Name
Alfred George Childs
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
22/08/1917
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
34756
London Regiment (Royal Fusiliers)
1st (City of London) Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
TYNE COT MEMORIAL
Panel 28 to 30 and 162 to 162A and 163A.
Belgium
Headstone Inscription
No Report
UK & Other Memorials
Potters Bar, Little Heath & Bentley Heath Memorial, Potters Bar, All Souls Chapel Book of Remembrance, Potters Bar, South Mimms Village Memorial
Pre War
Alfred George was born in 1891 in South Mimms to John Childs, a carman, and Elizabeth Jane (nee Chamberlain).
On the 1891 Census the family of parents, and Alfred were living at High Street, South Mimms.
On the 1901 Census the family of parents, Alfred, Herbert (born 1894), Edwin (born 1900) were living at High Road, South Mimms.
On the 1911 Census still living at with his parents at High Road, South Mimms, Alfred was a butcher’s assistant, Herbert was working as a houseboy (domestic, also present were Edwin, Percy (born 1907) and Lily (born 1910).
Alfred married Elizabeth Margaret Pickett on 12 Aug 1912 at St. Giles Church, South Mimms. There would be two children: Alfred George J (born 10 Aug 1913) and Marjorie Lilian (born 14 Mar 1915),
Wartime Service
No Service Record was found for Alfred.
He enlisted as Private 34756 in the Royal Fusilier (City of London Regiment) probable some time in 1915. He went to France to join 4th Battalion on 9 Aug 1916 and probably took part in the Battles of Delville Wood (14-19 Aug 1916) and Ancre (13-19 Oct 1916) on the Somme. There is a gap in his postings from 9 Mar to 14 Jun 1917 when he was posted to 1st Battalion to take part in the Battles of Pilkem (31 Jul-2 Aug 1917) and Langemarck (16-18 Aug 1917) as part of 3rd Ypres (Passchendaele). Alfred was reported killed in action on 22 Aug 1917 during the on-going attrition of trench warfare. His remains were not recovered and he is remembered on the Tyne Cot Memorial, Ypres.
Additional Information
War Gratuity of £5 10s and arrears of £2 2s 6d was paid to his widow Elizabeth, who later lived at 14,Selbright Road, High Barnet. Brother Herbert served in Army Service Corps as a baker, in 69 Field Bakery at Bedford, he died of illness on 12 Apr 1917.
Acknowledgments
Neil Cooper
