Name
Alfred George Gilson
6 June 1886
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
25/04/1915
28
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
3266
East Surrey Regiment
2nd Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL
Panel 34.
Belgium
Headstone Inscription
N/A
UK & Other Memorials
Shenley War Memorial, St Botolph's Church Memorial, Shenleybury (now lost) (*1), Family grave, St Botolph's Churchyard, Shenleybury
Pre War
Alfred George Gilson was born in Shenley, Hertfordshire in 1886, the son of John and Martha Gilson, and baptised on 19 September 1886 at Shenley. He was one of ten children.
On the 1891 Census the family were living at London Road, Shenley where his father was working as an agricultural labourer. They had moved to Holly Lodge, Shenley by 1901 and 14 year old Alfred was described as a 'helper on a farm'. They remained there in 1911 and Alfred (then called by his second name of George) was working as a farm labourer.
On 24 December 1911 he married Ellen Hilda Gilson, nee Samms, in the Hatfield registration area and had three children, Alfred, born 16 March 1912, William, born 9 May 1913 (died 19 May 1913), and Francis, born 25 April 1915.
His widow's address on pension records was given as Pursley Farm Cottage, Shenley.
Wartime Service
He enlisted in Barnet and served with the 2nd Battalion, East Surrey Regiment in France from 24 March 1915.
Alfred was killed in action on 24 April 1915. He has no known grave and his name is commemorated on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial.
Additional Information
*1 Believed named on the lost memorial.
At the time of his death Alfred actually owed the Army 13s 6d. His widow, Ellen, eventually received a gratuity of £3. She also received a pension of 18s 6d a week for herself and her two surviving children, Alfred and Francis.
Ellen later remarried to Gordon Brownin [sic] in Old Shoreham, Sussex on 14 May 1916. Gordon was a Private with the 10th Royal Sussex Regiment and survived the war.
Inscription to Alfred on the Gilson family grave in Shenley (St. Botolph) Churchyard, Shenleybury, reads: ALSO ALFRED GEORGE THEIR YOUNGEST SON, KILLED IN THE GREAT WAR APRIL 25TH 1915, AGED 28 YEARS.
Acknowledgments
Taff Williams, Brenda Palmer
