Pte 32316 Alfred James Harvey

• Age: 22
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 18th Btn
• K.I.A Tuesday 31st July 1917
• Commemorated at: Menin Gate Memorial
  Panel Ref: Panel 4 & 6

Alfred James Harvey was born on the 20th Feb 1895 in Liverpool and was the son of Alfred Harvey and his wife Frances Elizabeth (nee Lewis) who were married on the 23rd December 1893 in St Mary's Church, Kirkdale. He was baptised on the 29th April 1895 at St Mary, Kirkdale, father was a mariner of 28 Randolph St.

The 1901 census shows six year old Alfred living with his parents and three younger brothers – Stanley aged 6, Joseph 2 and 7 month old Albert at 36 Barry Street, Kirkdale. Alfred senior is 31 years old and is working as a police constable, Francis is 27 and home looking after the house and children.

By the time of the 1911 census the family live at 15 Croyland Street. 

Alfred is 16, now working as a bakers errand boy and his brother Stanley is 14, a grocers errand boy, Joseph 12 and Albert 10 are at school. Alfred senior is aged 46 and a police fireman, and Frances is 36 (married 17 years 4 children) and still at home. They have a lodger James Cookson 17,

Alfred enlisted in Liverpool and was serving in the 18th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 32316 when he was killed in action on the 31st July 1917 aged 22 on the first day of the Third Battle of Ypres, better known as the Battle of Passchendaele.

On this day, before Zero Hour, the 18th Battalion was part of 21st Brigade and was to form up for the attack from trenches from the area of Sanctuary Wood to Observatory Ridge but it was dark and continually falling rain gave very poor visibility. The departure of the 21st Brigade was delayed by heavy shelling.

The 18th King’s began to move forward in the rear of the 2nd Battalion of the Wiltshire Regiment who had been detailed as the left attacking battalion of the 21st Brigade.

No’s 1 and 3 Companies of the King’s led the way followed by No’s 2 and 4. In Sanctuary Wood there was considerable confusion, as a result No.2 and No.4 Companies became separated from the others, and were moved over to the left flank towards positions known as Surbiton Villas and Clapham Junction in the direction of the 90th Brigade.

No.1 and 3 Companies were soon in action with the enemy, and were for a time, held up against an enemy strong point. They pushed forward with their right on a trench known as Jar Row and their left on the tramway south of Stirling Castle. Advance along Jar Row was held up by the Germans who put up a fierce resistance and the party was forced to withdraw.

Another group of men from No.1 and No.3 Companies led by 2nd Lieut. Graham were being held up by another strongpoint which was south of Stirling Castle, which was eventually stormed and taken. Not far away from this action, an attempt, by other men of No.1 and No.3 companies, was made to penetrate a broad belt of uncut wire, but this was covered by Machine-guns which killed almost every man attempting to pass through the two gaps that were discovered.

The situation was similar with No.2 and 4 Companies, who had attacked along the wrong axis. Their advance was met with fierce opposition, and once all the experienced officer’s had been killed or wounded, all cohesion was lost, although some men did reach and cross the Menin Road at Clapham Junction.

By that time, the situation had become extremely confused, and the whereabouts of all four companies being unknown to Battalion Headquarters, urgent attempts were made to discover their locations. Eventually by mid- afternoon, it was established that the bulk of the companies, although all mixed together, were dug in the vicinity of Stirling Castle and by mid evening, the Battalion Headquarters moved forward to meet them.

During its time in the line the 18th Battalion lost 7 officers and 76 men killed or died of wounds and 7 officers and 177 men were wounded. They were relieved on the 2nd August.

Alfred has no known grave and is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial at Ypres in Belgium. 

The site of the Menin Gate was chosen because of the hundreds of thousands of men who passed through it on their way to the battlefields. It commemorates casualties from the forces of Australia, Canada, India, South Africa and United Kingdom who died in the Salient. In the case of United Kingdom casualties, only those prior 16 August 1917 (with some exceptions). United Kingdom and New Zealand servicemen who died after that date are named on the memorial at Tyne Cot, a site which marks the furthest point reached by Commonwealth forces in Belgium until nearly the end of the war. New Zealand casualties that died prior to 16 August 1917 are commemorated on memorials at Buttes New British Cemetery and Messines Ridge British Cemetery.

The YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL now bears the names of more than 54,000 officers and men whose graves are not known. The memorial, designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield with sculpture by Sir William Reid-Dick, was unveiled by Lord Plumer on 24 July 1927.

Liverpool Daily Post 20th Oct 1917

PREVIOUSLY REPORTED WOUNDED, NOW

REPORTED WOUNDED AND MISSING.

Liverpool R. - Harvey, 32316, A J. ;

Soldiers Effects and Pension to mother Frances Elizabeth

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