12th June 1919

Driver Alfred Wild , Royal Army Service Corps, died in Nottinghamshire War Hospital, Radcliffe on Trent, on 12th June 1919, aged 29.

He was born in Birmingham on 17th March 1890 and was baptised at St George’s Church on 6th June 1890. He was the youngest of the nine children of parents, Edward (also known later as Edwin) (a bricklayer) and Martha (née Ward) who had married at St Matthias’ Church, Birmingham in 1871. It appears that one of the children, Edwin (1880-1881) died as an infant.

By the time of the 1911 census, 21-year-old Alfred was working as a dairyman and living in Handsworth with his parents and two of his siblings – Harry (aged 26, also a dairyman) and Eliza (aged 23). It seems that the family had moved to the Earlswood/Shirley area by 1915 as Alfred’s father, Edwin, is buried at St Patrick’s Church, Salter Street. Alfred’s mother, Martha (died 1929), and his sister, Julia (died 1935), also appear to be buried at Salter Street.

Alfred’s next-of-kin in the Commonwealth War Graves register is given as his sister, Miss Eliza Wild, with an address of The Homestead, Tanworth Lane, Shirley. By 1939, Tve he Homestead was occupied was Alfred’s brother, Harry (1884-1960) and his family.

Although Alfred is buried at Salter Street, his name does not appear on the war memorial at St Patrick’s Church, suggesting that he was not considered to be from the parish.

If you have any further information, please let us know.

Tracey
Heritage & Local Studies Librarian

email: heritage@solihull.gov.uk
tel.: 0121 704 6977