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 Ralph Cecil Fletcher
Name/Rank: Private Ralph Cecil Fletcher
Regiment/Battalion: 12th battalion Royal Sussex regiment
Service No: G/17078
Date died: 20th October 1917
Buried/Commemorated: Outtersteene Communal Cemetery extension in northern France
Commemorated: Alderton war memorial and on his parent’s gravestone in St. Margarets church in Alderton. Ralph is also commemorated on the Tewkesbury Grammar school memorial and on the Cheltenham war memorial
Ralph Cecil Fletcher was born in London on 31st August 1898 and was christened in St. Paul’s Cathedral. Ralph’s parents Phillip, who was born in Alderton, and Rebecca also had another son Phillip, who was six years older than Ralph. In 1901 the family were living at 16-17 Devonshire Square, Bishopsgate, London and Ralph’s father's occupation was listed as Housekeeper. By 1911 the family had moved to Alderton and Ralph’s father and brother were both listed as working as closers in a canning factory. Ralph was a pupil at Tewkesbury Grammar school. Later Ralph’s parents ran the Hobnails Inn situated on the main road just outside Alderton. After leaving school Ralph was apprenticed to the military outfitters Slades in Cheltenham. Ralph enlisted in Cheltenham in 1917 and joined the 12th battalion Royal Sussex regiment, who were part of 116th Brigade, 39th Division.
The 12th battalion Royal Sussex regiment were involved in the Third battle of Ypres which began on 31st July 1917. Ralph’s battalion spent three days in the front-line trenches in the Tower Hamlets sector near Ypres between 15-17th October 1917. During this period of holding the line Ralph Fletcher, who by now was a Lance Corporal (acting/unpaid), was wounded on 16th October. He was taken to the Australian Casualty clearing station where he subsequently died of his wounds on the 20th October. He is buried in the Outtersteene Communal cemetery extension in northern France.
Following Ralph’s death his mother Rebecca received a pension of 7s a week from May 1918. The Army record of soldiers’ effects lists two amounts of £2 16s 9d and £3 that were paid to his mother Rebecca in May 1918 and September 1919 respectively. The first payment would likely have been the remains of Ralph’s army pay and the second a war gratuity paid out to soldiers and their dependants.
An In Memorium notice was published in the Cheltenham Chronicle on 19/10/18 from his brother and mother. It reads: “Lce.-Corpl. R. C. Fletcher. Mr. and Mrs. Philip Fletcher, of the Hobnails, Alstone, have also received sad news, for they have been notified by the War Office that their youngest son, Lce- Corp. Ralph Cecil Fletcher, of the Royal Sussex Regiment, died from wounds, received in action, on the 20th October. They first received news that the brave lad was wounded on the 16th October, and a kindly letter from the sister of the hospital supplemented the official notice of his death. She said his wounds were bad, and he passed quietly away. Lce.-Corpl. Fletcher was only 19 years of age he and his brother, who is also on service, were christened in St. Paul's Cathedral by Archdeacon Sinclair. He attended Alderton School and Tewkesbury Grammar School until he was apprenticed to Mr. Slade, outfitter, of Cheltenham. He joined the Army in February last. His parents mourn the loss of a steady worthy lad, who was much liked by all who knew him, and much sympathy is extended to them in their sorrow."
Rebecca Fletcher also paid for a private inscription on his gravestone which reads "His life he freely gave".
Ralph was entitled to the two standard WW1 service medals, the Victory medal and the British War medal.
Ralph is commemorated on the Alderton war memorial and on his parent’s gravestone in St. Margarets church in Alderton. Ralph is also commemorated on the Tewkesbury Grammar school memorial and on the Cheltenham war memorial, and he is buried in Outtersteene Communal cemetery extension in northern France.
Ralph Fletcher is also recorded in the book "Leaving All that was Dear by Joe Devereux and Graham Sacker the seminal work on Cheltenham’s WW1 war dead and in “A Noble Band of Heroes” by John Dixon which commemorates the men from Tewkesbury who lost their lives in WW1.
