Name
Alfred John Charles Dodson
1899
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
10/08/1918
19
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
48998
Rifle Brigade
1st Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
VIEILLE-CHAPELLE NEW MILITARY CEMETERY, LACOUTURE
9.C.7
France
Headstone Inscription
PEACE PERFECT PEACE
UK & Other Memorials
Not on the Ashwell memorials, Not on the Baldock memorials, We are not aware of any Caldecote memorial, Guilden Morden War Memorial, Cambs
Pre War
Alfred John Charles Dodson was born in 1899 in Knapwell, Cambridgeshire, the son of John and Eliza Ann Dodson (née Reuben) and was baptised on 11 June 1899 at Bourn, Cambs.
In 1901 the family were living at the corner of St Neots Road, Knapwell. Present were both parents: John (27) and Eliza (26), and his father was working as a horsekeeper on a farm. Their children were: Lily M Reuben (stepdaughter, 9), Ferdinand Brenyer Reuben (4) and Alfred J C (1)
By 1911 the family were living at Newnham, Baldock, Herts. Present were both parents, with his father still working as a horsekeeper on farm. The census recorded they had been married for 15 years with 8 children all living. Ferdinand was now 14 and a labourer on a farm and Alfred was still at school. They had new siblings: Louisa (10), Arthur (7), Ivy (4) and twins Fredrick and Harry at 6 months old. Daughter Lily was working as a domestic servant at Hinxworth, Herts.
Wartime Service
He enlisted in Bedford and joined the 1st Battalion, Rifle Brigade as a Rifleman.
An article appeared in the Hertfordshire Express on 21 September 1918 reporting that his parents had been officially informed that Alfred had been killed in action on 10 August. The article describes how the Rev. A. J. Billings informed them that he "with his comrades, was following up the retreating enemy, and they were entrapped by a party of Germans in hiding, and were fired on at short range by machine guns."
Alfred's body was originally buried near where he fell, with three others At the end of the war it was located at map sheet ref. 36a.Q22.C9.2 with a cross on the grave and reinterred at Vielle New Military Cemetery, Lacouture, France.
Additional Information
His mother received a war gratuity of £4 10s and pay owing of £4 5s 2d.
Alfred's brother Ferdinand served with the 8th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment and died from wounds received in action on 28 September 1915.
Pension cards name both Alfred and his brother Ferdinand, with Eliza their mother as dependant, living at Coldharbour, Ashwell. She was awarded a pension of 6s 6d a week from 13 May 1919.
Acknowledgments
Derry Warners, Brenda Palmer
Adrian Pitts, Paul Johnson
