Name
Alfred Sidney Holden
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
17/02/1917
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
36341
Princess Charlotte of Wales’ (Royal Berkshire) Regiment
6th Bn
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
Not Yet Researched
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
THIEPVAL MEMORIAL
Pier and Face 11 D.
France
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Sawbridgeworth Town Memorial, Great St Mary’s Church Memorial, Sawbridgeworth, Not listed on the Hertfordshire Regimental Memorial, All Saints Church, Hertford
Pre War
Alfred was born 7 April 1889 and was baptised 16 June that year at Thorley. Alfred was illegitimate and originally had his mother’s surname of Turner. In the 1891 census, Alfred with his mother and sister were residing in the Bishop’s Stortford workhouse. However, in 1895 his mother married William Holden at Harlow and in the 1911 census the family were living at 4 Bell Yard in Bell Street.
Alfred was a ‘Gardener’ and worked at Rivers Nursery. He was also a Hertfordshire Territorial soldier joining between 26th January 1912 and 27th January 1913,
Alfred worked for Messrs T and H Rivers, as a nursery gardener, and before that by Mr H G Triswell
Wartime Service
Formerly 1963 in the Hertfordshire Regiment and upon the outbreak of war in 1914 he was mobilised for Home service as 'Terriers' could not be required to serve overseas unless they volunteered.
Alfred was to serve in England until June 1916, when he was transferred to the 6th Battalion Royal Berkshire Regiment went to France and fought in the Battle of the Somme.
In February 1917, Alfred’s unit was involved in what has become known as ‘Actions on the Ancre’. This was an extension of the old Somme offensive. Alfred Holden’s death date is given as 17 February 1917. On this day, his Battalion was in action attacking Miraumont. It was here that Alfred was killed. He has no known grave and is named on the Thiepval Memorial. He was aged 27.
The newspaper report of his death reads “Of the Royal Berkshire Regiment, whose parents, Mr and Mrs W Holden, of Bell Street, Sawbridgeworth, have received official notification that he was killed in action on the Western Front on February 17th. Deceased was a member of the Herts Regiment prior to the outbreak of the war and went to France last June, after being transferred to the Royal Berks. Previous to being mobilised he was employed by Messrs T and H Rivers, as a nursery gardener, and before that by Mr H G Triswell. Deceased was 25 years of age and single, and was well known and highly respected in Sawbridgeworth.”
Additional Information
Note. In some records the surname is given as ‘Halden’ and the middle name is given as ‘Sydney’.
Acknowledgments
Jonty Wild, David Harvey - Leventhorpe School, Douglas Coe
