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. The army did not do checks on the declared age of a recruit
unless they were obviously nothing like the age stated.
He became 527260 Alfred Craythorne and was rapidly
transferred to his old regiment, the Royal Garrison Artillery in 35
Company (Heavy Battery) based at Fort Fareham. He declared
15 years 35 days previous service and his missing finger was
again noted.
He was in England until August 1915 when his unit joined the
BEF in France. He remained in France for eight months before
returning to England. His detailed records for that period no
longer exist but there is a report in the Peterborough Standard
in 1916 where his brother states “.... brother, Alfred, who was
wounded and in hospital in Rouen, was also a time expired man
who enlisted when the war started.”
During his period in France there was a lot of activity around
Ypres with attacks from both sides. The Royal Garrison Artillery,
with its heavy guns, was normally well back from the front but
this did not prevent them being the subject of shelling and
possibly the first German gas attacks.
Alfred was in England for four months before his unit was sent
out to Egypt and remained there for a year. During this period
the British started their first serious push against the Ottoman
troops with battles in Gaza. Alfred’s unit was part of the build-up
of British troops, which enabled this push to take place.
He returned from Egypt early in August 1917 and within a
few weeks was on a charge of being absent without leave.
He received a sentence of seven days confined to barracks.
Nothing more occurred until February 1918 when he was again
arrested in Leicester for being AWOL and drunk on returning to
barracks.
Within a week of this incident he was discharged from the army
as no longer being physically fit for war service. He was now
52 years and 10 months old. His next of kin was his sister in
Yarwell, Sarah Sharpe.
His death was recorded in Peterborough in June 1932. His age
was recorded as being 65 years old. He was in fact 67.
55
unless they were obviously nothing like the age stated.
He became 527260 Alfred Craythorne and was rapidly
transferred to his old regiment, the Royal Garrison Artillery in 35
Company (Heavy Battery) based at Fort Fareham. He declared
15 years 35 days previous service and his missing finger was
again noted.
He was in England until August 1915 when his unit joined the
BEF in France. He remained in France for eight months before
returning to England. His detailed records for that period no
longer exist but there is a report in the Peterborough Standard
in 1916 where his brother states “.... brother, Alfred, who was
wounded and in hospital in Rouen, was also a time expired man
who enlisted when the war started.”
During his period in France there was a lot of activity around
Ypres with attacks from both sides. The Royal Garrison Artillery,
with its heavy guns, was normally well back from the front but
this did not prevent them being the subject of shelling and
possibly the first German gas attacks.
Alfred was in England for four months before his unit was sent
out to Egypt and remained there for a year. During this period
the British started their first serious push against the Ottoman
troops with battles in Gaza. Alfred’s unit was part of the build-up
of British troops, which enabled this push to take place.
He returned from Egypt early in August 1917 and within a
few weeks was on a charge of being absent without leave.
He received a sentence of seven days confined to barracks.
Nothing more occurred until February 1918 when he was again
arrested in Leicester for being AWOL and drunk on returning to
barracks.
Within a week of this incident he was discharged from the army
as no longer being physically fit for war service. He was now
52 years and 10 months old. His next of kin was his sister in
Yarwell, Sarah Sharpe.
His death was recorded in Peterborough in June 1932. His age
was recorded as being 65 years old. He was in fact 67.
55
