His father, H. H. Asquith was the British Prime Minister during the first three years of the conflict and later became the Earl of Oxford and Asquith. Arthur Asquith was born in 1883, the third son of politician H. H. Asquith and his wife Helen Melland, who died when Arthur was seven in 1891.
Asquith was educated at Winchester College with his brothers and later attended New College, Oxford as an undergraduate.
Arthur was wounded four times in the war and three times awarded the Distinguished Service Order for his bravery under fire. In December 1917, was seriously wounded during fighting near Beaucamp and was evacuated to Britain where one of his legs was amputated. retired from the military following his wound and worked for the Ministry of Munitions. After completing his studies, he joined the trading firm Franklin & Herrera, with whom he did extensive business in Argentina.
When the First World War broke out in the summer of 1914, resigned from Franklin & Herrera and joined the Royal Navy, explaining that he could not "sit quietly by reading the papers" during the conflict.
As the Royal Navy had too many recruits in the early months of the war, they formed a separate division to deploy on land known as the Royal Naval Division. This force was rapidly deployed to Belgium with as a junior officer
The Royal Naval Division suffered heavy casualties in the Siege of Antwerp, and was withdrawn shortly before the city fell, but in 1915 it was redeployed to the Mediterranean for use in the Gallipoli Campaign. In 1916, The Royal Naval Division, now designated the 63rd Division, was sent to the Western Front. remained as a staff officer until April 1917, when heavy casualties forced him to replace Bernard Freyberg in command of the 189th Brigade.
At the head of this formation, he participated in heavy fighting throughout the year, earning two Bars to his Defence Science Organisation and being wounded twice more.
On 17 December 1917, was badly wounded forcing his evacuation to Britain. Despite extensive surgery, his leg was amputated in January 1918, forcing his retirement from the military with the rank of brigadier general. He then served the remainder of the war with the Ministry of Munitions, in the Controller of the Trench Warfare Department. retired following the end of the war to his home Clovelly Court, Devon.
In the Directory of Directors for 1935, the Honorary Arthur M of 1 London Wall Buildings EC2 is listed as chairman of Brazil Plantations Syndicate Limited, chairman of Parana Plantations Limited and a director of San Paulo (Brazilian) Railway Company Limited. died at Clovelly Court, Devon on 25 August 1939.
