Private Alfred Paget Bacon Lowestoft missing

The edition of the Norwich Mercury dated Saturday September 15 1917 included this picture along with the caption Pte. A.P. Bacon, Suffolk Regiment, brother of Mrs P. Head, 62 Cambridge Road, Lowestoft, reported missing October 13th, 1916.

Possibly

BACON, ALFRED PAGET
Rank:……………………….....Private
Service No:…………………12654
Date of Death:……………13/09/1916
Regiment:……………………Suffolk Regiment, 9th Bn.
Panel Reference:………..Pier and Face 1 C and 2 A.
Memorial:…………………….THIEPVAL MEMORIAL
CWGC: www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/771671/BACON,%20ALFRE...

No other likely match for a Bacon serving with the Suffolk Regiment.

Soldiers Died in the Great War records that Private Alfred Paget Bacon was Killed in Action on the 13th September 1916 whilst serving in France & Flanders with the 9th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment. He was born Walthamstow, Essex, and enlisted Lowestoft. No place of residence is shown.

The Medal Index Card for Private 12654 Alfred P Bacon, Suffolk Regiment, is held at the National Archive under reference WO 372/1/167696
discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D1103041

No match on Picture Norfolk, the County image Archive.

His Service Records do not appear to have survived the incendiary attack during the Blitz on the Warehouse where all the Army service records were stored.

It doesn’t looking like a missing persons request was received by the International Red Cross.

Alfred is not listed in the Memorial Chapel in St Margaret, Lowestoft.

Unfortunately I could not track down his sister – the occupants of 62 Cambridge Road on the 1911 Census of England and Wales was the George family. Using the formula common at the time, the “P” Initial could well relate to her husband. There is no like “P” Head or Alfred Bacon with a Lowestoft connection.

1895 – Birth?1 Census of England and Wales

The birth of an Alfred Paget Bacon was registered with the Civil Authorities in the District of West Ham, Essex in the April to June quarter, (Q2), of 1895. West Ham District included the civil parish of Walthamstow.
www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/districts.pl?r=93232297:9855&d...

There is no obvious 2nd marriage of his mother with his stepfather using the details shown on the 1901 and 1911 census. Nor does him mother appear to be on the 1891 census with the surname Bacon, and there doesn’t appear to be anyone of the right age and with the same first name, born Kettering, who was either in London or Lowestoft.

One possibility, which might be a mis-transcription, is that the baptism of an Alfred “Ragel” Bacon took place in Walthamstow on the 18th September 1895. His parents were a Jasper and Edith Mary Bacon.
www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NTDP-K2B

The looks more likely after looking for the parents on the 1891 Census of England and Wales. The 28 year old Jasper Bacon, a Drapers Warehouseman from “Hoston”(?), London (is this possibly Hoxton?), was recorded as the married head of the household at 14 Pellerin Road, Stoke Newington, London. Living with him is his 24 year old wife Edith. Checking the scan of the original census schedule, Edith is indeed shown as born Kettering, Northamptonshire, but this has been mis-transcribed on the Genealogy source I use. There are no children recorded living with them.

A Jasper Bacon probably married an Edith Mary Bracey in the Mutford District of Suffolk, (which included Lowestoft), in the July to September quarter, (Q3), of 1890.
www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2DF7-YPP

I could not find a death of Jasper Bacon recorded in England and Wales.

1901 Census of England and Wales

The most likely match is a 5 year old Alfred P. Bacon, born Walthamstow, Essex, who was recorded living at 37 Tyrolean Square, Gorleston, Great Yarmouth. This was the household of his step-father, William C. Sarbutt, (aged 26, a Railway Navvy, born Redisham, Suffolk) and mother Edith M(?), (aged 34, born Kettering, Northamptonshire). Three other children in the household are shown as step-children of William, however the first is shown as Ethel M Sarbutt, (aged 9, born Kensington, London). The other two are:-
Dorothy Bacon………..aged 7……..born Dulwich, London
Charles L………………aged 2…….born Lowestoft

1911 Census of England and Wales

The Sarbutt family were now recorded living at 4 Flegg Cottages, Moyes Road, Oulton Broad, Suffolk. Parents William C, (36, Fisherman) and Edith M, (44) have been married 10 years and have had no children of their own. The three Bacon children still single and living with them are Dorothy M(?), (17), Alfred P., (15 Artist in Confectionery) and Charles L, (12).

