Name
Alfred Turner
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
15/01/1917
34
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
28136
Essex Regiment
13th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
UNICORN CEMETERY, VENDHUILE
III. E. 9.
France
Headstone Inscription
No Report
UK & Other Memorials
Ardeley Village Memorial, St Lawrence Church Memorial, Ardeley, Not on the Clothall memorials, We are not aware of any Cromer memorial
Pre War
Alfred was born in Luffenhall in 1883 and baptised on 12 Aug 1885 in Clothall. He was the son of William Turner, rough carpenter, and Ann(ie) nee Hole.
On the 1891 Census the family were living at Wesleyan Chapel Lane, Walkern, Stevenage, and consisted of Parents, Brothers Ernest William, Bertie (Herbert), Alfred, sisters Sarah, Beatrice and Lizzie. The 1901 Census records the family now consisting of Parents, Ernest William, Bertie and Alfred but with the additions of Freddie (Frederick), Alice, Lily and Rose, living at Church Lane Walkern. On the 1911 Census the family, Living at Cromer, Ardley, now consists of Parents, Ernest, Bertie, Alfred (like his father, a Hurdle Maker), Frederick, Lily and Rose.
He enlisted in Hitchin.
Wartime Service
No Service Records were found for Alfred. Alfred was aged 33 in 1916 and was probably called forward under the general conscription brought in that year.
He was enlisted in the Essex Regiment as Private 28136 and after training was posted to 13th (Service) Battalion, who had been deployed tin France since Nov 1915. As a unit of 2nd Division the Essex took part on Operation on the Ancre commencing 11 Jan 1917. This series of actions were intended (as last operations of the Somme Offensive) to seek local tactical advantages on the Heights above the Ancre River Valley. Alfred death is recorded as 15 Jan 1917 during these operations.
His burial in in Unicorn Cemetery, Vendhuile (which is north of St Quentin) is recorded as a Concentration and noted on the report (dated Sep 1919) as ‘Killed or died as a Prisoner of War.
The Hertfordshire Express newspaper dated 26th May 1917 recorded that he died of wounds in Germany and that he had been a valued agricultural worker who worked with his father for local farmers.
Additional Information
War Gratuity of £3 and arrears of £7 13s 5d was paid to his Father. www.stevenageatwar.com - The CWGC and SDITGW record him as in the Essex regiment, however a newspaper report suggests the Bedfordshires - the former is likely to correct.
Acknowledgments
Derry Warners, Neil Cooper
Paul Johnson, Jonty Wild, Philip Vine, Jean Handley,
