Arthur was a Seventh-day Adventist who worked as a missionary tract distributor and was training for the ministry, he was also a clerk.

Both the brothers submitted written applications from Glasgow to the Lewisham Tribunal in June 1916 and both the Lewisham Borough News and the Kentish Mercury reported their claim. Both Arthur and Albert claimed conscientious objection on the grounds that they were Seventh-day Adventists in training for the ministry and as such they believed that they were as entitled to exemption as other ministers of religion or officers of the Salvation Army were.

They also stated that they were strict observers of the Sabbath from Friday to Saturday and knew of co-religious who had been punished for refusing to obey orders in the Army. The Chairman said that on the evidence in their application the Tribunal would grant them non-combatant certificates. When their representative said he did not think that this would satisfy them and they could always appeal, the tribunal members commenced quoting from the New Testament to uphold their belief in the case for war and Mr Harry, the Military Representative, backed by the Chairman and tribunal members threatened to press for their application to be disallowed if they refused the non-combatant certificates offered.

Arthur accepted enlistment into the Non-Combatant Corps on the same day as his brother 19 June 1916 at the Camberwell recruiting office and served with the 4 Eastern Company at home until 20 December 1919 when he was demobbed.

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