Capt Arthur de Bells Adam (MC)
1885 - 1916

CPL David Wallace Crawford
1887 - 1916

Lce-Corpl John Joseph Nickle
1894 - 1916

Pte 17911 Morton Neill
1897 - 1916

Lieut Edward Stanley Ashcroft
1883 - 1918

Lance Corporal 40231 Alfred Harold Baldry

Age: 21
From: Kelsale, Suffolk
Regiment: LABOUR CORPS
Died on Saturday 7th July 1917
Commemorated at: Aire Cc
Panel Ref: I.F.4

Alfred Harold Baldry was born in the September quarter of 1895 at 82 Kelsale Street, Kelsale Saxmundham, Suffolk to Blything (Suffolk) born agricultural worker Alfred Baldry and his Linstead Parva, Suffolk born wife Ellen (nee Boast). They married on 25th June 1883 and had seven children in all. Five boys and two girls. Alfred Harold was their final child.

The 1901 Census shows 6 year old scholar Alfred still at 82 Kelsale Street, Saxmundham, Suffolk with father Alfred 46, mother Ellen 45, siblings (all born Kelsale) Sydney 17 tailor and boot shot worker, Lilian 15, Theodore 13 paper boy, Dora 10, and William 7. Also a boarder and child.

The 1911 Census shows Alfred is a 16 year old paper boy in a Book Stall, still at the same address with father Alfred 56 farm labourer, mother Ellen 55 (married 29 years 7 children), siblings Robert F. 23 domestic gardener, Thomas William 17 asst. domestic gardener. Also 2 boarders.

Prior to the war Alfred Harold was employed as a gate lad with the Great Eastern Railway.

Alfred Harold enlisted in Saxmunden in September 1914 in the Suffolk Regiment with the service number 13451. He was then transferred to the Army Cyclist Corp as 5357.

He was further transferred to the 17th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment with the service number 62364 and arrived in France one 07th November 1915 hence the award of the 1914 /15 Star award.

He sadly died of wounds on 07th July 1917, aged 21 and is buried at Aire Communal Cemetery where his headstone is that of The King's Liverpool Regiment even though records suggest he had transferred to the 68th Company to the Labour Corps as Lance Corporal 40231.

The CWGC commemorates him as serving in the 17th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regtiment as Lance Corporal 62364.

From March 1915 to February 1918, Aire was a busy but peaceful centre used by Commonwealth forces as corps headquarters. The Highland Casualty Clearing Station was based there as was the 39th Stationary Hospital (from May 1917) and other medical units. Plot I contains burials from this period.

The burials in plots II, III and IV (rows A to F) relate to the fighting of 1918, when the 54th Casualty Clearing Station came to Aire and the town was, for a while, within 13 kilometres of the German lines.

The cemetery now contains 894 Commonwealth burials of the First World War and a few French and German war graves.

His Soldiers Effects record at Nottingham has him under L/Cpl 40231 Labour Corps and his pay of £13:2s:2d was sent to his mother Ellen Baldry on 12/11/1917 followed by a War Gratuity to her of £13:10s on 17/11/1919. She was also awarded a Dependents Pension.

He is also remembered on the Kelsale-with-Carlton Memorial and the Rollof Honour, Liverpool Street Station, Great Eastern Railway Company War Memorial.

His father died in the December quarter of 1916 aged 62.

His mother died in the March quarter of 1932 aged 76.

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

Grateful thanks are expressed to the National Railway Museum in York for their permission to use the photograph of Alfred.

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