In Cobh Old Church Cemetery, Ireland is the Commonwealth War Grave of J/23547 Leading Signalman Alfred Glazebrook, serving on H.M.S. Heather with the Royal Navy who died 25/12/1920.

The son of William Henry and Mary Ellen Glazebrook, of 16, Mildmay Road, West Jesmond, Newcastle upon Tyne.

Colin Boyd has provided the following:

Alfred was born in Leeds on 4th April 1897 and by the time of the 1911 Census he was living with his parents, William Henry and Mary Ellen and a sister at 16, Mildmay Road, Jesmond, Newcastle upon Tyne. Both his older brothers were serving in the Army and both were destined to become casualties during WWI.

Alfred joined HMS Ganges as a Boy Signaller on 20th March 1913 and signed up for 12 years’ naval service when he reached the age of 18.

In September 1915 Alfred joined HMS Duke of Edinburgh and served at the Battle of Jutland on this vessel where he was awarded the Russian Order of St. Stanislaus. He also survived the torpedoing of HMS Endymion on 30th August 1918.

After a succession of shore postings Alfred was posted to HMS Heather on 11th April 1920 and died in Cork on 25th December 1920 – Christmas Day. The cause of death was given as “suffocation due to food entering air passage” and the report goes on to say that he was not drunk but had been overeating.

His brother Henry died in 1915 and William Henry in 1916.

Alfred Glazebrook is remembered at Jesmond on J1.21 and J1.43 and in our List of Ships’ Crews.