GUNNER Alfred George Masters: 860493
4th Wessex Brigade Royal Field Artillery.
Alfred was born in Weymouth, where his father, Thomas ran a pub.
He was the eldest of five children, with three brothers, Harold, Reginald and Leslie and a sister, Gladys.
The family moved to Bridport in the early 1900s and the family lived at 110 St Andrews Road, later moving to 68 East Street.
Alfred attended Bridport Secondary School before he enlisted in 1914.
At the outbreak of war, Alfred was only fifteen and records show thaht he enlisted in Weymouth – perhaps to avoid being recognised by the recruiting officers in Bridport.
The 4th Wessex Brigade embarked for India on October 9th 1914 and throughout their deployment there, the Brigade recived new recruits for training . While some of these recruits remained in India many of the newly trained man were posted to other theatres of war.
Alfred embarked for India, on December 14th 1914 and after serving there, saw action in Mesopotamia and Egypt. His final posting was to France and Flanders.
Alfred so nearly survived the war. . . but in September 1918 he was wounded in action and taken to the Casualty clearing station at Boisleux -St. Marc. He died there on September 29th.
Alfred is buried at the Sunken Road Cemetery, Boisleux-St. Marc, Pas de Calais.
His headstone inscription reads:
“IN LOVING MEMORY OF THE DEARLY BELOVED SON OF THOMAS AND MARY MASTERS”