Regiment/Battalion: 12th battalion Royal Sussex regiment
Service No: G/17078
Date died: 20th October 1917
Buried/Commemorated: Outtersteene Communal Cemetery extension in northern France
Commemorated: Alderton war memorial and on his parent’s gravestone in St. Margarets church in Alderton. Ralph is also commemorated on the Tewkesbury Grammar school memorial and on the Cheltenham war memorial
Ralph Cecil Fletcher was born in London on 31st August 1898 and was christened in St. Paul’s Cathedral. Ralph’s parents Phillip, who was born in Alderton, and Rebecca also had another son Phillip, who was six years older than Ralph. In 1901 the family were living at 16-17 Devonshire Square, Bishopsgate, London and Ralph’s father's occupation was listed as Housekeeper. By 1911 the family had moved to Alderton and Ralph’s father and brother were both listed as working as closers in a canning factory. Ralph was a pupil at Tewkesbury Grammar school. Later Ralph’s parents ran the Hobnails Inn situated on the main road just outside Alderton. After leaving school Ralph was apprenticed to the military outfitters Slades in Cheltenham. Ralph enlisted in Cheltenham in 1917 and joined the 12th battalion Royal Sussex regiment, who were part of 116th Brigade, 39th Division.
The 12th battalion Royal Sussex regiment were involved in the Third battle of Ypres which began on 31st July 1917. Ralph’s battalion spent three days in the front-line trenches in the Tower Hamlets sector near Ypres between 15-17th October 1917. During this period of holding the line Ralph Fletcher, who by now was a Lance Corporal (acting/unpaid), was wounded on 16th October. He was taken to the Australian Casualty clearing station where he subsequently died of his wounds on the 20th October. He is buried in the Outtersteene Communal cemetery extension in northern France.
Following Ralph’s death his mother Rebecca received a pension of 7s a week from May 1918. The Army record of soldiers’ effects lists two amounts of £2 16s 9d and £3 that were paid to his mother Rebecca in May 1918 and September 1919 respectively. The first payment would likely have been the remains of Ralph’s army pay and the second a war gratuity paid out to soldiers and their dependants.
An In Memorium notice was published in the Cheltenham Chronicle on 19/10/18 from his brother and mother. It reads: “Lce.-Corpl. R. C. Fletcher. Mr. and Mrs. Philip Fletcher, of the Hobnails, Alstone, have also received sad news, for they have been notified by the War Office that their youngest son, Lce- Corp. Ralph Cecil Fletcher, of the Royal Sussex Regiment, died from wounds, received in action, on the 20th October. They first received news that the brave lad was wounded on the 16th October, and a kindly letter from the sister of the hospital supplemented the official notice of his death. She said his wounds were bad, and he passed quietly away. Lce.-Corpl. Fletcher was only 19 years of age he and his brother, who is also on service, were christened in St. Paul's Cathedral by Archdeacon Sinclair. He attended Alderton School and Tewkesbury Grammar School until he was apprenticed to Mr. Slade, outfitter, of Cheltenham. He joined the Army in February last. His parents mourn the loss of a steady worthy lad, who was much liked by all who knew him, and much sympathy is extended to them in their sorrow."
Rebecca Fletcher also paid for a private inscription on his gravestone which reads "His life he freely gave".
Ralph was entitled to the two standard WW1 service medals, the Victory medal and the British War medal.
Ralph is commemorated on the Alderton war memorial and on his parent’s gravestone in St. Margarets church in Alderton. Ralph is also commemorated on the Tewkesbury Grammar school memorial and on the Cheltenham war memorial, and he is buried in Outtersteene Communal cemetery extension in northern France.
Ralph Fletcher is also recorded in the book "Leaving All that was Dear by Joe Devereux and Graham Sacker the seminal work on Cheltenham’s WW1 war dead and in “A Noble Band of Heroes” by John Dixon which commemorates the men from Tewkesbury who lost their lives in WW1.
