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 Victor George Pullom
Name/Rank: Private Victor George Pullom
Regiment/Battalion: 18th battalion Army Cyclist Corps
Service No: 22487
Date died: 26th June 1918
Buried/Commemorated: Terlincthun British cemetery, near Boulogne, France
Commemorated: Alderton War memorial and the Conderton and Overbury War memorial
Victor Pullom was born in Cutsdean on 23rd January 1899 and the 1901 census records show that he was still there in a house with his grandparents John and Jane, mother Rose, brother Frank and uncles Frederick and George. By 1911 Victor was living at Corner House in Alderton with his Father Frank John, mother and brother. Victor’s parents were both labourers in the fruit industry and his brother was a farm boy.
Victor attested for the military in January 1917 at Tewkesbury, when his address was Hollow Brooks, Conderton, Worcestershire and occupation was farm labourer. The records show he was 5ft 6in and in good physical condition. Victor initially enlisted into 2/1st Warks Yeomanry (No. 313817) in March 1917. However, following a period of training and recruitment the 2/1st Warwickshire Yeomanry became a cyclist unit in September 1917 and were attached to 214th brigade, 71st division. This brigade was formed into a special formation due for Murmansk in Russia, but in March 1918 all fit men in the brigade were drafted to France. Victor embarked from Southampton on 15th April 1918 arriving at Le Harve the next day and joined the Army Cyclist Corp at Rouen from where he was posted to the 18th battalion on 6th May 1918.
During June the battalion was supporting frontline troops in the Camblain L'Abbe area north of Arras. Between the 15-16th June they were setting up camouflage screens and suffered several casualties as a result of enemy shelling. Victor was reported wounded on the 16th with wounds to his back, right leg and left hand and due to a gas gangrene infection, his right leg was amputated from the thigh. Victor subsequently died of wounds on 26th June 1918 at 32 Stationary Hospital, Wimereux, a base hospital used to care for the wounded away from the front-line areas. Victor is buried in Terlincthun British cemetery, near Boulogne, a cemetery used mainly for burials from the nearby base hospitals.
A pension was paid to Victor's father from December 1918, though the records aren’t clear as to the exact amount. Unfortunately, Victor's mother, Rose, died in August 1918 in the Union Workhouse, Tewkesbury less than 2 months after his death.
Following Victor’s death, the Army record of soldiers’ effects lists two amounts of £10 4s 5d & £5 that were paid to his father in September 1918 and November 1919 respectively. The first payment would likely have been the remains of Victor’s army pay and the second a war gratuity paid out to soldiers and their dependants.
Victor was entitled to the two standard WW1 service medals, the Victory medal and the British War medal.
Victor's father paid for the following private inscription on his gravestone "Born January 23rd 1899".
Victor is commemorated on the Alderton War memorial and the Conderton and Overbury War memorial, and is buried in Terlincthun British cemetery, near Boulogne.
Regiment/Battalion: 18th battalion Army Cyclist Corps
Service No: 22487
Date died: 26th June 1918
Buried/Commemorated: Terlincthun British cemetery, near Boulogne, France
Commemorated: Alderton War memorial and the Conderton and Overbury War memorial
Victor Pullom was born in Cutsdean on 23rd January 1899 and the 1901 census records show that he was still there in a house with his grandparents John and Jane, mother Rose, brother Frank and uncles Frederick and George. By 1911 Victor was living at Corner House in Alderton with his Father Frank John, mother and brother. Victor’s parents were both labourers in the fruit industry and his brother was a farm boy.
Victor attested for the military in January 1917 at Tewkesbury, when his address was Hollow Brooks, Conderton, Worcestershire and occupation was farm labourer. The records show he was 5ft 6in and in good physical condition. Victor initially enlisted into 2/1st Warks Yeomanry (No. 313817) in March 1917. However, following a period of training and recruitment the 2/1st Warwickshire Yeomanry became a cyclist unit in September 1917 and were attached to 214th brigade, 71st division. This brigade was formed into a special formation due for Murmansk in Russia, but in March 1918 all fit men in the brigade were drafted to France. Victor embarked from Southampton on 15th April 1918 arriving at Le Harve the next day and joined the Army Cyclist Corp at Rouen from where he was posted to the 18th battalion on 6th May 1918.
During June the battalion was supporting frontline troops in the Camblain L'Abbe area north of Arras. Between the 15-16th June they were setting up camouflage screens and suffered several casualties as a result of enemy shelling. Victor was reported wounded on the 16th with wounds to his back, right leg and left hand and due to a gas gangrene infection, his right leg was amputated from the thigh. Victor subsequently died of wounds on 26th June 1918 at 32 Stationary Hospital, Wimereux, a base hospital used to care for the wounded away from the front-line areas. Victor is buried in Terlincthun British cemetery, near Boulogne, a cemetery used mainly for burials from the nearby base hospitals.
A pension was paid to Victor's father from December 1918, though the records aren’t clear as to the exact amount. Unfortunately, Victor's mother, Rose, died in August 1918 in the Union Workhouse, Tewkesbury less than 2 months after his death.
Following Victor’s death, the Army record of soldiers’ effects lists two amounts of £10 4s 5d & £5 that were paid to his father in September 1918 and November 1919 respectively. The first payment would likely have been the remains of Victor’s army pay and the second a war gratuity paid out to soldiers and their dependants.
Victor was entitled to the two standard WW1 service medals, the Victory medal and the British War medal.
Victor's father paid for the following private inscription on his gravestone "Born January 23rd 1899".
Victor is commemorated on the Alderton War memorial and the Conderton and Overbury War memorial, and is buried in Terlincthun British cemetery, near Boulogne.
