Alfred was born in Wolverhampton in 1887, the son of John and Clara Ellen Clay. In 1891 he was living with his grandfather, John, at 3 Court, 7 Brunswick Street, Wolverhampton. On 4 November 1905 he enlisted with the South Wales Borderers (service number 8819, later 9468 and later 9976). In 1908 he married Sarah Ann Jones in Newport in Monmouthshire. The couple had four children – Alfred (born 1909), Evelyn May (born 1910), George Arthur (born 1913) and Albert Henry (born 1914).

In August 1914, he enlisted in the 1st Battalion of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers (service number 5714). Unfortunately he was killed in action on 16 July 1916. He is buried in the Flatiron Copse Cemetery in Mametz in France.

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The research for this blog post was conducted by remote virtual volunteer Jacky de Escofet.