WALL Alfred Reginald

Alfred Wall attended Worcester Royal Grammar School from 1905 to 1906. He had been gassed and wounded prior to being moved to Italy with his battalion. He was killed whilst taking part in a raiding party against the Austrian Army on the Asiago Plateau on the night of 8th/9th August 1918.

Source for additional information: In Dedication to a Future World by Mark Rogers, 1999.

Elder son of Alfred George and Annie Elizabeth Wall, 3 Edgar Street, Worcester. Killed in action with the Worcestershire Terrritorials in Italy. He was last home on leave in September. Alfred was educated at the Royal Grammar School and was engaged in the city engineers office at the time of his enlistment. He volunteered in September 1914 with about 50 members of the rowing club. He was also secretary of Worcester Hockey Club at that time. Prior to his death he had been recommended for a commission and was shortly expected to return home for training.

Sources for additional information: Worcester Daily Times 24th August 1918, Worcester Herald 24th August 1918 (including photo).

On the night of August 8th/9th, A and D Companies of the 1/8th Worcesters made raids. At 9:25 a covering party crept forward and seized Morar House. At mid-night the guns opened up and the attack surged forward. Half an hour later they withdrew, having killed 61 Austrians and captured 40 prisoners and one machine-gun. The action cost four killed or missing and 20 wounded.

Two different photographs of Corporal/Sergeant A.R. Wall of Worcester can be found in Berrow’s Worcester Journal Supplement, Saturday 4th November 1916 and Saturday 24th August 1918, available at Worcestershire Archives.