Pte 15229 Alfred Henry Yates

• Age: 20
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 17th Btn
• K.I.A Thursday 10th February 1916
• Commemorated at: Suzanne Cc Ext
  Panel Ref: E.1

15229 Pte. Alfred Henry YATES, 17^th Battalion, KLR. 

Alfred Henry was born in Liverpool on 14th July 1895, the son of Alfred Henry Yates and his wife Mary Susan (née Rossiter) who were married on the 27th September 1888 at St Mary's Church, Walton. Alfred snr was aged 25, his father, Thomas, whilst Mary was aged 24, her father Thomas Huddy. Alfred was baptised at St Peter's Church, Liverpool on 27th September 1895, his father a clerk of Brentwood Avenue.

At the time of the 1901 Census the family lived at 15 High Park Street, Liverpool. His father, Alfred senior, is a 37 year old born in Liverpool and described as an ‘assistant overseer’, whilst his mother, Mary S., is 36 and was also born in Liverpool as were there three children; Annie E. aged 11, Harold R. aged 7 and Alfred aged 5. 

In 1911, his parents with all of their children except Alfred junior are still at 15 High Park Street and his father, Alfred senior now aged 47, is more explicitly said to be employed as an Assistant Overseer of the Poor with Toxteth Board of Guardians. His mother Mary Susan is 46. Their children are listed as; Annie Elizabeth aged 21 and a short hand writer and book keeper, Harold Rossiter aged 18 is a steward on a ship and William Leslie aged 12 is at school. His parents advise that they have been married for 22 years and have had five children of whom four have survived.  

The Toxteth Board of Guardians had been responsible for the Smithdown Road Workhouse since 1859 and also provided Smithdown Cemetery. Later, in about 1923, the workhouse was to become Smithdown Road Infirmary and then Sefton General Hospital.

In the same Census, Alfred Yates, 15 years, and described as an Overseer’s clerk, is a patient in the Park Hill City Hospital for Infectious Diseases, 1 South Hill Road, Liverpool, explaining why he was not at home with his parents. 

Prior to the war Alfred was employed by Porritt and Riley, cotton brokers, the Albany.

Alfred enlisted at St George's Hall in Liverpool joining the 17th (Pals) Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment as Private 15229, one of the "Cotton Contingent".

He was billeted at Prescot Watch Factory from 14^th September 1914, he trained there and also at Knowsley Hall. On 30th April 1915 the 17th Battalion alongside the other three Pals battalions left Liverpool via Prescot Station for further training at Belton Park, Grantham. They remained here until September 1915 when they reached Larkhill Camp on Salisbury Plain.

Alfred Henry served with the BEF in France from 7^th November 1915.

He was killed in action aged 20 years on 10^th February 1916.

Battalion Diary for 10th Feb 1916 says "12.45am - 1.30am heavy shelling in SUZANNE"

His death was reported in the Liverpool Daily Post on 18th February 1916

YATES - February 9, in France, aged 20 years, Private Alfred Henry Yates, 17th Battalion K.L.R. (1st "Pals"), the beloved and second son of Mr and Mrs Alfred Henry Yates, 48 Sandhurst Street, Toxteth Park, later 27 Prescot Street, New Brighton. (Sadly mourned by Father, Mother, Sister and Brother.)

Further details surrounding the circumstances of his death were provided in the Liverpool Daily Post on 24th February 1916;

SEGT. J. B. BEESTON KILLED

LOSS TO LIVERPOOL COTTON MARKET

The intimation that Sergeant J. B. Beeston has been killed at the front will be received amongst members of the Liverpool Cotton Market with great regret, Private Yates is also amongst those who have fallen on the battlefield. Major George Higgins, of the Liverpool 17th Service Battalion, writing to the President of the Liverpool Cotton Association states:- "I am very sorry to inform you that we yesterday lost through shellfire the lives of two men in my company, both of whom were connected with the Cotton Market. One was my Company Quartermaster-Sergeant J. B. Beeston, and the other Private Yates. They were both killed simultaneously and instantaneously during the early hours of yesterday morning. I helped to recover their bodies and they were buried during the afternoon in a small cemetery outside the village by the Chaplain in the brigade. I feel the loss of my Quartermaster-Sergeant very acutely, he has been my right hand man, and especially since we have been in the trenches he has worked like a Trojan night and day, always cheerful and willing, and anxious to do all he possibly could for the men in bringing up their rations regularly and in good order to the trenches."

"Private Yates was in the quartermaster-sergeant's department, and was always a very good fellow, always cheerful and bright, and ready to make the best of everything."
 
Alfred now rests at Grave E 1, next to John Barton Beeston, in Suzanne Communal Cemetery Extension, some 15 kilometres outside of Albert. 

The village of Suzanne was taken over by British troops in the summer of 1915, lost in March 1918, and recaptured by the 3rd Australian Division on the following 26th August. The Extension was begun by French troops, used by the British from August 1915 to January 1917, taken over by the Germans in March 1918, and resumed by British units in August and September 1918. The graves of 387 French and 71 German soldiers have been removed to other cemeteries. There are now over 150, 1914-18 war casualties commemorated in this site. The Extension covers an area of 981 square metres and is enclosed on three sides by a low rubble wall.

His Army Pay of, £6 1s 6d, and a War Gratuity of £5-10s went to his father Alfred H. His mother, Mary Susan, received a pension of 5/- pw, her address 48 Sandhurst Sreet, Dingle. 

The 1921 Census finds his parents on holiday at 47 Adelaide Street, Blackpool, they give their home address as 6 Denton Drive, Wallasey. 

Alfred Henry is commemorated on the following Memorials:

Cotton Association Memorial at Walker House, Exchange Flags, Liverpool.

His father, died, aged 64, in 1928, and his mother, died aged 88, in 1952. 

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