| Description | Work completed by volunteer includes the following information:
Alfred was the third son of Herbert and Harriet Dayes. He was born on 31 Dec 1898, and christened at Beverley Minster on 24 Jan 1899. His father was a fish merchant and they lived in Lairgate. Herbert died in 1903 aged 33 when Alfred was only 5 years old, and his mother, Harriet, died in 1915 aged 43.
Alfred served in the Machine Gun Corps which was first formed in Oct 1915. Details on the Medal Rolls show that Alfred enlisted on 2 Mar 1916. Having been wounded, he was awarded a Silver Badge no details of his injuries have been found. Alfred survived the war, and was discharged on 5 Feb 1919 returning to Beverley.
Alfred’s two older brothers also served, George William with the West Yorkshire Regiment, was killed on 1 Jul 1916, the first day of the Battle of Albert. Thomas Henry served in the Royal Field Artillery. Thomas, like Alfred, survived to return home, marry and raise a family. He died in 1979 in Beverley, aged 83.
In Jan 1920 Alfred married Mary Elizabeth Forth of Beverley, they had five children. Alfred worked as a labourer and died in Hull in Jun 1965, aged 66. Mary Elizabeth died in Mar 1996, in Hull, aged 96.
Includes photograph, information taken from census, military records, Commonwealth War Graves, newspapers |