From Burslem to the Somme and the long road to Commemoration
The Royal Doulton Kilngate Memorial project is a community-led initiative in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, dedicated to recreating and replacing a stolen war memorial that originally stood on the wall of the former Royal Doulton pottery factory on Nile Street, Burslem. A key part of this project is the research and development of an online memorial website. In researching and writing the biographies of these 59 individuals, we discovered incredible stories of profound resilience and community spirit.
Alfred William Holdcroft is one of the 59 names on the Royal Doulton Burslem Memorial. However, we found that he was the only one not commemorated by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC), so we decided to look more deeply into his case to find out why. Using Ancestry, Fold3, and The Western Front Association records, we began collecting his service, pension, and medical records.
The breakthrough came when we traced him to the Royal Star & Garter Home in Richmond. By cross-referencing their medical records with local burial registers, we found the final clues we needed. We discovered that he died in the convalescent home from the effects of wounds sustained on the first day of the Somme.
From these documents, we pieced together Alfred’s journey from Burslem to the Somme and his subsequent return home for burial. Ultimately, we found all the evidence needed to support an application for his official commemoration. In June 2025, we applied for his case to be reviewed, and in June 2026, we received the good news that he would finally receive the honour he deserves by being officially commemorated by the CWGC—108 years after his death.
Early Life and Family
Alfred William Holdcroft was born on July 27, 1890, at 124 Hot Lane, Burslem, Staffordshire, to Sarah Jane (née Davies) and Alfred William Holdcroft Sr.
Alfred had two older siblings, John (born 1887) and Elizabeth (born 1889), and two younger siblings, William (born 1892) and Emily (born 1897).
His birth certificate records his father's occupation as a pottery placer. The 1891 census shows eight-month-old Alfred living with his parents and older siblings at 124 Hot Lane, Burslem. By this time, his father was working as a potter's oven man.
By the 1901 census, ten-year-old Alfred was living at 24 Piccadilly Street, Tunstall, with his parents and all four siblings. His father worked as a potter/transferrer, while his 13-year-old brother, John, worked as a potter’s mould runner.
The 1911 census finds 21-year-old Alfred living back at 98 Hot Lane, Burslem, with his parents and siblings. Alfred was working underground as an attendant coal cutter. His father continued to work in the pottery industry, his brother John had moved to colliery work, his sister Elizabeth was working as a domestic servant, and his sister Emily was unemployed.
Marriage and family
In the final quarter of 1911, Alfred married Harriet Ann Lewis at Sneyd Holy Trinity Church, Nile Street, Burslem.
They established their home at 99 Hot Lane and welcomed their first child, Elizabeth, in March 1912. Tragically, Elizabeth died in November 1912 at just eight months old. Alfred is listed as a coal cutter on her death certificate. On 19 February 1914, Harriet and Alfred welcomed a second daughter, May. Shortly after, on 14 August 1915, their son, Alfred William, was born.
Sometime between 1912 and 1914, Alfred left the mines to work at Royal Doulton Burslem; his later records from the Star and Garter military convalescent home list his pre-war occupation as a potter.
Military Service
Alfred was a pre-war Territorial Soldier, serving as Private 3732 in the North Staffordshire Regiment.
Following the outbreak of World War I, he enlisted for full service on 19 October 1914. Alfred Holcroft is named as one of the men from the Offices and Works of Messrs. Doulton & Co. Ltd who were serving with H.M. Forces in 1914. This roll of honour not only included men from Burslem but also Lambeth, Rowley Regis, Birmingham, St Helens, Liverpool, Manchester, Paisley and Hamworthy in Poole.
He was renumbered as 200814, remaining private, and was posted to the 1/5th Battalion, North Staffordshire Regiment.
His service records describe him as being 24 years 4 months, 5’4 ½” tall with a 36 ½” chest (3” expansion), a pale complexion, dark brown hair, and blue eyes. His home address was listed as 65 Hot Lane, Burslem, where he lived with his wife, Harriet.
According to his pension and service records, his service timeline was split between home and abroad:
Home: 19 October 1914 – 24 June 1915
France: 25 June 1915 – 28 October 1915
Home: 29 October 1915 – 14 May 1916
France: 15 May 1916 – 12 July 1916
Home: 13 July 1916 – 6 December 1917
He first entered the theatre of war on 25 June 1915, when he embarked on a transport ship from Southampton, arriving in Rouen, France, the following day.
He returned home on October 28, 1915, then returned to the same theatre of war on May 15, 1916.
The Battle of the Somme and Wounding
On 1 July 1916, Alfred took part in the opening day of the Somme offensive—a day of appalling British casualties that reached 60,000 dead and wounded. The 1/5th North Staffordshire Regiment went "over the top" in the Gommecourt sector, tasked with capturing Gommecourt Wood and village. Fierce fighting broke out, and the attack faltered. Although elements of the battalion breached the German lines, they were quickly fought back. The battalion suffered 124 wounded, 27 killed, and 23 missing.
