Name
Alfred George East
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
13/06/1918
28
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Squadron Quartermaster Serjeant
105088
Hertfordshire Yeomanry
1st/1st
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
SUEZ WAR MEMORIAL CEMETERY
B. 5.
Egypt
Headstone Inscription
No Report
UK & Other Memorials
Abbots Langley Village Memorial, Leavesden Asylum/Hospital War Memorial, Leavesden, Hertfordshire Yeomanry Memorial, St Albans Cathedral
Biography
Alfred George was born to James East, a Terra Cotta Model Maker, and Mary (nee Peddle) in Rowley Regis, Staffs. (Now West Midlands). On the 1891 Census the Family of parents, brothers Horace, Augustus, and Alfred were living at Dudley Road, Rowley Regis. On the 1901 Census Horace, aged 14, the elder brother was also a Terra Cotta Model Maker and the family now lived at 4 Springfield Lane, Rowley Regis. Alfred had two further brothers, Cyril (born 1894) and Albert (born 1900). By the 1911 Census Alfred living at 117, Park Road, Caterham and was working as an Asylum Clerk at Caterham Asylum. The Metropolitan Asylum Board (MAB) had been established in 1867 to administer care for certain categories of the sick poor in metropolitan London, and soon had built an Asylum at Leavesden (for the parishes of north London) and Caterham (for the south). At some point Alfred transferred to Leavesden Asylum. Alfred enlisted as private 1483 in 1/1 Hertfordshire Yeomanry (probably A Squadron at Watford) at some time in 1912.
On 17th October 1914 the Hertfordshire Advertiser reported that he was listed in the Leavesden Asylum Roll of Honour, and from November 1914 he was listed in the Abbots Langley Parish Magazine. He went to Egypt on 5 Nov 1914. Little is known of Alfred’s War Service as no Service Record could be found for Alfred but 1/ 1 Herts Yeomanry were posted to Egypt in Oct 1914, and Alfred followed on 5 Nov 1915. 1/1 Herts were detailed for Suez Canal Defence before serving as Dismounted cavalry in the Suvla Landings in the Gallipoli Campaign. In October 1915 the Parish Magazine reported that he had been wounded on 1st September at Gallipoli, and had been evacuated to a hospital in Cairo.
“Alfred East is reported wounded at Gallipoli on Sept 1st and is in hospital in Cairo. We wish him a speedy recovery”. Following the evacuations from Gallipoli 1/1 Herts Yeomanry joined 54 (East Anglian) Division in Gaza and transferred to XXI Corps Cavalry in Aug 1917, taking part in the Battles of 3rd Gaza, Jaffa, Tell’Asur, Sharon reaching Tripoli before hostilities ended. During this service Alfred had progressed through the Ranks becoming Squadron Quartermaster Serjeant and in the Territorial Force renumbering a new service number of 105088.
The next entry the Parish Magazine recorded that Alfred had been killed in an accident at Ismailia, Egypt, whilst attached to the Royal Air Force, possibly a flying accident. The Parish Magazine recorded that he was killed in action on 4th June 1918, however the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Soldiers Died in the Great War archive and Register of Soldiers Effects listed his death as at 13th June 1918. Airmen who died in the Great War records that Alfred was a Flight cadet and was Killed while Flying an Avro 504 serial number C4440 while training with 57 Training Squadron at Ismailia Egypt. Alfred’s death was recorded in the September 1918 Abbots Langley Parish Magazine: “We regret very much to hear that Alfred East was killed by an accident in Palestine on June 4th (sic). Though not actually belonging to our Parish, he lodged in it, and was a regular attendant at our Church, and he went out from here at the outbreak of War, and his name had been all the time on our Roll of Honour. He was originally in the Herts Yeomanry, and served all through the Gallipoli Campaign, but latterly was attached to the Flying Corps, and as such he met with the accident which caused his death.” Alfred East was buried at the Suez War Memorial Cemetery in Egypt, and was commemorated on the Abbots Langley War Memorial.
Additional Information
Arrears of £101 8s 9d was paid to his Father. Brother Horace served as Gunner 318646 from 1915 to Mar 1918 and awarded Silver War badge. Brother August served in Army Service Corps as Driver M2/135887 on France from Nov 1915 to 1920 and was Mentioned in Despatches.
Acknowledgments
Neil Cooper
Roger Yapp - www.backtothefront.org, Jonty Wild
