L/Cpl 240953 Alfred Hughes

Alfred was born in the March quarter of 1894 in Liverpool, the youngest son of Edwin Hughes and his wife Mary (née Perkin). Edwin, from Shrewsbury, and Mary, born in Birmingham, married in Toxteth Park in 1884 and had five children. Alfred had an older sister Eleanor born 1886 and an older brother Charles, born in 1888.  Emily (1890) and Henry (1893) died in infancy.

 

A baptism certificate for Alfred Hughes, born 8th January and baptised in St. Cyprian’s, Edge Hill on 25th February 1894 shows parents Mary and Edmund (likely an error in recording or transcription as there is no Alfred with father Edmund of the right age.  However, there is no Hughes on the St. Cyprian’s memorial.)

 

In 1901 the family is living at 24 Tunnel Road, Edge Hill.  His father is 41, a hairdresser/employer.  mother Mary is aged 42, Eleanor is 14, Charles 12, and Alfred 7. They have a 16 year old, listed as servant, helping in the business.

 

The 1911 census finds the family still at 24 Tunnel Road. His father, 50, is a self employed hairdresser, working from home, his mother is 51, Charles is 22 and Alfred 17, no occupations listed.

 

Alfred enlisted in the 1/6th Battalion of The King’s Liverpool Regiment (Liverpool Rifles) as Rifleman 2827. He embarked from Southampton-Rouen on 01st April 1916 and reached the 55th Division Base Depot on 02nd April 1916. He left base for the front on 07th April 1916.

The battalion moved south and saw action at the Battle of the Somme from July 1916, in September at the Battle of Guillemont from 4th-6th, and at Guinchy on the 9th.

He was admitted to 1/3 West Lancs Field Ambulance on 12th July 1916 and rejoined his Battalion on 16th July.

He was again wounded, this time with shell-shock on 09th August 1916. He was admitted to 3 Corp. Rest Station and rejoined his Battalion on 10th August 1916. He was  admitted to 14 Corps Rest Station on 21st August 1916 subsequently he was admitted to 1/1  S.M.D, Casulat Clearing Satation on 21st August, then he was admitted to 11 St. Hospital on 22nd August and returned to England aboard the Hospital ship, St Patrick, with dermatitis on 31st August 1916.

 

The battalion moved south and saw action at the Battle of the Somme from July 1916, in September at the Battle of Guillemont from 4th-6th, and at Guinchy on the 9th.

Alfred re-embarked for France and was posted from 12th April 1917 to the 17th Battalion K.L.R. with a new service number 240953. 

In May 1917 the fighting around Arras grinds to a halt and the Pals battalions begin the march north to the Ypres Salient.  The Third Battle of Ypres begins on 31st July.  

 

Alfred’s name again appeared in the list of Wounded published in the Liverpool Daily Post on 09th October 1917:

240953 Hughes, A. (no rank given, therefore Private). 

He recovered from his wounds and was later promoted to Lance Corporal.
 

In the new year the battalion moves south and takes up position near St. Quentin. The German Spring Offensive (Operation Michael), the German push to end the war, begins on 21st March. The Pals battalions, in Corps Reserve, receive orders at 5 a.m. to man battle stations. 

At the time of his death on 22nd March, the Battalion had been ordered to the defence of the area around Atilly, to try to counter the rapid German advance. At 6.30 am ’D’ Company was sent to help the 2/5th Battalion The Gloucestershire Regiment to counter attack the Germans in the area of Holnon Wood, which it did successfully. Four hours later, the Battalion was ordered to move to a position know as Aviation Wood, to join the Headquarters of the 21st Brigade, but because of heavy shellfire, this move took four hours, and by the time the 17th Battalion had got there, the HQ and staff of the Brigade had gone. Then, as the Germans were making a strong attack at nearby Flesquires, the Battalion deployed around the wood. Eventually at 18.30 orders were received that all 30th Division troops had to withdraw to Ham, and the Battalion accordingly pulled back, reaching the town at around 21.30.

Alfred was declared Missing on 22nd March 1918, and his death later presumed for official purposes as having occurred on that date. Alfred was listed as Wounded and Missing.  His sister Eleanor, now Mrs. Bell, wrote to the International Red Cross on behalf of her mother in hopes that Alfred had been captured, but a reply was sent on 08th July 1918 informing her they held no information on L/Cpl Alfred Hughes, ‘D’ Coy, 14 Plat. K.L.R.  It is not known when his family was informed of his fate.

 

Alfred was buried by the Germans and the grave marked in German.  After the war (the burial return is dated 24/6/1919) his body was uncovered and identified by his ID disc.  He was reburied in Chapelle British Cemetery, Holnon, near St. Quentin, where he now rests and where his headstone bears the epitaph:

"FOREVER WITH THE LORD". 

Holnon village and wood were the scene of heavy fighting between the 6th Division and the enemy on the 14th-19th September, 1918.

Chapelle British Cemetery, named from a wayside shrine, was made after the Armistice, by the concentration of graves of 1917-18 from the battlefields West of St. Quentin and from HOLNON COMMUNAL and FRENCH MILITARY CEMETERIES.

There are now over 600, 1914-18 war casualties commemorated in this site. Of these, over 250 are unidentified and special memorials are erected to 17 soldiers, known or believed to be buried here. Other special memorials record the names of four United Kingdom soldiers, buried in Holnon Communal Cemetery, whose graves were destroyed by shell fire.

The cemetery covers an area of 2,063 square metres and is enclosed by a low rubble wall.

His family were still looking for him as evidenced in the Liverpool Echo on 14th May 1918

Reported missing since March 23, Lance Corporal ALF HUGHES 240953, 17th Pals - Any information from comrades will be gladly received by his parents, 24 Tunnel Road, Edge Hill. 

His parents received his army effects of £19-18s-3d, and a War Gratuity of £19-10s.  The pension card in the names of his parents, at 24 Tunnel Road, Edge Hill, shows rank Private, 6th Battalion King's Liverpool Regiment, but no amount shown.

 

His mother died in 1924, aged 64.  His father appears to have died in 1932.

 

Sadly, Alfred has not been identified on any memorial.

His sister Eleanor Mary married in 1907, her husband Private William Robert Bell 39874 of the Northumberland Fusiliers was killed in action on 22nd November 1917, aged 31. William rests at Favreuil British Cemetery in France, where his headstone bears the epitpah:

EVER IN OUR THOUGHTS 

He was remembered in the Liverpool Echo on 10th December 1917:

BELL - November 22, killed in action, aged 31 years, Private William R. Bell, the devoted son-in-law of Edwin and Mary Hughes. (Sadly missed by all at home). - 24 Tunnel Road, Edge Hill.

 

We currently have no further information on Alfred Hughes. If you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.

 

Grateful thanks are extended to Kevin Shannon the author of the book The Liverpool Rifles for providing details of Alfred's service with the 6th Rifles.