‘Valiant Hearts’, about the lives of all 18 men remembered on the Drinkstone village war memorials. Robin himself says it has been an exciting and exhausting ‘ride’ to arrive at the point of publication and he has uncovered some fascinating information along the way. The book of course features the Arthur Pryke embroidery.
This first photograph, sadly not a good reproduction, shows Arthur Pryke in military uniform.
This second one shows Arthur’s war grave situated in France.
The War Memorial in All Saints Church, Drinkstone
For more information on Robin Sharp – Valiant Hearts – the Story of the Men on the Drinkstone War Memorials please see this recent East Anglian Daily Times article https://www.eadt.co.uk/news/suffolk-village-war-book-to-be-published-1-6124754.
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Arthur George Pryke 27th February 1892 – 1st November 1918
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