Alderton's WW1 War Dead
Below are the biographical and military details of the sixteen men listed on the Alderton War memorial. I have also included two men whose names do not appear on the Alderton village memorial. Only one of the two Grimmett brothers appears on the memorial, so details of both are included below, and Jesse James, who was born in Alderton but lived in Stanton, where he is commemorated.
Private Jesse James
Name/Rank: Private Jesse James
Regiment/Battalion: 13th battalion Gloucestershire regiment
Service No: 18248
Date died: 22-23rd March 1918
Buried/Commemorated: Perrone Communal Cemetery Extension
Commemorated: Stanton War memorial located in the boundary wall of Stanton Court, in the centre of Stanton. Jesse James is not currently listed on the Alderton War memorial.
Jesse James was born in Alderton in 1881. There is no record of his parents and between 1891 and 1901 he was living with his grandparents Israel and Charlotte Law in Stanton. By 1901 his occupation was a farm labourer. Jesse married Elizabeth sometime in 1902 and they lived in Stanton.
Analysis of Gloucestershire regiment army service numbers suggests that Jesse enlisted in the 13th Gloucestershire regiment, known as the Forest of Dean Pioneers, at Cheltenham in February 1915. The Dean Forest Mercury newspaper carried the news that the local MP, Sir Harry Webb, was to raise a new Pioneer Battalion from the men of the Forest of Dean. The job of a pioneer unit included digging trenches, wiring and building encampments for other troops, as well as ordinary infantry work. They were paid an extra tuppence a day. The battalion spent a period of training in Malvern and became the pioneer battalion for the 39th division. Following further recruitment and training they moved to France in March 1916.
By March 1918 the 13th Gloucestershire’s were carrying out their pioneer duties and preparing defences in the Templeux la Fosse area in readiness for the expected German Spring offensive. The huge German offensive commenced on 21st March and by the 22nd the 13th Gloucestershires had moved up to the line to fight as infantry. They fought a rear-guard action during the 22nd and 23rd March eventually retiring on Herbecourt, near Peronne. It was during these actions that Jesse James was very likely killed in action. Battalion casualties both killed, wounded and missing for the period between 22-31 March were 326 of whom over 80 were killed or later died of their wounds. Jesse James, along with other men of the 13th Gloucestershires appears on a German list of British soldiers buried by the Germans in the churchyard at Templeux la Fosse during this period. Commonwealth War Graves records show that following the end of the war a burial plot containing the remains of forty-one men was discovered at a map reference very close to the church in Templeux la Fosse, and these men were subsequently reburied in the Perrone Communal Cemetery Extension. We can safely assume that these bodies including Jesse James had been buried by the Germans, who had taken this area during their Spring offensive. The cemetery had originally been started by the British during their time in this region.
Jesse’s wife Elizabeth received a pension of 13s 9d paid weekly from 7th October 1918. In addition, the Army record of soldiers’ effects lists two amounts of £11 16s 3d and £14 that were paid to Elizabeth in August 1918 and December 1919 respectively. The first payment would likely have been the remains of Jesse’s army pay and the second a war gratuity paid out to soldiers and their dependants.
Jesse was entitled to the two standard WW1 service medals, the Victory medal and the British War medal.
Jesse James is commemorated on the Stanton War memorial located in the boundary wall of Stanton Court, in the centre of Stanton, and is buried in the Perrone Communal Cemetery Extension.
Regiment/Battalion: 13th battalion Gloucestershire regiment
Service No: 18248
Date died: 22-23rd March 1918
Buried/Commemorated: Perrone Communal Cemetery Extension
Commemorated: Stanton War memorial located in the boundary wall of Stanton Court, in the centre of Stanton. Jesse James is not currently listed on the Alderton War memorial.
Jesse James was born in Alderton in 1881. There is no record of his parents and between 1891 and 1901 he was living with his grandparents Israel and Charlotte Law in Stanton. By 1901 his occupation was a farm labourer. Jesse married Elizabeth sometime in 1902 and they lived in Stanton.
Analysis of Gloucestershire regiment army service numbers suggests that Jesse enlisted in the 13th Gloucestershire regiment, known as the Forest of Dean Pioneers, at Cheltenham in February 1915. The Dean Forest Mercury newspaper carried the news that the local MP, Sir Harry Webb, was to raise a new Pioneer Battalion from the men of the Forest of Dean. The job of a pioneer unit included digging trenches, wiring and building encampments for other troops, as well as ordinary infantry work. They were paid an extra tuppence a day. The battalion spent a period of training in Malvern and became the pioneer battalion for the 39th division. Following further recruitment and training they moved to France in March 1916.
By March 1918 the 13th Gloucestershire’s were carrying out their pioneer duties and preparing defences in the Templeux la Fosse area in readiness for the expected German Spring offensive. The huge German offensive commenced on 21st March and by the 22nd the 13th Gloucestershires had moved up to the line to fight as infantry. They fought a rear-guard action during the 22nd and 23rd March eventually retiring on Herbecourt, near Peronne. It was during these actions that Jesse James was very likely killed in action. Battalion casualties both killed, wounded and missing for the period between 22-31 March were 326 of whom over 80 were killed or later died of their wounds. Jesse James, along with other men of the 13th Gloucestershires appears on a German list of British soldiers buried by the Germans in the churchyard at Templeux la Fosse during this period. Commonwealth War Graves records show that following the end of the war a burial plot containing the remains of forty-one men was discovered at a map reference very close to the church in Templeux la Fosse, and these men were subsequently reburied in the Perrone Communal Cemetery Extension. We can safely assume that these bodies including Jesse James had been buried by the Germans, who had taken this area during their Spring offensive. The cemetery had originally been started by the British during their time in this region.
Jesse’s wife Elizabeth received a pension of 13s 9d paid weekly from 7th October 1918. In addition, the Army record of soldiers’ effects lists two amounts of £11 16s 3d and £14 that were paid to Elizabeth in August 1918 and December 1919 respectively. The first payment would likely have been the remains of Jesse’s army pay and the second a war gratuity paid out to soldiers and their dependants.
Jesse was entitled to the two standard WW1 service medals, the Victory medal and the British War medal.
Jesse James is commemorated on the Stanton War memorial located in the boundary wall of Stanton Court, in the centre of Stanton, and is buried in the Perrone Communal Cemetery Extension.
