Dear Listers,
Does anyone know anything about this brave Hawarden Man?
Any information no matter how trivial will be deemed a great favour.
Regards
Martin MOORE
(P.S. Alfred Snead was my Uncle)
Alfred SNEAD was born on Wednesday 13th February 1918 at
Ratcliffe Row, Pentre.
On the 20th March 1918, Alfred was christened at Sandicroft Church.
He was admitted to the infants at Sandicroft School on 10th October 1921,
and
transferred to Standard I, on 11th January 1926.
Before Military service, Alfred was employed as a bogie driver at Summers
Steelworks at Shotton.
On the 8th January 1942 Alfred, then aged 23 years of age, enlisted in the
Royal Welsh Fusiliers, his service number was 4209316. He was posted to 4th
Denbighshire Battalion.
On the 12 June 1944, he was posted to 30 Regiment holding unit.
On the 18 June 1944 he was transferred to the South Lancashire Regiment and
posted to the 1st Battalion.
Sadly, just six days later on Saturday 24th June 1944, while on Active
service
in France, Alfred was killed in action. He was 26 years, 4 months and 11
days
old.
He had only been on active service just 14 days before being killed.
Alfred had served with the colours 2 years, 5 months and 16 days.
Alfred was awarded three Medals I.E. 1939-1945 Star, France & Germany Star,
and
the War Medal.
He gave his life for his Country. He was a kind and good man, who loved his
family.
Alfred's death must have been a terrible blow for his father and sisters,
particularly sister Lucy who lost her own son just 18 days before her
brother
Alf was killed.
Fortunately, Alfred's mother, Eleanor, was saved this terrible ordeal,
having
sadly passed away just 2 years and eight months earlier in 1941.
Alfred's name is inscribed on the War Memorial at Hawarden, along with his
nephew Patrick Hughes, a Paratrooper - killed on 6th June 1945.
Alfred is buried in La Deliverande War Cemetery in Douvres, France. His
grave
is situated at plot 4, row C, grave 11.
Douvres-la-Delivrande was on the route from the landing beaches to Caen, and
was the site of a particularly stubbornly defended German strong-point in
June
1944. The first burials in the cemetery were made on the day of the Allied
landings in Normandy, 6th June, 1944. Others were brought in later from the
battlefields between the coast and Caen. There are now over 900, 1939-45 war
casualties commemorated in this site. Of these, over 50 are unidentified and
25
special memorials have been erected bearing the inscription "Buried near
this
spot".