Alfred Leonard Mayes
Many Welwyn families sent men to fight in World War I and many of course suffered as a result, but few, if any, could have suffered as much as the Mayes family. Of five sons Arthur and Cecilia saw all of them fight, but by 1920 the names of three of their sons would appear on the War Memorial.
Alfred Leonard was the fourth son of the family, born in Welwyn on the 31st July 1895 and baptised in St. Mary’s Church on the 1st February 1903 at the same time as his brother Vivian.
The family lived in Prospect Place, with five sons and two daughters being born between 1887 and 1901. Arthur Abel Mayes, originally from Aldersgate in London was a Life Assurance Agent married to Cecilia, also born in London.
Alfred attended Welwyn Evening School from 1907 to 1909 and by 1911 was apprenticed as a Watch and Clock Maker. He was also heavily involved with the Scout movement in Welwyn as were most of his brothers.
Alfred served in France, suffering a gas attack in May 1915 and spending
time in hospital. By August that year he was back with his Battalion
and wrote to his father;
“Your box came mighty acceptable as it arrived in a French village the same time as I did. There was not a single shop of any description in the village, except a beer shop and they had not got any beer. There were Norfolks and Bedfords together. We had done a mid-day march of about six miles together from the raihead after a hundred miles ride, 40 in a horsebox together. What our leathernecks said about that beer shop had better not be reported. I nearly got blown up on Hill 60 the same night as we got relieved. It took about a week for the ground to stop moving, or so it appeared to me. It was rather hair-raising to me as I was out on a listening post in front of the barbed wire with nothing between us and the Germans. I did not feel any fear, only astonishment. The explosion left me about a foot and caused me to tremble from excitement for about quarter of an hour. Lord William Cecil’s son was killed that night. I knew him well. He was greatly liked and a very popular officer.”
On the 28th June 1917 the 1st Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment was involved in the Battle of Oppy Wood in which Alfred was killed.
Alfred Leonard Mayes is also commemorated on the Welwyn Scout Memorial.
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Photograph of Alfred Mayes courtesy of Mr. Ian Mayes
