Goodchild, Alfred Turner

Alfred was born in May 1884 in Ashwell, Hertfordshire, the only surviving son of Charles and Naomi (nee Brown) Goodchild.  He was a pupil at the Merchant Taylors School in Ashwell.

Alfred enlisted with the Queen’s Own Royal West Surrey Regiment, Regimental Number 49399, on 8 December 1915 in Holloway, London.  He disembarked in Boulogne on 18 March 1917, transferred to the Labour Corps, Regimental Number 79392, on 14 May 1917, rapidly being promoted to Lance Corporal and then Corporal in December 1917.  He saw active service in the Western Europe Theatre of War, France and Flanders.  Alfred survived the War .

Alfred was awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.

He is commemorated on the St Mary’s Church Ashwell Roll of Honour.

After the death of his mother he and his father lived with his grandmother, Sarah Brown, and after his father died he lived with his grandfather, Turner Goodchild.

Alfred left Ashwell at the age of 16 and went to live in London where he worked as a drayman for Whitbread’s Brewery.

He married Eliza Ann Covington at St Silas’ Church, Clerkenwell, London on 8 December 1906.  They had one daughter together, Gladys May, born in Islington, London on 2 December 1911.

After the war Alfred returned to Ashwell where he worked for Fordham’s Brewery.

Alfred died on 18 November 1922 in Ashwell after six months illness. He is buried at Ashwell.