Alfred George Smith. Died 16 August 1916
Alfred was born in 1889 to father, William and mother Phoebe in Wokingham, Berkshire. He was the third born and had four siblings, two brothers and two sisters. By 1901, his father, William was a carter at a local timber yard and later worked in the same trade at the brick works. Visiting the family at the time was Joseph Dance, a 14 year old and a member of the Dance family who gave two of their sons to the war. Alfred’s parents lived on the Henley Road in 1901 and at Lawrence’s Brickworks in 1911.
Alfred joined the Royal Berkshire Regiment, 2nd Battalion and as this was a regular unit, it is possible he joined before war started. This is further evident as his 1911 census record is missing and the battalion, prior to 1914, had been serving in India. The 2nd Battalion were part of 25th Brigade within 8th Division. They were allocated to III Corps/Fourth Army for the Somme engagement. Before the Somme, the 2nd had already seen its fair share of contact. After arrival from India, the unit was sent into the First Battle of Ypres, then onto the Battle of Neuve Chapelle, then Loos before arriving at the Berkshire nemesis, The Somme. It was here that Alfred lost his life on the 16th August, six weeks into battle. The war diaires (courtesy of John Chapman) tell us:
“At 17:00 on the 15th the battalion relieved the 2nd Sherwood Foresters in the line. They had the 2nd Lincolns on their right and the 1st Royal Irish Rifles on their left. This was to be a long spell in the trenches, subject to the usual mortar attacks. On the 17th August a mine was exploded and 2Lt Hales was ordered to take over the duties of instructing raiders. At 8.32 P.M. we exploded a mine at G 12 d 25. 75. The Crater is 60 ft wide and 90 ft deep. 8th Division Order – 2nd Lt Hales, 2nd Battalion Royal Berkshire Regt will take over the duties of instructing the Raiding Class from 2nd Lt. Murray D.S.O. 2nd Battalion Rifle Brigade from the 20th August. TX01067B] Finally the 1st Royal Irish Rifles on their left spread out and allowed them to return to brigade reserve on the 28”. Sixteen of the Royal Berks were killed in this action; Alfred’s name among them.
Name: Alfred George Smith
Birth Place: Wokingham, Berks
Death Date: 16 Aug 1916
Death Location: France & Flanders
Enlistment Location: Wokingham
Rank: Private
Regiment: Princess Charlotte of Wales’s (Royal Berkshire Regiment)
Battalion: 2nd Battalion
Number: 200175
Type of Casualty: Killed in action
Theatre of War: Western European Theatre
Henley Road, Wokingham (1901)
Lawerence’s Brickworks, Wokingham (1911)
12 Havelock Road, Wokingham (during the war)
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