HEAD, Alfred Bernard


No.2495, Trooper, Alfred Bernard HEAD
Aged 19


Household Battalion, Household Cavalry
Killed in Action on Friday, 12th October 1917


Alfred Bernard HEAD was born in Haverhill on 18th March 1898 (Risbridge Q2-1898 4A:758), baptised in St Mary's, Haverhill on 9th April 1898, son of Frank and Elizabeth Rhoda HEAD (née ROWLINSON).


1901 census...Aged 3, he was at 14 Crowland Road, Haverhill with his father Frank HEAD [26] corn merchant's agent, born Bury St.Edmunds; his mother Elizabeth [25] born Withersfield; sister Gladys Muriel [1] born Haverhill.

1911 census...Aged 13, he was at Queens Street, Haverhill with his parents(father now recorded as born Tunstall - which seems correct); sister Gladys Muriel and brother Jacob [9] born Haverhill, also widow Mary HEAD [69] born Bury St.Edmunds, presumably his grandmother.

He married Hannah PEARSON (b.13-1-1895) 24th February 1917 at St James, Lambeth. On the pension card she was c/o Mrs Pearson, Hildersham. Cambs, with her daughter Kathleen Iren Gladys (born 24-6-1917)


He enlisted Bury St.Edmunds, when resident in Cambridge.
"The Long, Long Trail" explains that the battalion moved to assembly for the attack by 4am on 12 October, 150 yards east of the Poelcapelle- Cinq Chemins road ( Cinq Chemins is now Vijfwegen).
50 men were hit by shell fire at the assembly before the attack at 5.25am, while an extra issue of rum was made. Despite the terrible ground conditions and a heavy enemy fire, they advanced according to plan and by 5.50am had taken its first objective line, including the Requette Farm strong point. Then hostile machine gun and artillery fire increased and little progress was possible as the numbers of men available declined. Requette Farm was recaptured by a counter attack and fighting around it was intense all day. Prolonged and heavy shellfire fell on HQ at Ferdan House in the afternoon.
The battalion was relieved by the 25th Northumberland Fusiliers in the night of 12th/13th October.
At the start there were 498 men but they suffered 348 casualties plus 13 officers were also hit.

CWGC figures put the total battalion dead at 110, of which only 17 have known graves.



Alfred Head is commemorated on the Tyne Cot memorial, panel 3

click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details


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