MERRICK, ALFRED 

 

Sources:

CWGC

SDGW

Uttoxeter Advertiser

Other

Parents

James Merrick

Yes

 

 

8c, 8f

James and Ellen Merrick

 

 

 

8c

Mr. & Mrs. James Merrick

 

 

 

2

Where born

Uttoxeter

 

Yes

 

2, 8a, 8p

When born

November or December 1896

 

 

 

8b

About 1895

 

 

 

4

Address

Parents: 50, New St., Uttoxeter, Staffs.

 

 

6f

2, 8c, 8d, 8w, 8cc

Parents: New Street, Uttoxeter

 

 

6d, 6e, 6g

 

52 New Street, Uttoxeter

 

 

 

8aa

Father: 50, New St., Uttoxeter, Staffs.

Yes

 

 

2, 8f, 8w

Spouse

No

 

 

 

8c

Children

 

 

 

 

 

Employment Before Joining up

Fitter at Messrs Bamford & Company

 

 

 

8a

Agricultural Fitter

 

 

 

8p

Where enlisted

Uttoxeter

 

Yes

 

2

Regiment

North Staffordshire (Prince of Wales’s)

Yes

Yes

6a, 6f, 6g

1, 2, 8a, 8b, 8c, 8e, 8f, 8g, 8i, 8l, 8p, 8s, 8x, 8aa, 8cc, 8dd, 8ff, 8hh

Unit

1st/6th Bn.

Yes

Yes

 

8f, 8g, 8aa

1/6th (T.F.) Bn

 

 

 

2

6th Bn.

 

 

6c

8b, 8i, 8l, 8p, 8s, 8x, 8cc, 8dd, 8ff, 8hh

"B" Coy.

Yes

 

 

1, 8ff, 8ii

Rank

Lance Corporal

Yes

Yes

6e, 6f, 6g, 6h

1, 2

(Unpaid) Lance Corporal

 

 

 

8f, 8g

Service Number

Formerly 1813 (Private)

 

 

 

1, 8a, 8e, 8g, 8i, 8j, 8l, 8p, 8s, 8w, 8x, 8y, 8aa, 8cc, 8dd

240162

Yes

Yes

 

2, 8a, 8c, 8e, 8f, 8g, 8k, 8ff

Date of Death

24 May 1917 (WRONG)

 

 

6h

 

25 May 1917

Yes

Yes

6f, 6g

2, 8g, 8p, 8s, 8gg

Age at time of death

22

Yes

 

 

 

Where Killed or died

Pas de Calais – Arras area

 

 

 

 

Lens

 

 

6f, 6h

2

France/Flanders

 

Yes

 

 

How he died

Missing

 

 

6f, 6g

 

Missing, presumed Killed in Action or presumed to have Died

 

 

6f

8g, 8s, 8x

Killed in Action

 

Yes

6h

2

Location of Grave or Memorial

Arras Memorial for the Missing

Bay 7

Yes

 

 

3

Uttoxeter Town War Memorial

 

 

 

2

Awards

1914-15  Star B. 203

 

 

 

8c, 8w

British War Medal

 

 

 

8k, 8w

Victory Medal

 

 

 

8k, 8w

  

He was a brother of James, who also fell. His other brothers, James Leslie and George, also served2. George was serving in Ireland during the insurrection of 1916 and was wounded during the troubles6d.

Before the war Alfred was a fitter at Bamfords in Uttoxeter8a.

He enlisted with the Territorials on 14th January 19138b, 8i, 8p, 8x, 8hh when he was just 17 years and 2 months old8b, 8p. That tells us that he was born in about November or December 18968b. His medical records from this time (17th January 19138p) tell us that he was 5 ft 5 inches tall8b, 8p and was recruited by Oswald Bamford8c. At this time he had a chest measurement of 34 inches8p. His physical development was described as Good8p and his vision was also classed as Good8p.

His Service Record8c contains a sheet dated 25 May 1917, which lists the other members of his family as follows:

-          Parents:         James and Ellen Merrick                      50 New Street, Uttoxeter

-          Brothers:       George                       Age 28                   85 Balfour Street, Burton

Fred John               Age 17                 50 New Street, Uttoxeter

-          Sisters:          Elizabeth A. Ward      Age 32                17 John Street, Uttoxeter

             Ellen Merrick               Age 20                   50 New Street, Uttoxeter

             Winifred Merrick         Age 16                   Ditto

 

Alfred’s service record lists his service and campaigns as follows:

Attested 14 Jan 19138x and appointed Private in 6th Battalion, North Staffordshire Regiment8x

Home (England)     14 Jan 1913      to    4 Feb 1915              2 years     50 days8w

Absent from Church Parade without permission 7th February 19158hh. Punished with 7 days confinement to Barracks8hh.

France        5 Mar 1915                   to    15 Oct 1915                            225 days8w

Appointed Paid Lance Corporal 7 July 19158x

Home (England)     16 Oct 1915     to    1 June 1916                             229 days8w

On leave at home 20 – 25 Dec 19158aa.

