Driver T4/062090 Alfred Turberfield

Killed in Action on Friday, 12th June 1915, age 32.
Buried in Grave C. 28. at Lancashire Landing Cemetery, Turkey.

Army Service Corps, 49th Reserve Park.

Son of James and Lucy Turberfield, of Burton-on-Trent; husband of E. E. Turberfield, of 53, Moor St., Burton-on-Trent.
Born: Tipton, Enlisted: Burton-on-Trent, Resident: Burton-on-Trent.

First landed Egypt, 16th April 1915.
Medal entitlement: 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal.
Soldier's Papers at National Archives did not survive.

Not commemorated on any Tipton memorial, but commemorated on Burton-on-Trent War Memorial.
Commemorated here because identified as Tipton on 'Soldiers Died in the Great War'.

Link to Commonwealth War Graves Site: www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/600496/

Genealogical Data

Birth of Alfred Turberfield registered June quarter 1883 in Dudley.

1901 Census
4 House 2 Court, Wellington Street, Burton-on-Trent, Staffs.
James Turberfield (41, Bricklayer's Labourer, born Tipton), his wife Lucy (38, born Repton, Derbyshire), and their 4 children: Alfred (18, born Tipton), Sarah (16, born Tipton), Alice (13, born Tipton), and Abraham (11, born Tipton).

Marriage of Alfred Turberfield and Emily Elizabeth Sutton registered June quarter 1906 in Burton.

1911 Census
53 Moor Street, Burton-on-Trent, Staffs.
Alfred Turberfield (28, Fitter's Labourer, born Tipton), and his wife Emma Elizabeth (27, born Burton-on-Trent).

Personal Data

After Alfred's death, his outstanding army pay and allowances amounted to £6/6/1d (6 pounds, 6 shillings and 1 penny); this was paid to his widow and sole legatee, Emily E., in November 1916. His War Gratuity was £3/0/0d (3 pounds exactly), this was also paid to Emily in July 1919. The value of the War Gratuity suggests that Alfred had enlisted within the 12 months prior to his death.

A Widow's Pension of 10/0d (10 shillings exactly) per week was paid to Alfred's widow, Emily Elizabeth, effective from 20th December 1915.

Action resulting in his death

Alfred Turberfield enlisted as Driver T4/062090 Army Service Corps in Burton-on-Trent probably in March 1915 (T4/061462 enlisted on 23rd February 1915). As a Driver (of horses) training was shorter than for an Infantryman, and on 16th April 1915 his unit departed for the Middle East. They arrived in Alexandria (Egypt) around 27th April 1915.

Alfred was attached to 49th Reserve Park, Army Service Corps. A "Reserve Park" was an Army Service Corps company which provided “Lines of Communication”, that is transport of supplies and fodder to different units but not under the command of any specific Division.

There are few refences to the 49th Reserve Park, and no War Diary exists for them. One of the few references is in ‘The 42nd East Lancashire Division 1914 -1918’, by Frederick P. Gibbon, which says: “On May 5-6 the Lancashire Fusilier Brigade disembarked at ‘W’ & ‘V’ Beaches, across the blood-drenched hulk of the River Clyde, and were temporarily attached to the 29th Division. Vehicles and animals were slung into the lighters, and though it was their first experience the men did their job well. The A.S.C. mules had been supplied from the 49th Reserve Park a few hours before embarking at Alexandria, and were therefore unknown to their drivers, who deserve credit for bringing them safely ashore.”

Arthur was certainly in Gallipoli, either with the 49th Reserve Park or possibly attached to the East Lancashire Army Service Corps. They landed at Gallipoli on May 5th-6th, having left Alexandria around the beginning of May. Arthur was killed in action just over a month later, on 12th June 1915, and is buried in Lancashire Landing Cemetery.

Newspaper Cuttings

The Burton Daily Mail, Tuesday July 27, 1915.
In an article about Rifleman S.J. Sutton, Missing in Action…
MYSTERY OF BURTON RIFLEMAN.
Rifleman Sutton’s brother-in-law, Driver Alfred Tuberfield (sic), A.S.C. of 53, Moor Street, was killed in action in the Dardanelles on June 12th.