BERRY, Alfred George



No.29774, Lance Corporal, Alfred George BERRY
Aged 19


"A" Coy., 7th Battalion, Norfolk Regiment
Killed in Action Saturday, 24th March 1917


Alfred George Berry was born in 1898 in Fakenham Magna (Thetford Q3-1897 4B:392) son of Arthur Henry and Ellen BERRY (née HOWLETT).
1901 census...Aged 3, he was at The Street, Fakenham Magna, with his father Arthur BERRY [33] thatcher/lime burner born Honington;his mother Ellen [27] born Woolpit and sister Daisy [4 months] born Fakenham

1911 census...Aged 13, a farm worker, he was at Euston Road, Barnham with his parents; sisters Daisy and Violet [10] born Barnham; brothers Ronald [5] and Aubrey [9 months] both born in Barnham. Two of the 7 children had died.

CWGC have the family address as Park Gate Cottages, Great Fakenham, Suffolk. The pension card has his father later at 2 Willow Green, Honington


He enlisted in Norwich.
The battalion were NE of Arras, about where the present motorways A1 and A26 meet. The War Diary:-

"23rd March - At 6:45 am this morning the 9th Essex Regt attempted a raid on the enemy's lines from our left front companies sector. The party consisted of 5 officers and 60 other ranks and the objectives were the enemy's front and support lines between saps W20 and W21. Six Lewis guns (three on each flank) of the 7th Norfolk Regt supported the operation by guarding the flanks of the raiding party with fire.
The enemy barrage came down on our front line in less than three minutes but we sustained no casualties through it. Later in the day 1 officer and 1 other rank were wounded by shell fire. The officer, 2nd Lieut A C Dawson remained at duty. The enemy obtained a direct hit on our battalion bomb store which exploded several smoke bombs and "gassed" 5 men, 4 of these remained at duty.

24th March - About 6 am this morning the Division on our left carried out a raid whereupon the enemy retaliated by heavily shelling our front and support lines causing the following casualties:-
5 killed and 6 wounded.
Some small balloons were sent over from the enemy's lines this morning. One of these came down close to Battalion Headquarters. it was found to have a number of papers printed in French containing propaganda against the British, evidently intended for the civil population."





Alfred Berry is buried in Faubourg d'Amiens Cemetery, Arras, grave 2:K:12

click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details


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