Alfred William Holdcroft was born on the 27th July 1890 at 124 Hot Lane Burslem , Staffordshire, born to Sarah Jane Née Davies and Alfred William Holdcroft Sr. 

Alfred had an older brother John born in 1887, an older sister Elizabeth born in 1889 then a younger brother William born 1892 and younger sister Emily born 1897. His birth certificate shows his father was a pottery placer. 

The census of 1891 shows Alfred as an 8 month old baby living with both his parents and siblings John and Elizabeth at 124 Hot Lane Burslem. His father was working as a Potter oven man. 

The 1901 census shows Alfred as a 10 year old still living with both his parents, siblings John, Elizabeth, William and Emily, his father is still working as a potter/ transfer but they are now living at 24 Piccadilly Street Tunstall, his brother John aged 13 was working as Potter Mould runner 

By the 1911 census  Alfred is 21 years old living at 98 Hot Lane Burslem with both his parents and four siblings, he is working as an attendant coal cutter underground. His father still works as a potter and brother John is now working in a colliery, his sister Elizabeth is a domestic servant and sister Emily is unemployed. 

In the final quarter of 1911 Alfred married Harriet Ann Lewis, they made their home at 99 Hot Lane and welcomed their first child Elizabeth in March of 1912 but sadly by November 1912 she died aged 8 months. Alfred is named as a coal cutter on Elizabeth's death certificate. 

On 19th February 1914 Harriet and Alfred welcomed their daughter May and soon after on the 14th August 1915 their son Alfred William was born. 

Alfred was a pre WW1 Territorial Soldier serving as Private 3732 North Staffordshire Regiment. He enlisted to full service on the 9th October 1914 after the outbreak of WW1 and was renumbered 200814, still serving as a private and posted to the 1/5th North Staffordshire Regiment.

He is described as being 5’4” tall, 36” chest, 3” expansion, pale complexion, dark brown hair, blue eyes and his given address being 65 Hot Lane, Burslem with his wife Harriet Ann Holdcroft. 

His Pension record shows us that he served at home and abroad during the following periods

HOME 19th October 1914 - 24th June 1915

FRANCE 25th June 1915 - 28th October 1915

HOME 29th October 1915 - 14th May 1916

FRANCE 15th May 1916 - 12th July 1916

HOME 13th July 1916 - 6th December 1917

His journey to the front began on the 24th June 1915 at Southampton where he embarked a transport ship and arrived in Rouen, France the following day

Alfred was badly wounded on the 1st July 1916 suffering a gunshot wound to the chest, this could be from small arms fire or exploding shrapnel artillery. Alfred took part in the Somme offensive of the 1st July 1916 when the British suffered appalling losses on one day, amounting to 60,000 dead and wounded. Alfred's battalion, the 1/5th North Staffordshire Regiment were deployed in the Gommecourt area of France and on that fateful day went over the top, its objective to capture Gommecourt Wood and village. Fierce fighting took place but the attack faltered, elements of the battalion made it into the German positions but were soon fought off, Alfred's battalion suffering 124 wounded, 27 killed and 23 missing.

After the battle Alfred's battalion were withdrawn the following day and Alfred was taken to the 20th Casualty Clearing Station situated at Warlincourt, it was an improvised tented station.

He was then , on the 3rd July 1916, received at the number 16 General Hospital at Le Tréport, France. From there on the 12th July 1916 he was evacuated to England arriving on the 13th July 1916.

It is not known where in England he was treated for his injuries but he was discharged with Honour from military service on the 6th December 1917 being no longer fit for service, under Kings Regulation 392.  

Due to being discharged for wounds he was also awarded the Silver War Badge serial number 291782. 

His SWB award shows he had a total of 7 years service with the colours. 

He was awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory medal. 

Alfred was taken from North Staffordshire Infirmary and admitted to the Star and Garter military convalescent home in Richmond, Surrey on 05.01.1918.  Members of the Red Cross and Voluntary Aid Detachment staffed this home. Its purpose is to rehabilitate soldiers with severe injuries and disabilities caused at war. 

