Alfred William Anderson: Monday 28th May 1917
Alfred enlisted in the 18th Co London Regiment (Irish Rifles) in Chelsea, and became Lance Sergeant No 590661 and was killed in action on 28 May 1917, He is buried in Bedford House Cemetery between Ypres and Armentieres. His two brothers served throughout the war. Alfred’s brother, James Henry, claimed his war medals.
Alfred was a draper’s apprentice before the war and was the third and youngest son of the John Henry, the licensee of the Surrey Tavern (now a restaurant at 226 Trinity Road), and Sophia. They had three sons who lived past infancy: James Henry (costume manufacturer’s assistant born ~1890); Joseph Dixon (draper’s assistant born ~1893); and Alfred William born ~1897 born in Camberwell. A fourth child died in infancy.
The family moved to Surrey Tavern after 1911, before which they had been managing a hotel in Honor Oak Park. John is shown running the Greyhound Hotel in Croydon in the 1901 census and came from Ireland.
When Sophia died aged 50 in August 1916 her obituary stated that anxiety about her 3 sons fighting in France had contributed to her long illness. In May 1918, when John died aged 51, an inquest in his death stated that there were only two sons. One, Lieutenant James H Anderson was on active service with Nott’s & Derbyshire Regt. (unable to attend the funeral or inquest), and the other Lieutenant Joseph D Anderson was at home having been wounded with the 18th Battalion London Regt.
Lieutenant James Henry married Mary Evelyn Cooper on 28 July 1917 at SMM and her funeral was held there on 26 March 1918 aged 32.