Foreste Communal Cemetery
Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
Alfred Ernest was born at High Spen, in 1892, one of 10 children of whom only 8 survived he was the 4th born of 6 sons and 2 daughters. His father John Gibson born 1850 at Kingwater, Carlisle, Cumberland married in the district of Lanchester in 1882, Elizabeth Ann Griffin originally of Liverpool, Lancashire, born 1858. He supported his family working at the colliery as a banks-man while they were living at 3, Ramsay’s Cottages, Chopwell, by 1901 he had been joined by his eldest son Samuel (19) a coal hewer, Susannah (15), Jessie (13), John (11), Alfred (8) James (6), Robert (4) and Elizabeth (1) remained at home with their mother, to supplement the family income they had taken in a boarder, 21-year-old coal miner William Maudlin. In 1911 they were living at 7, Fell Row, Burnhope and with the exception of Robert all the male members of the family now worked at the colliery below ground.
Alfred left his employment in order to enlist at Stanley, August 29th 1914, assigned as Private 17503 Durham Light Infantry. After initial training at home the new recruits were first moved to Woking by train from Newcastle-upon-Tyne, as part of the second wave to arrive at Woking, Private Gibson was assigned to the 11th (Service) Battalion, then moved to Pirbright where the 11th converted to a Pioneer Battalion, January 6th 1915. Training was slow as at first they had no uniforms or equipment until they moved to Pirbright where they were issued with blue serge uniforms but leather equipment and khaki uniforms did not arrive until March 1915.
Alfred departed with the rest of the division July 20th 1915 arriving in France where they landed at Boulogne concentrating near St. Omer. The Pioneers were put to work repairing roads before moving to the front line to drain the mud filled trenches and strengthen barbed wire. June 8th 1916 he attended the 4th Stationary Hospital with dental problems returning to his unit nearly 3 weeks later on the Somme, where they had been put to work repairing old trenches and digging new trenches often working at night. In early September the Pioneers fought as infantrymen to capture Guillermont before spending another winter in the trenches.
He was given leave to England from January 21st-31st 1917 and during that period took ill. He was admitted to the 1st Northern General Hospital, now known as the Royal Victoria Infirmary, until he was discharged April 3rd 1917. Travelling from Newcastle-upon-Tyne via Waterloo Station he left Southampton bound for France and eventually re-joined his unit in Belgium. After spending months on the Ypres salient battling through the muddy conditions he was taken by the 23rd Field Ambulance to the 5th Casualty Clearing Station at Tincourt, July 19th 1917, suffering from trench fever and February 3rd 1918 again given leave to England for 10 days re-joining his regiment in France.
When the German Army attacked on the Somme March 21st 1918, the 20th Division including the 11th Battalion was in reserve. For 10 days the Pioneers suffered over 450 casualties as they fought and fell back digging new trenches only to fight and fall back again. Not having been seen for several days March 23rd 1918 he was declared as wounded and/or missing and his next of kin informed. A report of his death was received via the German Official List D11/44 stating that Private 17503 Alfred Ernest Gibson 11th Durham Light Infantry, “B” Coy had died of tetanus due to an infected wound to the thigh, April 16th 1918, at the Field Hospital Foreste whilst a prisoner of war, the place of burial to be communicated to his next of kin once particulars were received.
Alfred Gibson was interred at Foreste Communal Cemetery by the Germans and later commemorated on Special Memorial 21 which bears 23 names and the words:- To the memory of these 23 soldiers of the British Empire who died as prisoners of war in 1918 and were buried at the time in this cemetery, but whose graves are now lost. He was 26 years old and single.
Alfred’s father John received all monies due to him and his awards of the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal sent to him at 30, Fourth Street, South Moor.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
Alfred Ernest Gibson is remembered at Lanchester L62.01 at South Moor on S129.01 S129.02
He is also remembered in The DLI Book of Remembrance page 87
