Military History

Alfred is listed as being killed in action on 14th December 1917. Unfortunately the war diaries for the Italian Campaign are not available online and the following is taken from an article created by the Western Front Association.

In early December 1917, the 8th Battalion KOYLI took over the support of the front-line that followed the southern bank of the River Piave, relieving the Italian army that, on the 12th of November 1917, had successfully halted the rapid advance of the Austro-Hungarians in fighting, which as part of the Battle of the Caporetto, is often known as the First Battle of the Piave. It is possible that the Austro-Hungarian army had set the River Piave as an objective, and had decided to halt the offensive there before their lines of communication became dangerously stretched. The arrival of British and French reinforcements, all tried and tested on the Western Front, effectively locked the enemy forces in these positions.

The 8th KOYLI went into the front line opposite Edifico, in the Montello Sector, on about 3rd December 1917. They relieved the 2/136th Regiment of the 70th Italian Division and formed the left-most Battalion of the Brigade, with an Italian Division on their left and the 11th Sherwood Foresters on their right.

The Battalion remained in these positions until March 1918.