On the day………………………………

Wednesday 13th September 1916. Day 75

Ginchy

6th Div captured the Leuze Wood Ginchy road but failed to advance to the Quadrilateral. A second attempt at 6pm was equally unsuccessful with 9th Suffolks and 2nd Sherwood Foresters losing 520 men.
forum.irishmilitaryonline.com/showthread.php?t=9058&p...

From Page 21 History of the 6th Division, Edited by Major-Gen T.O.Marden.

On the night 11/12th September the 71st Infantry Brigade (Brig.-Gen J F Edwards) relieved part of the Guards Division and the 16th Infantry Brigade (Brig.-Gen W L Osborn), part of 56th Division, with orders on the 13th September to straighten the line by capturing the Quadrilateral. The 71st Infantry Brigade attacked with the Foresters north of the railway and 9th Suffolk Regiment south of the railway, while the 8th Bedford Regiment, who were close to the Quadrilateral on the north-east of the Leuze Wood, co-operated by bombing up the trench towards it. The artillery co-operation was weak, observation being difficult, and though the troops advanced with the greatest gallantry the northern attack could only make 500 yards, and the southern attack of the 71st Infantry Brigade still less, while casualties from the enemy artillery and machine gun fire were very large.

A second attack at 6 p.m. the same day succeeded in bringing our line to about 250 yards from the Strong Point, and in getting touch on the right with the 16th Infantry Brigade.

“The History of the Suffolk Regiment 1914-1927” by Lieutenant-Colonel C.C.R.Murphy

(Page 195-196) On September 13 the battalion took part in an attack by the 6th Division (Major-General C.Ross) on the Quadrilateral, the 71st Brigade being on the left and the 16th on the right. The 9th Battalion attacked with three companies in the front line and one in support, zero being at 6.20 a.m. The battalion got through the German outpost line quite easily, but on gaining the open ground, which stretched for about four hundred yards to the enemy’s wire, came under a terrific machine-gun fire from the formidable strong-point known as the Quadrilateral. Across this bare expanse the men struggled bravely forward, Lieut. Macdonald with others getting close enough to throw a bomb into the German stronghold before being wounded. No further progress could, however, be made. At 7.30 a.m. another attack, in which “A” Company participated, was launched; and in the evening a third. Still no entrance could be effected. The battalion therefore, in touch with the units on both flanks, dug itself in on a line about half-a mile in front of the jumping-off trenches of the morning.

One incident of this fighting is worthy of mention, During the forenoon, Captain Ensor, knowing that Lieut. Macdonald had been hit, went out to try and find him. After running from shell-hole to shell-hole for about three hundred yards under fire and in full view of the Germans, and calling out Macdonald’s name, he found him lying very seriously wounded. Then, having put iodine on his wounds and made him as comfortable as possible, he ran the gauntlet back to where his men were dug in. The next morning before it was light, Captain Ensoe with his orderly went out again and tried to bring in his wounded subaltern, but after carrying him for about two hundred yards the orderly was shot dead. Captain Ensor, however, had succeeded in getting Lieut. Macdonald within the zone of his own stretcher-bearers, who brought him in. Lieut. Macdonald eventually recovered, though in hospital for five and a half years.

The casualties were as follows – Killed: Captain S H Byrne; 2nd Lieut. G D Gardiner; and 15 other ranks. Wounded: Captains V W Barrett and N R Rawson (R.A.M.C.); and 2nd Lieuts. C Wayman, A G Douglas, G W Collyer, D K Macdonald, H E Falkner, A Fudge, F Goatcher, and H Almack; and 185 other ranks.

Mildly photoshopped to minimise impact of damage present on the original source.

Taken on: January 11, 2017

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Alfred Bacon

Alfred Paget Bacon

9th Battalion Suffolk Regiment

13/09/1916

13th September 1916

Norwich Mercury September 15 1917

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