Petty Officer Alfred Place J/3080
FAMILY BACKGROUND
Alfred Place was born on 8 October, 1891, to William Place and Jane Potts Place (nee Finch), in Hunslet, Leeds.
On the 1891 census, the family were living at 6 Brunch Church Street, Hunslet and William was working at a Swimming Baths, although on later census data he is working as a labourer at the gas works. Alfred had two older brothers, John William, and Thomas, who were 6 and 4 years his senior respectively and two years later, his sister Ada would come along to complete the family.
Alfred joined the Royal Navy four days after his 17th birthday on 12th October, 1908, his civil occupation upon joining is noted as “Errand Boy”. Initially assigned to the shore-based ship HMS Ganges II, it is known from his records Alfred served at/visited many such establishments including Berwick and Donegal. It is possible this was due to his prowess as a boxer taking part in local RN tournaments.
The Census of 1911 shows young Alfred at Exeter Hotel, Torquay, as an Able Seaman. It is possible that Alfred was inspired to join the military by his older brothers, both of whom had served prior to the war.
[Eldest brother John William had served throughout the Boer War and was discharged in February 1904 with his “time expired,” the 1911 census states he is now working as a coal miner.]
[Older brother Thomas had also served two years in the West Yorkshire Regiment around the year 1908, by 1911 he was working as a “motor-man.”]
WAR SERVICES
Alfred was therefore the only brother already serving in August 1914 when war was declared in Europe, but all three brothers served in World War One.
[John William attested to the Royal Regiment of Artillery as a gunner (later Bombardier) on 5th September, 1914, so within weeks of the declaration of War and just two weeks after his youngest child Albert William was born.]
[With his two brothers not “home by Christmas” Thomas Place, now working as an electrician, joined in with the war effort and attested to the West Yorkshire Regiment on 28th December, 1914, leaving behind his wife Fanny and their baby son, Thomas.]
The three brothers were now at war, Alfred was to spend time in Gallipoli, Thomas in France and John William at Mesopotamia (Iraq), with some time in India.
During wartime, Petty Officer Albert Place served with the Royal Naval Division (RND) Nelson Battalion (though his CWGC entry gives Drake Battalion). The Nelson battalion started in Antwerp in October 1914, were heavily involved in the Gallipoli campaign in 1915 and by 1916 spent their time on the Western Front.
By June 1916, Petty Officer Place was at Blandford, Dorset, alongside Lieutenant H.J. Luckman, instructing recruits in the use of bombs during trench warfare. On June 16th, Place was instructing five men in a trench on grenade use, one of the men, O’Neill, was “in the act of throwing the grenade” when due to nervousness, he was shaking and dropped it, causing it to fall short. Place had “considerable experience” of this kind of work, both in Gallipoli and at Blandford, he could foresee the danger his men were in. Place caught O’Neill and moved him to safety, then comrade Dixon, who had been injured by the missile striking him. Place then attempted to go into the trench to remove the grenade before it exploded, Lieutenant Luckman tried to move him to safety, but could not do so before the grenade finally exploded, killing Place ‘instantaneously‘.
At the inquest some weeks later, the Lieutenant stated that every precaution was taken and Place’s heroic actions prevented the deaths of at least three other people. A verdict of accidental death was recorded, with a note that Place self sacrificed, which the Navy said was the spirit and tradition of all it’s men.
Petty Officer Place was well liked and well loved around Blandford, he was a very agreeable young man. A champion boxer who extensively travelled, prior to going to the front, he would take part in and arrange boxing tournaments for naval men, he had “splendid form: and a clean boxing style, which made him a firm favourite with his comrades”.
The whole town of Blandford sent their condolences to Place’s family. Evidence exists which indicates Place indeed took part in boxing tournaments all over the world throughout his entire boxing career and he would send gifts home from across the world, including an ornate photo frame from China.
AWARD OF THE ALBERT MEDAL
Posthumously, Place was awarded the Albert Medal, this high merit was awarded for his bravery and self sacrifice which saved several lives.
An extract from the London Gazette dated the 1st January 1918, records the following :
“The King has been graciously pleased to award the Decoration of the Albert Medal in recognition of the gallantry of Petty Officer Alfred Place, late of the Royal Navy.” The circumstances are as follows : “At Blandford, on the 16th June, 1916, during grenade practice, a live bomb thrown by one of the men under instruction fell back into the trench. Petty Officer Place rushed forward, pulled back two men who were in front of him and attempted to reach the grenade with the intention of throwing it over the parapet. Unfortunately, the bomb exploded before he could reach it and inflicted fatal injuries. By his coolness and self-sacrifice Petty Officer Place probably saved the lives of three other men.”
HIS BROTHERS’ WAR SERVICE
Thomas Place left the West Yorkshire Regiment after the war, he was awarded a Meritorious Service Medal for working under heavy enemy fire during the Battle of the Somme. During the Somme, Thomas worked as a stretcher bearer, so it was his job to go over the top into no mans land, where he had to carry injured soldiers to be treated somewhere safer. Thomas was proud to have never missed a day, stating many decades later that he ‘never missed a day in the trenches with the stretcher bearer.’
John William also survived the war, he served in Mesopotamia and India, he sailed home in late March 1919, arriving back on 20 April. He claimed a disability pension, he had five more children and in 1939 was working as a nightwatchman.
LAST WORDS…
It must have been bittersweet for only two of the three brothers returning home. Thomas was very close to Alfred, he kept his brothers military medals and other memorabilia and eventually donated them to Leeds City Museum, along with his own.
Petty Officer Albert Place AM, is laid to rest at Hunslet Old Cemetery in Leeds.
The Stories Behind the Stones 