Alfred Fairey goes missing

[Gillg]

Hi All

Just returned from a few days visiting the northern Faireys to find lots of emails waiting, so sorry for the delay in replying.

Looking at Alfred's Short Service record it does appear that he left the service on 23 Oct 1917, and the record seems to say that he was absent at the date of discharge. (Do you agree with me, Migky?) The records are quite faint, and there really isn't much information about his service at all - hence the "Short", I suppose.  At 18 he was only 5 ft 3 tall, but it was interesting to see that he had a tattoo of a "Bust of Female" on his  right forearm.   

Marlene has discovered that the Alfred she mentioned is not the same chap, but I will try following up other war forums to find out his story.

Mo
Good to hear from you again.  This is, of course, the same Fairey family that was connected with yours in the building business, Harrison & Fairey of Burnley.  Kate Maud was the older sister of Charley Fairey.

Thanks again, everyone. 

Gill 

 

[PeteBam]

I realise it is a long time since this post but I have come across it as I too am trying to locate an Alfred Fairley.  The short service attestation had his joining the East Lancashire Reg't and then being transferred to the Army Service Corps.
The man I am trying to trace was in the 1st Bn East Lancs (service number 8196) and was killed on 15/09/14.  His CWGC memorial and SDGW all have him as having enlisted as 'William Watson' in 1904?  In 1910 he married Edith (or Ada) Taylor in Preston having a son Alfred shortly afterwards. 

His entry in the soldiers effects register confirm that Watson was an alias and record his effects going to his widow who had subsequently remarried.  His pension ledger entries also record the same details on the alias as do several entries on memorial pages for Burnley.

I could speculate that he left (deserted?) from the ASC and later joined under the false name.

Is this the missing Alfred?  Any further information would be appreciate.

[Gillg]

Hello PeteBam

I'm interested to see your reply, but I have really got no further with my Alfred than my earlier posts show, so have no additional information to offer.  I wonder if the records you found give a physical description of Alfred, since at 5'3" and with a 'tattoo of a bust of a female on his right forearm' he should have been easy to identify.  May I ask what your interest in him is?  Are you related? It looks as though your Alfred's son, also Alfred, married in 1936 and had at least two children.  If the two Alfreds are one and the same, then I have discovered some new relatives with your help! 

On the other hand, you will see that my Alfred's Short Service Record states that he left the service in 1917 and was 'absent at date of discharge'.  This does not fit in with your death date of 1914, does it? 

[PeteBam]

Hello Gill
Thanks for the reply I wasn't hopeful of getting one after all this time!
I've looked more closely at the short  service record and believe the date of his discharge is 1912 not 1917.  This fits in with his service obligation i.e. 3 years with the colours + 9 years in the reserves.  The dates tie in exactly to 12 years from his attestation to his discharge date in 1912 when his was absent so did not qualify for a pension.
I believe he completed his 3 years with the colours in the ASC and was transferred to the reserve but absented himself.  On 19/8/1904 re enlisted in the East Lancashire Reg't at Burnley under the name of William Watson. This was illegal as he was still in the ASC reserves hence the need for the alias.  He married in 1910 a Watson since this would need to be needed for his army records. His son's birth in 1912 was registered as Fairley.
His entry in the Register of Soldier's effects has his effects going to his widow & son both in the name of Fairley and records her as the sole legatee.  It also records her 2nd marriage in 1971 to John Barton.
I am not related but am helping one of my wife's friend unravel a family mystery as she cannot understand the Watson/Fairley names.  She is the grand-daughter of John Barton & Edith Fairley.
I hope this makes sense to you.  I will document it more fully over the next few days and let you have a copy.  Maybe we could continue via email which would simplify exchange of documents as further details of the rest of the family would help my research.
Best wishes
Peter
Hope you agree with my findings and Alfred has now ben found. 

[Gillg]

Thanks for your interesting reply, PeteBam.  I am a bit concerned about the Fairey/Fairley spelling, though in earlier times the name was spelled in several different ways.  As we don't exchange email addresses in open messages on this site, I will send you a Private Message with my email address and we can continue from there.

[PeteBam]

Apologies I have misspelt the name several times it is Fairey not Fairley!  Fingers not warmed up yet.
Peter

[Gillg]

Continuing this via Private Message.

[Gillg]

Thanks to PeteBam the mystery of Alfred's disappearance has been explained.  He re-enlisted under an alias and was killed in 1914.

[avrila]

Gill/PeteBam, would it be possible to forward the info for Alfred Sullivan Fairey to me please as I was also stuck to know what happened to him after 1891. Also I am in touch with a family member of who is descended from Agnes Mercy Fairey (1907 - 1982).

Many thanks
Avril