Alfred Hadfield
Service no. 4136
Private, Australian Imperial Force, 10/22 Battalion
Killed in action 5 August 1916 (missing in action, declared killed on 26 November 1917 by C.O. 22nd Battalion Court of Enquiry)
Remembered at Serre Road Cemetery No. 2, Beaumont Hamel
Information from the 1911 census
In 1911 Alfred Hadfield, then 12, lived at 47 Brayburne Avenue, Clapham, with his parents, grandmother and a boarder. His father, Albert Hadfield, then 43, was a book-keeper for a blouse manufacturer. His mother was not on the return for this address.
Occupation Labourer
Joined 17 January 1916 (18 years and 2 months) in Melbourne
Previously rejected - reason given "physique"
NOK Father Albert Hadfield, 47 Southside, Clapham Common
5 feet 4 and 3 quarter inches tall
117 pounds
Fair hair, blue eyes, brown eyes
Mole on right breast
Transferred to reinforcements
Form has "Parents in England, no guardian in Australia" across it
7 March 1916 Embarked at Melbourne on H.M.A.T. Wiltshire
31 July 1916 Joined 22nd Bn. from Reins
Pension (10 shillings) goes to mother Julia Eliza Hadfield
Letter in file: believe they have identified the body of Frank Hadfield at Beaumont Hamel (image 19)
Notice of his death sent to father but returned "Not known" - stamped "insufficiently addressed" (image 34)
Wrong address - he lived at no 58 not no 48 Tremadoc Road
Letter from a friend enquiring about Hadfield - he had left this civilian clothes and a bicycle. He wanted to know what had become of him (image 23)
Hadfield emigrated to Australia, where he worked as a labourer. He joined the war effort in Melbourne on 17 January 1916. He was just over eighteen. A previous attempt to join up had been rejected (reason given: “physique”). He was 5 feet 4¾ inches tall, just over 8 stone, with fair hair, blue eyes and brown hair.
Hadfield’s military career was short. On 7 March he embarked at Melbourne on H.M.A.T. Wilshire. By 31 July 1916 he had joined the 22nd Battalion. By 5 August he was missing in action, later declared dead. At the time of Hadfield’s death, there were difficulties locating his family (letters were returned) but eventually the Metropolitan Police made enquiries and they were located at 58 Tremadoc Road. His mother, Julia Eliza Hadfield, was awarded a pension of 10 shillings).
Two interesting letters are in the archives. The first, from Robert James Ridge, an “orchardist” of Hoorlong Avenue, Irymple, Victoria, was written on 11 September 1920, more than four years after Hadfield died:
Can you kindly oblige me with information in regards to a friend of mine who enlisted in Melbourne & whom prior to enlistment was a resident here in Irymple. (He used to work & camp with me.) He has left his civic clothes & bicycle here & has not been to claim these things & only on one occasion has be communicated with anyone here & his address here was A. Hadfield, C. Coy., 22nd. Bn., Royal Park. It will be welcome news to myself & his associates here to know what has become of him. I am yours faithfully, Rob. Ridge, Late 59th Regt.
The “Deceased section” replied that Hadfield was initially classed as Missing and then Dead.
The other letter was from the Imperial War Graves Commission (later, of course, renamed the Commonwealth War Graves Commission). It was addressed to the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Australia:
The bodies of two soldiers recently found in the vicinity of Courcelette were carefully and reverently reburied in Graves 14 and 15, Row D, Plot 12, of Serre Road Cemetery No. 2, Beaumont Hamel. The remains which now lie in Grave 14 were by means of an identity disc identified as those of 4101 Private A. P. Duffy of the 22nd Battalion, A.I.F., who died on 5th August, 1916. From the body which now lies in Grave 15, a spoon handle scratched with the letters “A.H.” and four small coins were recovered. From the investigations made it has been ascertained that Private A. Hadfield is the only soldier with the initials “A.H.” who was killed in action on the 5th August, 1916, whilst serving with the 22nd Battalion, A.I.F. It is therefore believed that the body which lies in Grave 15 is his.
I am to ask you to be good enough to forward this information to his next-of-kin and at the same time ascertain whether they desire the words “Believed to be” to be omitted from the headstone which will in due course be erected on the grave.