Alfred James Chaplin

Born: 1891

Died: 14 October 1917

Rank and Regiment: Private 18461 in the 7th Battalion of The Norfolk Regiment

Resting Place: body unrecovered

Memorials: St. George’s, Hardingham and Arras Memorial, France

Alfred was born in Deopham in 1891, the second of at least nine children of Jesse and Martha Chaplin. The family lived at Low Common, Deopham. In 1901 the family was living at Marlingford, and the log books of Marlingford School survive, revealing that Alfred Chaplin had an unhappy time at school, and also that the family appears to have been grindingly poor.

In January 1900 we read that he was absent from school because he had no boots; in November 1902, that his mother was anxious for him to leave school and go to work, even though he was only eleven years of age. There are repeated references to bad behaviour by Alfred and by his older brother Arthur; in one such entry, in January 1902, Alfred’s name is mentioned before that of his older brother, perhaps suggesting that he was seen by the school authorities as being the ringleader.

He went to work in 1903 and returned to school half-time later that year, and the remainder of his schooldays appear to have been somewhat more settled. He is reported as leaving school on 1 March 1904 “having gained a labour certificate”.

The family left Marlingford in 1905 and moved to Hardingham. It appears that Alfred’s younger sister Edith had a more settled school schooling than her brother had enjoyed; according to the School Log Book she received the prize for top girl in Standard III in 1910.

He married Agnes Annie Smalls on 20 November 1913 at Welborne. He worked as a gardener at Hardingham Hall, and lived at High Common.

The Hardingham Memorial Register records that he enlisted in the 9th Norfolks in Jan 1915. He was sent to France October in 1915. He was invalided home, but rejoined his regiment in February 1916. At some stage in his military career, he was apparently picked up from a torpedoed hospital ship in the English Channel. He was reported missing, presumed killed, on October 14 1917. His body was never found, and he is commemorated on the Arras Memorial.

Arras Memorial, France