Captain Neville Henry Arden attended Wanganui Collegiate from 1901 and on leaving went into an architect’s office. Here he met with considerable success, gaining several prizes. He was also an enthusiastic rifle shot and a good cricketer.

Neville Arden entered Trentham Camp in the Rifle Brigade just a few days after the Gallipoli Landings in 1915. His ability earned him higher rank and he left the country as a second lieutenant. He first served in Egypt and moved to the Western Front with the New Zealand Division in 1916. Here he saw action in practically all of the campaigns in which New Zealand was engaged. In March 1917 he was made a company commander in the Otago Regiment with the rank of captain. He fell on 4 October 1917, the day his new rank was Gazetted.

He was in the front line on 4 October in the Battle of Broodseinde and after capturing Otto Farm moved on further to the Red Line. Van Meulen Farm constituted one of the main German defensive points and held a considerable garrison. The resistance was broken by a determined attack organised and personally led by Captain Arden. The result was more than 50 prisoners and the capture of several machine guns. At the objective, Captain Arden, who had been wounded earlier, went forward to determine the most suitable line for consolidation, and was fatally wounded, dying soon afterwards. He was buried on the battlefield at 's Graventafel and after the war his remains were moved to Tyne Cot Cemetery. [Freddy Declerck]