Second World War - Lynsted Memorial Project
Alfred Henry Daniel FISHER (of Lynsted)
b. 25th December 1923 Rifleman, Service Number 6921301 |
Alfred was born in Bapchild on Christmas Day 1921, the son of Alfred Thomas Fisher, a farm labourer, and Annie Louisa Fisher (née Baker) of Cellar Hill. Alfred had a younger brother Albert E, and two younger sisters, Annie E and Rita M. Alfred attended Bapchild School.
At the time of the 1939 Register census, Alfred junior was living with his family in Cellar Hill, Lynsted, and working in a brewery bottle depot. He was called up for service in 1941 at which time he was recorded as working at Queenborough Glass Works.
Alfred served in the 1st Battalion, Rifle Brigade from 1941. The battalion suffered heavy losses the previous year at the defence of Calais, where the brigade slowed the German advance and enabled the Dunkirk evacuation to proceed.
Re-formed in 1941, the battalion became part of the 2nd Armoured Brigade of the 1st Armoured Division and took part in many battles in the North African Campaign before transferring to the 22nd Armoured Brigade of the 7th Armoured Division in June 1942. The battalion was credited with destroying many tanks from the 21st Panzer Division at the Battle of Alam el Halfa on the 31 August 1942. They subsequently took part in the Second Battle of El Alamein and the Tunisian Campaign until May 1943 when the war in North Africa ended. The battalion then took part in the Allied invasion of Italy, and the early stages of the Italian Campaign in September 1943. After a few months in England, they took part in the invasion of Normandy in June 1944, going on to fight throughout the North West Europe Campaign until Victory in Europe Day in May 1945.
Sadly, Albert died of wounds just one month before VE Day and on 4 May his death was announced in an article in the Faversham News:
Mr & Mrs Alfred Fisher of Cellar Hill, Lynsted, have been bereaved by the death on April 1st on the West European Front of the elder son, Rifleman, Alfred Henry Daniel Fishers, Rifle Brigade who died of wounds received in action. Rifleman Fisher, who was 23, was born in Bapchild and attended Bapchild School. He was employed at the Queenborough Glass Works when he was called up for service in 1941. After service in North Africa and Italy he returned to England en route to the Western Front, where he had been ever since.
Alfred is buried in the Reichswald Forest War Cemetery, Kleve, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany. The cemetery was created after the Second World War when burials were brought in from all over western Germany and is the largest Commonwealth cemetery in Germany. Some of those members of the land forces buried there died in the advance through Reichswald Forest in February 1945. Others died crossing the Rhine, among them members of the airborne forces whose bodies were brought from Hamminkeln, where landings were made by the 6th Airborne Division from bases in England. There are 7,594 Commonwealth servicemen of the Second World War buried or commemorated in the cemetery.
Alfred's grave reference is 55. C. 9.