Transferred to 3rd/6th Battalion, North Staffordshire Regiment, and reduced to Private on 29 Dec 19158x.

Absent without leave for 2 days between 4 and 6 March 1916 and punished with loss of three days pay8hh

Absent from the Commanding Officer’s Parade on 18th April 1916 and punished with 7 days confinement to barracks8hh.

For talking on parade on 29th May 1916 he was confined to barracks for 3[?] days8jj.

On 30th May he was late falling in for the defaulters parade at 10pm and punished by two days confinement to barracks8jj.

The next day (31st May 1916) he was absent from answering his name when on defaulters [parade] from 5:30 until 10pm, and punished with another seven days confinement to barracks8jj.

Re-posted from 3rd/6th Battalion to 1st/6th Battalion on 2nd June 19168x

France        3 June 1916                  to    1 July 1916                             30 days8w

Home (England)     2 July 1916      to    13 Nov 1916                           135 days8w

On leave at home 2 – 12 September 19168cc.

France        14 Nov 1916                 to    25 May 1917                           192 days8wAppointed (Unpaid) Lance Corporal 26th Feb 19178x

Reported missing 25 May 19178x

Struck off the strength of the battalion 20 July 19178x

                                                                                                4 years     132 days8w

 

Alfred was one of the first to leave Uttoxeter in early August 1914, shortly after the outbreak of war2, 6a. He went with the Uttoxeter Territorials of the North Staffordshire Regiment. He was still a Private at this time6a.

He was absent from Church Parade without permission on 7th February 19158hh and punished with 7 days confinement to Barracks8hh.

He embarked for France from Southampton on 5th March 19158i and disembarked at Le Havre the next day8i. This prompted him to make his will on the 10th March 19158bb:

On 7th July 1915 he was appointed as a paid Lance Corporal in the 6th Battalion of the North Staffordshire Regiment8x.

In July 1915, when his brother James was reported killed, he was serving in France2, 6b.

He was wounded in the left leg8i by a machine gun in the charge on the Hohenzollern Redoubt at Loos on 13th October 19156c, 6d. This was a day when Uttoxeter lost many men and the Uttoxeter Advertiser published an extract from a letter6c that he sent his parents in which he  said that he 'went over like a rabbit'. He also described the shelling and gas clouds. The Stunner that he refers to in his letter is the Uttoxeter Advertiser:

It was a bullet from a machine-gun that got me, and I went over like a rabbit. I got hit just before I got to the German first line, but we made them run. Their trenches were a sight. You could hardly see them for gas and clouds of smoke, What made it worse was the shells bursting round . . . There [sic] gas comes in a thick, heavy cloud.

Don’t send any more papers, as we get them all here – only send the Stunner.

He was sent to No. 33 Casualty Clearing Station on 14th October 19158i and then by No. 10 Ambulance Train8i to [we presume) hospital. From there, on 15th October, he was sent to England8i and ended up in a hospital in Paignton, Devon6d. The wound must have been serious because he spent many weeks in hospital6d.

While he was in hospital he was transferred to the 3rd/6th Battalion of the same regiment and for some inexplicable reason reduced to Private8x! His service record does not tell us why he was reduced in rank.

He was granted leave at home with his parents from 20 – 25 December 19158aa.

He went absent without leave for two days between 4th and 6th March 1916, and was punished by loss of 3 days pay8hh.

He was then absent from the Commanding Officer’s Parade on 18th April 1916 and punished with 7 days confinement to barracks8hh.

Interestingly, he spent time in isolation between 6th and 18th May 1916 being treated for Scabies8m. The Scabies were treated with baths and Sulphur Ointment8n. One has to wonder, did he pick the scabies up in hospital in England? Or did he come back from France with them, and did his wounds prevent treatment until they began to heal? We do not know much about Scabies or their treatment, so we need to do further research to answer these questions.

For talking on parade on 29th May 1916 he was confined to barracks for 3[?] days8jj.

On 30th May he was late falling in for the defaulters parade at 10pm and punished by two days confinement to barracks8jj.

The next day (31st May 1916) he was absent from answering his name when on defaulters [parade] from 5:30 until 10pm, and punished with another seven days confinement to barracks8jj.

He was then re-posted from the 3rd/6th to the 1st/6th Battalion on 2nd June 1916.

He did not embark for France again until 3rd June 19168j; he left from Southampton and disembarked at Le Havre the next day8j. This tells us that his wounds had kept him out of action for over 7 months8j.

He rejoined his unit in the Field on 21st June 19168j.

He had only been back with his unit for a little over a week when he was wounded again on 1st July 1916 in the battle of the Somme - this time in the foot6d. He was admitted to No. 20 Casualty Clearing Station on 1st July8j and transferred to England on 2nd July8j.

