No.3/7872, Sergeant, Alfred Thomas BRITTON
Aged 25
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Alfred Thomas Britton was born Barrow (3rd qtr 1891 Thingoe 4a;729 ) son of Alfred and Albina BRITTON (née BROWN)
Unable to find his parents. They seem to be the Albina BROWN, marrying Alfred Thomas BRITTON in Southwark in 1890. His mother died when he was very young (see Bury Free Press below) 1901 census...Aged 10, he was at Barrow Street with his widowed granmother Mary Ann BROWN [67] born Higham; cousin Frederick BROWN [25] born Barrow and Ada BROWN [13] born Burton on Trent 1911 census...Aged 20 a farm labourer he was Barrow Street with his grandmother, and his cousins Frank [20] and Arthur BROWN [7]. |
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He enlisted in Bury St.Edmunds. The 2nd Battalion, Suffolks was in it's assembly area on the night of 1st March near Bedford House on the St.Eloi-Ypres road. They were to try and retake our trenches recently lost to the Germans The attack started at 0445 'B', 'C' and 'D' companies on the south side of the Bluff. Immediately star shells were sent up by the Germans turning night into day. Our artillery then opened up on their 2nd line, our troops already being through the first line, having taken the enemy by surprise. 'A' company on the left was not so lucky, being caught by a counter barrage before they could leave King Street. By 0700 the lost trenches had been re captured. The ground was in a terrible state, churned up by the barrages and the battalion left the line sparsely occupied while they returned to the assembly trenches. An enemy barrage continued all day, but our artillery countered effectively. A successful operation result in the recapture of all the ground previously lost, but at the cost of 250 casualties out of the 500 employed. It was, incidentally, the first operation when they wore the newly issued steel helmets (the tin hats) CWGC records 53 killed, and only 6 having an identified grave.
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