Name
Alfred William Gardner
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
08/11/1914
22
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
10139
Bedfordshire Regiment
2nd Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
Not Yet Researched
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
HARLEBEKE NEW BRITISH CEMETERY
XVII. C. 5
Belgium
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Ware Town Memorial, St Mary’s Church Memorial, Ware, Not on the Gilston memorials, Not on the Sawbridgeworth memorials
Pre War
Alfred Gardner was born in September 1891 at Gilston, Sawbridgeworth son of Alfred and Ellen Gardner later of The Bungalows, Ware Park Farm, Ware, Herts. In baptismal records, the name is given as William Alfred Gardner.
In the 1901 census, the family had moved to Cambridge Road, Sawbridgeworth, but had moved on again by 1911.
Alfred was a professional soldier, having joined the Army before 1911. He served in the 2nd Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment.
He was living in Ware when in enlisted in Hertford.
Wartime Service
Alfred’s Battalion landed at Zeebrugge in Belgium in September 1914 and immediately raced to the front, meeting the oncoming German Army near Ypres. There followed the First Battle of Ypres, which was a confusing combat, but the result was that the German Army had been stopped from advancing further. It was here that Alfred lost his life on 8 November 1914. He was aged 23.
Alfred Gardner is buried at Harlebeke New British Cemetery, Belgium.
Additional Information
Alfred was first buried elsewhere before being moved to the cemetery, his body was identified by his identity disc which was returned to base and presumably back to his family.
Acknowledgments
Malcolm Lennox, Jonty Wild, Douglas Coe