Coincidentally, he was sent to the same hospital in Paignton as had treated him for his wound the year before6d. He wrote home saying that from his previous experience he knew that he would be well looked after6d.

His service records show this to have been the American Women’s War Hosptial, Paignton8t. He was admitted on 3rd July 19168t with a gunshot wound to the left foot8t. The handwriting in the hospital records8t is very difficult to decipher, but appear to describe the wound in the following terms. Note that where we cannot reliably read the writing we say so!:

Bullet wound, perforating, thru xxxxxx [doisum?] at xxxxxx region l foot – septic. Wet dressings – fill by day – recovery uneventful8u.

On the 29th July 19168t the record was further amended with the following8u:

Xxxxx [Imped?] now healed. Discharged on sick xxxxxx. Certified fit for A[ction?].

He was then granted leave at home from 2nd to 12th September 19168cc.

After recovering from his wounds he embarked for France from Folkestone on 13th November 19168g and arrived at Boulogne on the same day8g. This tells us that his wounds had kept him out of action for 4 and a half months, implying that this second set of wounds had also been serious.

He rejoined his unit in the Field on 3rd December 19168g.

Three months later, on 26th February 1917 he was appointed as an unpaid Lance Corporal8x. On 27th February 1917, he was sent sick to hospital8g.

On 8th March 1917 he was appointed unpaid Lance Corporal8g and he rejoined his unit shortly afterwards8g.

He was reported missing on the 25th of May 19171.

The North Staffordshire Regimental History Volume 4 Appendix D VII (Casualty List) records the following:

·         Wounded 13 October 1915

·         Wounded 1st July 1916

·         Missing 25th May 1917

·         Assumed died on or since 25th May 1917

This tells us that he took part and was wounded in the charge at Gommecourt on the first day of the Somme battle, 1st July 1916. Many Uttoxeter men were killed in this engagement, as it was a diversionary attack and, by its nature, designed to draw fire upon the participants.

In September 1916 the two Crutchley brothers were killed. Shortly afterwards, in the second week of October, the Uttoxeter Advertiser published an extract from a letter sent to their parents by a Private A. Merrick from a camp in Yorkshire6i. As Alfred is known to have been in England at this time and was in the same Regiment and Battalion as the Crutchley brothers, we believe that it was him that wrote it:

All the boys send their deepest sympathy and regret your loss, for Jack and Bill were well liked wherever they went, and I am sure they will not only be missed by you, but by all who know them”.

 

In June 1917 the Uttoxeter Advertiser published an extract from a letter sent by his Captain6e to his parents. The latter was dated 28th May 1917, just three days after he had gone missing:

I deeply regret to inform you that your son is missing as a result of our recent action. I would not give up hope yet if I were you, as it is quite possible he may be a prisoner. I sincerely hope you may soon have better news. He was a good soldier, and one of my promising N.C.O.s and with you I share the loss. You have my deepest sympathy in your hour of trial and anxious waiting”.

He had actually died at Lens2, 6f and after the prescribed time was officially declared “presumed killed” 8g, 8s .

His parents then received the following message from Lord Derby6f:

The King commands me to assure you of the true sympathy of His Majesty and the Queen in your sorrow. He whose loss you mourn died in the noblest of causes. His country will be ever grateful to him for the sacrifice he has made for Freedom and Justice.

On 19th February 1918 he was officially declared as having Died on or since 25th May 19178g. He was struck off the strength of the Battalion on 20th July 19178x.On 1st May 1918 a letter8f was sent by the War Office to the Officer in Charge of Infantry Records, requesting that any personal effects belonging to James should be sent to his father.

Alfred’s service records show that he spent over a quarter of his time in the army recovering from his wounds:

 

 

Alfred has no known grave and his name is recorded on  panel 7 on the Arras Memorial3:

Alfred has no known grave and his name is recorded on a panel in the Arras Memoria

 

This notice was posted in the Uttoxeter Advertiser in May 19186g to mark the first anniversary of his death.

 

Was Maud the girl he might have married?

MERRICK. – In Loving Memory of our Dear Son, Lance Corpl. A. Merrick, North Staffords, reported missing May 25, 1917,

One long sad year has passed away,

Since our great sorrow fell,

Yet in our hearts we mourn the loss

Of him we loved so well.

He nobly answered duty’s call,

His life he gave for us and all;

But his unknown grave is the bitterest blow –

None but an aching heart can know.

Sadly missed by his Father, Mother, Brothers, and sisters (New Street, Uttoxeter), also Maud.

 

 

 

 

This notice, again in the Uttoxeter Advertiser,  marked the second anniversary in 1919

MERRICK. – In Loving Memory of our Dear Son, Lance Corpl. A. Merrick, who fell in action at Lens, May 24, 1917.

Two years have passed, yet still we miss him,

Never will his memory fade,

Loving thoughts will always wander

Over in France, where our son is laid.

Fondly remembered by his Father and Mother, Brothers and Sisters.