Their Name Liveth for Evermore by Andrew Arnold

Author:Andrew Arnold
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780750957915
Publisher: The History Press
Published: 2014-09-18T00:00:00+00:00

Hermann was one of the officers killed, along with six other men. His remains were recovered in December 1917.

HENTON, Alfred Edward

Age:

26

Rank:

Rifleman

Regiment/Service:

London Regiment (Post Office Rifles)

Unit:

8th Battalion

Service Number:

4711

Died:

11 October 1916

Cemetery/Memorial:

Dernancourt Communal Cemetery Extension

Reference:

III.F.2

CWGC Notes: Son of Mr and Mrs D. Henton, of 6 Court Farm, Manor Green Rd, Epsom. Native of Sutton.

In 1891 Alfred and his family were living in Sutton Grove. By 1911 his family were living at Glenwood, Ringstead Road, while Alfred was boarding with the Weston family at 36 Myrtle Road and working as an assisting postman. Unsurprisingly, when he enlisted he joined the Post Office Rifles, a battalion of the London Regiment comprised mostly of Post Office employees. He may have died of wounds received during the battalion’s action of 7 October, when they ‘made a somewhat disastrous attack on the famous Butte de Warlencourt, a mound which bristled with unsuspected machine guns. Two companies were completely wiped out, only seven men returning’.44 The battalion suffered over 400 casualties. The Butte de Warlencourt is a prehistoric burial mound situated close to the Albert–Bapaume road ‘about 70 feet high, cunningly tunnelled by the enemy, and used as an observation post from which machine gun and artillery fire from positions echeloned in depth was directed with devastating effect on the western slopes up which our men had to advance’.45 Due to the flat nature of the terrain it had commanding views of the local area and was the object of many British attacks, being briefly captured in November. It marked the furthest advance of the British during the Somme offensive and was not taken until February 1917, when the Germans retreated to the Hindenburg Line. The Germans then retook it during their offensive of March 1918. Alfred is also commemorated on Sutton war memorial, the Sutton Post Office memorial and St Barnabas church memorial. His brother George served in the same battalion, and their other brother Frank had been killed the previous year.

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