'Other Ranks' Photographs and Biographies from the Herts Regiment

Private 1558 Alfred William PLUMB

Alfred Plumb was born in Colliers End, near Ware in Hertfordshire in September 1891.

He was a nineteen year old 'House Boy' when he enlisted into the Hertfordshire Regiment at Braughing on the 20th September 1910, having served in the 1st Volunteer Battalion of the Bedfordshire Regiment beforehand. His father had already passed on and his mother, Mary, lived in Colliers End.

Alfred attended the regiment's annual training at Thetford in August 1911 and Worthing in August 1912 and was amongst the part time, Territorial Army soldiers of the Regiment who signed up for foreign service when war was declared in August 1914. Private Plumb became an 'Old Contemptible' when he went abroad with the battalion when they were mobilised, landing on French soil 6th November 1914. However, he was back in England on the 4th December 1914 and remained in Blighty recovering from either illness or wounds until the 24th June 1915.

After a further three months in the front lines, Alfred returned home to England again on completion of his period of engagement in the army and was discharged completely on the 28th September 1915.

It appears that Alfred did not return to the front lines again, unless serving under a different regiment entirely, but was likely to have served in another capacity on the home front. He married Emily at High Cross church, Hertfordshire on the 4th December 1915 and they had a son Alfred in October 1916.

Although Alfred survvied the war sadly his younger brother, Charles Henry Plumb, died on the 8th December 1917 whilst serving in the 2nd/6th South Staffordshire Regiment. He was just 20 years old and lies in the Etaples military cemetery.

Alfred died 31st May 1969 at his home in High Cross and is buried in the local churchyard, where Arthur Martin-Leake, who was the first of just three men to be awarded two Victoria Crosses, is also buried. Below are Alfred and Emily Plumb around 1968, not long before his death, his medals which are still with the family today, as well as the Christmas 1914 tin presented to those soldiers on the front lines during the first Christmas.

[With thanks to James Dagwell who is Alfred and Emily's Great Grandson for the photographs]