His record states he was paraplegic having been wounded at Gommecourt on 01.07.1916 . His religion is given as the Church of England and his next of kin was Mrs Holdcroft (wife) of 22 Spencer Street , Burslem, Staffordshire. His medical records show he did not have bedsores, but there was a large scar on his sacrum and right buttock. From pension records we can see His wife Harriet was lodging in the nearby 9 Sand Pit Road Petersham at the time of his death. 

Alfred's intended rehabilitation was cut short when Alfred died on the 1st November 1918 aged 28 in Richmond Surrey. Both his death certificate and military pension card show us that his cause of death was Nephritis and Influenza. It is not a stretch of the imagination to conclude his death could be attributable to weakened ability to fight off these conditions due to the chest wounds he sustained in battle as well as his paraplegic state. 

Alfred’s pension card shows Harriet his wife and his children were in receipt of his pension from 31.07.1919 and both Alfred's children May and Alfred were in receipt of his pension until they were 16 years old in 1930 and 1931 . 

He is now buried in Burslem cemetery in grave number 14779 Block 31, Row 9, Plot 7. Also buried in this grave are: 

Elizabeth Holdcroft born 1912 - died 1912, ( Alfred and Harriet's eldest daughter) 

Nicholas James Hyde  born 1913 - died 1913 ( mother's maiden name Packer, son of John and Annie Hyde 23 Hot lane Burslem.) 

Samuel Lewis born 1883 - died 1941. ( Harriet’s brother ) 

It was discovered that he had not been commemorated by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and there was no existing headstone for Alfred or the others within his grave, so on June 4th 2025  an application was made to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission to have Alfred William Holdcroft formally commemorated.  Because Alfred’s grave in Burslem cemetery was  unmarked for a substantial amount of time,  we felt that an interim marker should be in place so began liaising with Burslem Cemetery services for a wooden cross temporary marker and on the 21st September 2025 a ceremony to the dedication and positioning of the Cross on Alfred Holdcroft’s Grave was held. 

Sources

• England + Wales Civil Registration Birth Index 1837-1915 Vol 6b page 145)
• FreeBMD. England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1837-1915 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006.
• https://www.gro.gov.uk ( birth, marriage and death certificate) 
• UK, WWI, Pension Ledgers and Index Cards, 1914-1923

United Kingdom ᭼ 1914-1921

• UK, British Army Registers of Soldiers' Effects, 1901-1929

1901-1929

• Forces War Records, UK, WWI, British Army Medal Roll Index Cards, 1914-1920 (https://uk.forceswarrecords.com/publication/932/uk-wwi-british-army-medal-roll-index-cards-1914-1920 : accessed 5 Jul 2025), database and images, https://uk.forceswarrecords.com/publication/932/uk-wwi-british-army-medal-roll-index-cards-1914-1920
• Forces War Records, UK, WWI, British Army Pension Records, 1914-1920 (https://uk.forceswarrecords.com/publication/950/uk-wwi-british-army-pension-records-1914-1920 : accessed 5 Jul 2025), database and images, https://uk.forceswarrecords.com/publication/950/uk-wwi-british-army-pension-records-1914-1920
• Forces War Records, UK, WWI, Silver War Badge, 1914-1920 (https://uk.forceswarrecords.com/publication/1166/silver-war-badge-1914-1920 : accessed 5 Jul 2025), database and images, https://uk.forceswarrecords.com/publication/1166/silver-war-badge-1914-1920
• Forces War Records, UK, Nominal Index Of All Service Personnel Serving In A Theatre Of War, 1914-1919 (https://uk.forceswarrecords.com/publication/1276/uk-nominal-index-of-all-service-personnel-serving-in-a-theatre-of-war-1914-1919 : accessed 5 Jul 2025), database and images, https://uk.forceswarrecords.com/publication/1276/uk-nominal-index-of-all-service-personnel-serving-in-a-theatre-of-war-1914-1919 
• Ancestry 1891 census 
• Ancestry 1901 census 
• Ancestry 1911 census 
• Staffordshire Burial Index 
• Surrey Heritage LS/1715/25.
• War diary 1/5th battalion North Staffordshire Regiment. WO 95/2685/1.