14688 Private Alfred Roach
9th(Service)Battalion
Devonshire Regiment
1st July 1916
Born in 1891 in Marylebone,London.
His parents were Samuel Roach(1832-1899) and
Emily Elizabeth Blake(born on 27/02/1857). They were married on 26/07/1875( with Samuel being recorded as a widower as having previously been married in 1858 and he had 2 sons ,William H(born in 1861) and
Matthew H (born in 1865)).
He had 3 brothers ;Joseph(born in 1876),
Charles(born in 1881) and Arthur(born in 1883).
He also had 3 sisters; Emily (born in 1878),
Mary Ann(born on 02/02/1880) and Jessie(born in 1888).
I could not find a census entry containing Alfred , the 1891 census had the family recorded as living at
32 Upper Park Place, St Marylebone, London.
Samuel was employed as a pot man in an inn.
Alfred's absence from the census records could be explained by his brother Josephs marriage certificate dated 25/12/1899 in which his occupation was that of
seaman and Alfred could well have been living with him after the death of his father. It would also explain how he came to enlist into the army in Brixham Devon.
Alfred's date of disembarkation into France was on 01/10/1915.
He was killed in action on 01/07/1916.
He was awarded the 1914-1915 Star,the 1914-1918 British War and the Allied Victory medals.
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