Name
Alan Henry Bald
11 May 1884
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
15/10/1915
31
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Captain
3rd Queen Alexandra's Own Gurkha Rifles
2nd Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 (Mons) Star, British War and Victory Medals
Mentioned in Despatches
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
GORRE BRITISH AND INDIAN CEMETERY
I. E. 14
France
Headstone Inscription
REJOICE IN THE LORD ALWAYS AND AGAIN I SAY REJOICE
UK & Other Memorials
Berkhamsted Town Memorial, St Peter’s Church Plaque, Berkhamsted, Berkhamsted Collegiate School Memorial
Pre War
Alan Henry Bald was born in Liverpool on 24 March 1884, the son of Arthur and Adelaide Bald, and baptised on 11 May 1884 at St Lukes, Liverpool. He was one of nine children.
His father died in September 1889 aged 49 (with an estate of £3458 12s 10d) and on the 1891 Census, he was living with his widowed mother and six siblings at 1 Beresford Road, Oxton, Cheshire. By the 1901 Census he was a boarder at Berkhamsted School, Hertfordshire.
He was commissioned as 2nd Lieutenant on 13 August 1904 in to the Indian Army (3rd Gurkha Rifles) and promoted to Lieutenant on 13 November 1906 and was named on the Indian Army Quarterly list for 1 January 1912. The address given for him in India was Lansdowne Garhwal, northern India.
On the 1911 Census his mother and siblings were living at, Loxwood, Kings Road, Berkhamsted.
Wartime Service
He was a serving officer with the Indian Army, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Gurkha Rifles at the outbreak of war.
At some point they were sent to fight in France and Alan was promoted to Captain. Although the details are not known he was Mentioned in Despatches ( Gazette issue 29623, 13/06/1916 p.5962).
He was killed in action in France on 15 October 1915, aged 31 and is buried in the Gorre British and Indian Cemetery, France.
Additional Information
His brother Rev Edward Maitland Bald was granted probate of Alan's estate in London on 20 April 1916 with effects of £2702 12s 5d. His mother, Mrs A Bald, of Kinghoe, Berkhamsted, ordered his headstone inscription: "REJOICE IN THE LORD ALWAYS AND AGAIN I SAY REJOICE".
N.B. No entry has been found for Alan Bald in Soldiers who died in the Great War list, or Soldiers Effects list perhaps because he was an officer in the Indian Army.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
Jo Bayley, www.findagrave.com/memorial
