BORN: 1891, Sudbrook, Monmouthshire, Wales.
UNIT: 9th Battalion Royal Welsh Fusiliers
DIED: 12 Sep 1918, Richebourg, France, aged 27.
BURIED: St. Vaast Post Military Cemetery, Richebourg, France. Grave V.E. 2.
LOCAL CONNECTIONS: Salisbury Mill, Magor. Portskewett. Carrow Hill. St. Bride’s Netherwent.
Early life
Alfred Edward George HANKS was born in 1891 in Sudbrook, Monmouthshire, Wales. He was baptised in Portskewett on 10 Aug 1891, the only son of Albert and Letitia HANKS of 35 Sea View. Alfred was one of the four out of five of their children who survived into adulthood.
Alfred’s father Albert worked as a Shipyard Labourer and married Letitia HARRIS on 27 Jun 1883 in Portskewett parish church, Monmouthshire. In the 1891 census, they lived in Sea View, Sudbrook with their 2 daughters, Harriet and Rose. Letitia would have been pregnant with Alfred at the time.
Moved to Magor
Alfred moved with his family to Magor, via a stint in Cardiff, sometime between 1891 and 1896. In 1901, aged 9, he lived with his parents and younger sister Hilda at Salisbury Mill. His father now worked as a Cattleman on a farm. Meanwhile, his sister Harriet (aged 15) worked for the Jenkins family at Upper Grange Farm. His other sister Rose (aged 13) was with their grandmother in Portskewett.
In 1911 Alfred was still with his parents and sister Hilda at Salisbury Mill, Magor. Alfred, now aged 19, worked as a Waggoner on a farm. His father Albert was a Shepherd.
Alfred and WW1
Enlisting
We do not know precisely when Alfred joined the army. However, calculations based on his War Gratuity indicate that he enlisted in the month from 13 Apr 1916. This is consistent with medal records that suggest he was not in an overseas theatre of war before 31 Dec 1915. We do know that he joined the Welsh Horse Regiment as Private 1789 and later transferred to the 9th Battalion Royal Welsh Fusiliers as Private 54358. He served with them for the rest of his life.
His death
Alfred died on 12 Sep 1918, just 2 months before the end of WW1. His service in the Royal Welsh Fusiliers would have been difficult to bear. According to Major Dudley-Ward, the 9th Battalion was practically destroyed on each of the three occasions it went into the front line. Yet it ‘rose from the fire of each battle as tough and unbreakable as before’. Here is a brief narrative of Alfred’s last days.
July and August 1918 were mostly spent away from the front line with only the occasional movement into support positions. His battalion moved to Ligny-les-Aires where Alfred would have spent most of his time on the firing range and parade ground, or in training classes for bombing, signalling etc.
On 10th Aug 1918, H.M. King George V visited the troops in France. Alfred’s battalion travelled by light rail to a designated point on the King’s route. Once there, they were to line the road and “cheer spontaneously”.
Later that month they moved to support positions near Hinges and then into the front line for 4 days. After this, they moved back again to Chocques (west of Bethune) for another 5 days of training, inspections, parades, and baths. Then it was back to the front line for a week. Days away from the front line were not all peace and quiet and 2 men from his battalion were killed by enemy shelling in the night.
In the first week of September they rested at Essars. Then on 10th they moved forward to relieve the 10th Battalion Royal Warwickshire regiment in the front-line trenches. This is when Alfred died. Unfortunately we do not know how as there was no entry in the regimental war diary for that day. A note on the day after says that ‘C’ Company “suffered somewhat” after they came under a fierce bombardment with gas shells at Curzon Post. Had Alfred been one of these poor men?
At the end of their week’s rotation to the front, the 9th Battalion of the Welsh Regiment arrived to relieve Alfred’s battalion. His friends and comrades moved into reserve at Richebourg-St.Vaast, but without Alfred.
His burial
Alfred was buried at St. Vaast Post Military Cemetery in Richebourg, France at Grave V.E. 2.
Medals and Pension
Alfred had made a ‘Soldier’s Will’ on 15 Jun 1918. In it he named his mother, Letitia, as his sole legatee.
Following his death, Letitia received payment from the government of £17 15s 2d on 28 Feb 1919, an additional £3 10s 9d on 15 May 1919, and then a final War Gratuity payment of £10 10s 0d on 04 Dec 1919. I wonder what it must have felt like to receive this money?
What happened to his family?
Alfred's parents
Sisters
Harriet Agnes HANKS married Philip Charles KNIGHT in St. Bride’s Netherwent on 08 Jun 1910. They lived at Carrow Hill, Monmouthshire. Harriet had a son Harold George KNIGHT in 1913 and he was baptised in St. Bride’s Netherwent on 13 Apr 1913. Sadly, Harriet died in 1915, aged only 29. In 1921, Harold lived with his grandparents Albert & Letitia HANKS.
Rose Edith HANKS did not marry. Tragically, Rose died in the last few months of 1918, aged 31.So their mother Letitia had lost a child in infancy, and then 3 of her 4 adult children between 1915-1918; including Rose and Alfred within weeks of each other.
Hilda Florence HANKS married Henry John PRITCHARD on Boxing Day 1922 in St. Bride’s Netherwent. Henry was a Market Gardener from Parc Seymour, Monmouthshire. I have not found any children born to Henry and Hilda. However, in 1939 they lived at Salisbury Mill, along with their nephew Harold KNIGHT. Hilda remained at Salisbury Mill all her life and died in 1975.
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