Name
Alfred Leonard Mayes
6 June 1899
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
28/06/1917
21
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
13579
Bedfordshire Regiment
1st Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
ARRAS MEMORIAL
Bay 5
France
Headstone Inscription
N/A
UK & Other Memorials
Welwyn Village Memorial, St Mary the Virgin Roll of Honour, Welwyn, Welwyn Scout Memorial
Pre War
Alfred Leonard Mayes was born in Welwyn, Herts on 6 June 1899, the son of Arthur and Cecilia Mayes, and baptised in St. Mary’s Church on 1 February 1903 at the same time as his brother Vivian.
The family lived in Prospect Place, Welwyn, with five sons and two daughters being born between 1887 and 1901. Arthur Abel Mayes, originally from Aldersgate in London was a Life Assurance Agent married to Cecilia Pepper, also born in London.
Alfred attended Welwyn Evening School from 1907 to 1909 and by 1911 was apprenticed as a Watch and Clock Maker. He was also heavily involved with the Scout movement in Welwyn as were most of his brothers.
Wartime Service
Alfred enlisted in Welwyn and joined the Bedfordshire Regiment. He served in France with the 1st Battalion from 1 April 1915, suffering a gas attack in May 1915 and spending time in hospital.
By August that year he was back with his Battalion and wrote to his father; "Your box came mighty acceptable as it arrived in a French village the same time as I did. There was not a single shop of any description in the village, except a beer shop and they had not got any beer. There were Norfolks and Bedfords together. We had done a mid-day march of about six miles together from the railhead after a hundred miles ride, 40 in a horsebox together. What our leathernecks said about that beer shop had better not be reported. I nearly got blown up on Hill 60 the same night as we got relieved. It took about a week for the ground to stop moving, or so it appeared to me. It was rather hair-raising to me as I was out on a listening post in front of the barbed wire with nothing between us and the Germans. I did not feel any fear, only astonishment. The explosion left me about a foot and caused me to tremble from excitement for about quarter of an hour. Lord William Cecil’s son was killed that night. I knew him well. He was greatly liked and a very popular officer.”
Alfred was killed in action on 28 June 1917 when the 1st Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment was involved in the Battle of Oppy Wood.
Additional Information
His mother received a war gratuity of £13 and pay owing of £8 13s 10d. Pension cards exist but give no indication of the amount of pension received.
Brother to John William Mayes who died on 2 September 1918 and Vivian Charles Mayes who died on 4 April 1917. They are also named on the Welwyn Memorials.
Acknowledgments
Neil Cooper, Brenda Palmer
Paul Jiggens, Welwyn and District History Society - www.welwynww1.co.uk, Brenda Palmer
