No.R/4691, Able Seaman, Alfred Edwin ELY
Aged 27
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Born on 20th September 1890 in Bury St.Edmunds (4th qtr 4a:648) son of Arthur Edward and Charlotte ELY (née WINDWOOD)
1891 census...Aged 6 months,he was at 48 Raingate Street, Bury St.Edmunds with his father Arthur Edward ELY [23] tailor; his mother Charlotte [25]; brother William Arthur [1] and half brother George Harry WINDWOOD [7]. All were born in Bury St.Edmunds. 1901 census...Aged 10, he was at 55 Raingate Street, Bury St.Edmunds with his parents; half brother George H WINDWOOD (blacksmith's labourer); brothers Walter H [7], Charles E [3] and Frank F [2]; sisers Florence M [9] and Ethel E [5]. Brother William Arthur was at 53 Raingate Street with his grand parents, Richard and Elzabeth ELY, and his uncle and aunts and cousins. 1911 census...Aged 20, a gardener, he was at 11 Churchgate, Bury St.Edmunds with his parents; brothers William Arthur (wood fitter), Walter Henry (errand boy), Chzrles Ernest (errand boy), Frank Frederick, Bertie [10], Arthur Edward [7 and Albert Richard [4]; sisters Ethel Elizabeth and Ellen Ruth. All of his mother's children survive. His brother William Arthur was killed in 1918 see here |
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He attested on 2nd March 1916 and placed on Army Reserve and was mobilised on 4th July 1917, posted to 3rd Reserve Battalion (Bedford) and on 30th November 1917 was posted to Hood Battalion, Royal Naval Division. Welsh Ridge was a stretch of higher ground forming a salient, centred on Villeres Plouich bulging out towards Marcoing. Taken during the Cambrai action,the germans were intent on recovering it. They had early success and managed to overrun parts of the British lines but by evening, after hard fighting all day, the lost ground was re-captured. The Royal Naval Division were holding the allied line at Welsh Ridge. At dawn a bombardment opened, killing several. As the bombardment stopped, the Royal Naval Division was attacked, German Stormtroopers wearing snow suits for camouflage had advanced under cover of the bombardment. Royal Marines & sailors in the Hood and Drake battalions with in hand to hand fighting drove the attackers back. The supporting Army units suffered heavy casualties and the line was broken, making a counter-attack essential before the Germans could re-enforce their stormtroopers and consolidate the captured positions. The Artists Rifles and Nelson Battalion attacked ( the scene was captured in John Nash's picture). The counter-attacks stalled. In two days of hard fighting, the Royal Naval Division had suffered 1,420 casualties (24 of the killed were from Hood Battalion). They had held Welsh Ridge and fought off an enemy force of 15 battalions
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