Peterborough & The Great War

Biography

Alfred William Bottom was born in Wakefield, Yorkshire on 1 December 1898, the eldest son of Herbert Henry, a lithographic printer, and Selina (nee Bancroft).  In 1901, the family were living at 28 Saville Street, Wakefield.   By 1911, the family had moved to 24 Worcester Street, Middlesbrough.  He had one brother, Harold, born in 1903.

When he enlisted in Bradford on 25 November 1916, Alfred was aged 17 years and 11 months and was working as a shipping clerk.  Alfred was of a slight build standing at just 5’ 2½” with a 34” chest.  He was put on Army Reserve until 15 February 1917, and then served “at home” as a Driver with 533 Company, Royal Army Service Corps, until he was discharged on 14 January 1918 on disability grounds.  The reason for his discharge was stated as “spinal curvature not caused, but aggravated by war service”.  He was awarded the Silver War Badge and received a pension for a short time.

Alfred’s granddaughter Elaine informs us that either just before, or at the end of the war, he was admitted to the Peppard Chest Hospital at Kingwood (known as the Berkshire & Buckingham Joint Sanatorium).  Alfred didn’t speak about his military service except to say that he was in charge of the care of horses.

Alfred married Mary Alice Cox on 1 July 1922, at St James Church, Thorne, South Yorkshire.  They had two daughters, Nellie (1924) and Lena (1927).  They moved from Wakefield in the 1930s to Stanmore, Middlesex where Alfred was an accountant.  In 1939, Alfred and Mary were living with their children at 18 Mill Lane, Hampstead, London; Alfred was a civilian clerk with the Royal Air Force and Mary, a domestic worker.  In 1954, they moved to South Wimbledon, buying and running a newsagents for a decade before retiring to Northolt.

Alfred died aged 70 on 7 March 1969, whilst living at 8 Windsor House, The Farmlands, Northolt, Middlesex.

Photograph provided with kind permission by Elaine Eynon, Alfred’s granddaughter.