Alfred was gravely wounded during the assault, suffering a gunshot wound to the chest caused by either small arms fire or artillery shrapnel. The day after the battle, the battalion withdrew. Alfred was taken to the 20th Casualty Clearing Station, an improvised tented hospital in Warlincourt. On 3 July 1916, he was transferred to No. 16 General Hospital in Le Tréport, France. He was evacuated back to England on 12 July, arriving the next day.
Discharge and Rehabilitation
Although his initial hospital location in England is unknown, Alfred was honourably discharged from military service on 6 December 1917 under King's Regulation 392, as he was considered permanently unfit for active service. He was awarded the Silver War Badge (serial number 291782) for his wounds, with records noting he had given seven total years of service to the Crown. He also received the 1914-15 Star, the British War Medal, and the Victory Medal.
On 5 January 1918, Alfred was transferred from the North Staffordshire Infirmary to the Star and Garter military convalescent home in Richmond, Surrey.
Staffed by the Red Cross and Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD), the home specialised in rehabilitating soldiers with severe, life-changing war injuries. Alfred's records state that he was paraplegic because of his wounds at Gommecourt. His religion was noted as the Church of England, and his next of kin was listed as his wife, Harriet, living at 22 Spencer Street, Burslem. Medical notes show he was free of bedsores, but he bore a large scar across his sacrum and right buttock.
Final Days and Burial
Pension records show that Harriet took up lodgings nearby at 9 Sand Pit Road, Petersham, to be close to him. However, Alfred's rehabilitation was cut short when he died on 1 November 1918 at the age of 28.
His death certificate and military pension card list his causes of death as nephritis and influenza. Given his paraplegic state and the severe chest wounds sustained in battle, his ability to fight off these illnesses was undoubtedly compromised.
Following his passing, Harriet and their children received his pension starting 31 July 1919. Both May and Alfred received these payments until they reached the age of 16, in 1930 and 1931, respectively.
Alfred is buried in Burslem Cemetery (Grave 14779, Block 31, Row 9, Plot 7). He shares the grave with three others:
Elizabeth Holdcroft (1912–1912), Alfred and Harriet’s eldest daughter.
Nicholas James Hyde (1913–1913), the infant son of John and Annie Hyde of 23 Hot Lane.
Samuel Lewis (1883–1941), Harriet’s brother.
It was an unmarked grave until, on Sunday, 21 September 2025, the Royal Doulton Kilngate project held a ceremony for Pte Alfred William Holdcroft with the rededication and positioning of a temporary cross at Burslem Cemetery. The CWGC is now conducting the relevant searches to facilitate the placement of a Commonwealth War Graves headstone.
Alfred’s sacrifice is permanently commemorated on both the Burslem Royal Doulton War Memorial and the North Road & District War Memorial.
North Road & District Memorial is currently situated at Cobridge Christ Church, Emery Street, Stoke-on-Trent.
Sources
England + Wales Civil Registration Birth Index 1837-1915 Vol 6b page 145)
The National Archives of the UK (TNA); Kew, Surrey, England; Census Returns of England and Wales, 1891; Class: RG12; Piece: 2165; Folio: 19; Page: 32; GSU roll: 6097275.
Ancestry 1901 census Class: On Sunday, 21st September 2025, the Royal Doulton Kilngate project held a ceremony for Pte Alfred William Holdcroft with the rededication and positioning of a temporary cross at Burslem Cemetery. On Sunday, 21st September 2025, the Royal Doulton Kilngate project held a ceremony for Pte Alfred William Holdcroft with the rededication and positioning of a temporary cross at Burslem Cemetery.RG13; Piece: 2591; Folio: 125; Page: 12
FreeBMD. England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1837-1915 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006.
Ancestry 1911 census
Staffordshire Burial Index https://www.staffordshireburials.org.uk/cgi/burialind.cgi
Death Registry General Register Office; United Kingdom; Volume: 2a; Page: 1157
Surrey History Centre [The Royal Star and Garter Homes, Richmond Hill Records] Collection reference: LS/1715/25.
The National Archives (1914–1919) War diary 1/5th battalion North Staffordshire Regiment. Reference: WO 95/2685/1.
The National Archives (2025) UK, WWI, Pension Ledgers and Index Cards, 1914-1923. Record for Alfred William Holdcroft. Available at: ancestry.co.uk (Accessed: 5 July 2025).
National Army Museum UK, British Army Registers of Soldiers' Effects, 1901-1929. Record for Alfred William Holdcroft. Available at: ancestry.co.uk (Accessed: 5 July 2025).
Forces War Records (2025) UK, Nominal Index of All Service Personnel Serving inA Theatre of War, 1914-1919. Record for Alfred William Holdcroft. Available at: forceswarrecords.com (Accessed: 5 July 2025).
Forces War Records (2025) UK, WWI, British Army Medal Roll Index Cards, 1914-1920. Record for Alfred William Holdcroft. Available at: forceswarrecords.com (Accessed: 5 July 2025).
Forces War Records (2025) UK, WWI, British Army Pension Records, 1914-1920. Record for [Alfred William Holdcroft. Available at: forceswarrecords.com (Accessed: 5 July 2025).
Forces War Records (2025) UK, WWI, Silver War Badge, 1914-1920. Record for Alfred William Holdcroft. Available at: forceswarrecords.com (Accessed: 5 July 2025).
