No.9120, Company Sergeant Major, Alfred Arthur HOWE M.M.
Aged 27
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Alfred Arthur Howe was born in Great Barton (3rd qtr 1889 Thingoe 4a:687) son of Walter George and Mary Ann Ellen HOWE (née LONG). He was
baptised on 25th August 1889 in Holy Innocents, Great Barton
Such is the parish boundary of Pakenham, that parts of what may be considered Great Barton or Ixworth, are actually officially in the Parish of Pakenham.In this case Queach Cottages are closer to Great Barton than Pakenham. 1891 census...Aged 1, he was at The Street, Great Barton with his father Walter HOWE [25]farm labourer born Thorpe Morieux and his mother Mary Ann [21] born Great Barton. 1901 census...Aged 11, he was at Quench Cottages, Pakenham with his father Walter G HOWE [35] stockman; his mother Mary A.E. [32]; brothers Frederick C [9] and Walter G [4]; sisters Edith M [7], Gertrude M [6], Priscilla [2] and Ethel M [4 months] born Pakenham. All except his father and Ethel were born in Great Barton. 1911 census...Aged 21, he was in the Army, a Corporal in 2nd Battalion, King's Own Regiment at Fort Regent, Jersey. His parents were at Thetford Road, Ixworth with his sisters Priscilla and Ethel and brother Walter and William James [7] born Gt Barton He married Emelie de la Haye [12-3-1890] on 25th April 1914 at St.Brelade, Jersey, later of Grande Vingtaine, St Peter's, Jersey. Their son Alfred Arthur was born on 24th November 1914 On the pension card his widow was at 36 Chevalier Road, St Helier Jersey |
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Alfred enlisted in Bury St.Edmunds. He died at 35 Casualty Clearing Station, which was at the Citadel in Doullens, France
From the website of the 1st King's Own we learn that the 1st Battalion's objective was a position between the villages of Beaumont Hamel and Serre. Of the 906 men of the Battalion, only 507 went into action. The 399 left behind included soldiers who worked in the Quartermaster's Department, some who were sick and a group of soldiers who, should the worse happen, would form the nucleus for recreating the battalion. The action started at 7.41 am when 2nd Lieutenant MacWalter led his party of 20 scouts covering the battalion's front of 500 metres. They were followed by two fighting patrols, each including a Lewis Gun section. All four companies followed them, along with Battalion Headquarters. No sooner had some of the men left their trenches than they were cut down by very heavy German machine gun fire. This was aimed at the gaps in the British barbed wire, cut by the British to allow their advance. A few soldiers of the 1st Battalion made it as far as the German trenches and it was at around this time that Major Bromilow, the commanding officer, disappeared. Due to the smoke and dust it was difficult to establish what was actually happening. Some men did get as far as Serre and were being shot down by Germans who had come in behind them from the trenches which the 29th and 30th Divisions had failed to capture. At about 12.30pm the Germans bombed their own front line trenches , now occupied by soldiers of the 1st Battalion. They could do nothing but withdraw. At the end of the day the battalion had made no territorial gains, but had suffered Officers killed - 9, wounded - 12, missing 2 and only about 120 effectives were left. CWGC gives 122 killed of which 91 have no known grave
click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details |
