Duncombe Cemetery, Ferryhill
TZ/1878 Chief Petty Officer
A.B. Boyes RNVR
Royal Naval Division
2nd October 1915 Age 28
Thy will be done
Mentioned in Despatches
Son of Gurbutt and Elizabeth Boyes, of 12, Railway Row, East Howle, Ferryhill; husband of Jane Boyes.
Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
Alfred Barker Boyes was born February 7th 1886 in Appleton on Wiske, Vale of Yorkshire, one of 9 children, 4 boys and 4 girls, 1 deceased (sex unknown), born to Garbutt Boyes 1851 Ladhill Gill and his second wife Elizabeth Watson 1857 Nunnington, Yorkshire. Alfred also had a half-brother John. His parents left Yorkshire and by 1891 were living in Ferryhill village. His father worked as a coal miner-hewer all his life. By 1914-18 he and Elizabeth were living at East Howle, near Ferryhill.
In 1901, at the age of 15, Alfred was also working as a hewer but later enlisted October 27th 1903 for 12 years in the Royal Navy reaching the rank of Petty Officer 228384 and served for 10 years 7 months, discharged, “Service no longer required.” He last served on the 'Minerva'.
October 1914 Alfred married Sarah Jane Griffiths, originally from Featherstone, Yorkshire and their daughter Ruth was born March 1915, whilst Alfred was serving overseas, as November 19th 1914 he enlisted in the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve as Able Seaman Tyneside Z/1878, Howe Battalion. The R.N.V.R. was formed by Churchill due to the surplus of 20-30,000 men who enlisted to serve their country. Alfred took up service January 29th 1915 until August 5th 1915 rising through the ranks from Able Seaman, Leading Seaman, Petty Officer to Chief Petty Officer. His Division was shipped to Egypt prior to serving in the Battle of Gallipoli and fought in both the Anzac and Helles battlefields. He was taken ill with dysentery, invalided to England August 25th 1915, assigned to the 2nd Battalion Reserve R. N. D. September 13th 1915, and given leave.
Chief Petty Officer Z/1878 Alfred Barker Boyes, 2nd Battalion Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve died of dysentery at the County Hospital, Durham, October 2nd 1915, aged 29 years. He is interred at Duncombe Cemetery, Ferryhill, County Durham, grave G 532.
The London Gazette reported January 28th 1916 page 1206 that November 24th 1915 C. P. O Albert Barker Boyes was Mentioned in Dispatches for, “Courageous and Gallant Conduct in the Field, Cape Helles,” (Turkey). Awards 1914/15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal and Bronze Oak Leaf.
Alfred’s widow Sarah Jane remarried, December 1917, in Sedgefield district to Henry Siddle. She died November 1987 aged 93 years. Their daughter Ruth, married John W. Ward, June 1933 in Easington District, County Durham.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
Alfred Barker Boyes is remembered at Craghead on C120.01 and C120.04 and at East Howle on F38.03
