Son of Mr W. H. and Mrs E. Senior, of 27 Ingleby Terrace, Sunderland.
Linda Gowans has submitted the following:-
Alfred Ernest Senior was born in 1899, in Sunderland as were his parents and siblings. His father William Henry Senior, Domestic Gardener, and his mother Elizabeth are at 8 Sidecliffe in 1901, but in 1911 they have moved to West Lodge Cottage, Darlington, probably in connection with Albert’s work as a gardener. There are six children: Alfred Ernest is at school, while his older brothers are working as a Railway Clerk and Apprentice Chauffeur, and his older sister is an Apprentice Dressmaker. He has two younger sisters. The date of the move back to Sunderland is not known, but CWGC forms show 27 Ingleby Terrace – earlier research also quotes an address at 10 Beachville Street.
At some point Alfred must have been employed by Sunderland Corporation as he is included on the memorial in the Town Hall.
Very few of Alfred Ernest’s service records have survived, but we can establish that he was initially 5/85314, T. R. Battalion. The Training Reserve Battalions were the result of a reorganization in September 1916, but we have no enlistment papers to know when he joined. Subsequently he served in the 9th, 10th and 2nd Battalions of the King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry. The 2nd was part of the 97th Brigade in 32nd Division, which in late March 1918 was in action at Arras. This was the time of the German Spring Offensive, and it has not been possible to ascertain the specific encounter in which Alfred Ernest fell on April 14th. The Register of Soldier’s Effects says that he died in Belgium.
The village of Ayette is some 13 km. south of Arras on the road to Amiens, and Douchy-les-Ayette is 1 km. west. The British Cemetery is opposite the Communal Cemetery on the north side of the road: it was begun in August 1918 and enlarged after the Armistice by the concentration of graves from the battlefields of Arras and elsewhere. One of these, on October 17th 1919, was the grave of Alfred Ernest Senior.
Alfred Ernest Senior is remembered at Sunderland on S140.009, S140.010, S140.048 part 4 and S140.062
