Ashtead War Memorials - WWI - Sapper Alfred Edward Cates
Royal Engineers

Alfred Cates was a son of George Cates [baptised Ashtead 27 May 1855], sometime General Labourer/ Brewers Carman, and his wife, Alice nee Penfold [born ca 1855] whose birth at Ashtead was registered in Epsom 6/1895. The family lived in Wyatt’s Cottages, Agates Lane.

In the 1911 Census his occupation is shown as Tanner implying that he had obtained employment with Messrs. Swabey & Saunders’ Rosary Leatherworks, known locally as “The Skin Factory”, on Woodfield.

He, and others from the tannery, signed up for service in the Great War, initially in his case with Royal Horse Artillery as Driver 172239 but he moved on to join the Royal Engineers as Sapper 312423 in 5th Army HQ Signal Company. SDGW confirms his enlistment took place in Ashtead but shows his residence at that time to have been in Kingston upon Thames.

It would seem that eventually he became caught up in the Third Battle of Ypres: in September 1917 there was an attack on Passchendale Ridge. AE Cates’ burial took place in Bard Cottage Cemetery.

A note on the medal card index at the National Archives, “Retd, 992 KR 1923”, indicates that the GPO failed in its attempts to deliver his Victory and British War Medals and the registered package had been returned to the issuing office.

[NB: In SDGW he is the only AE Cates with an Ashtead connection: in CWGC he is Sapper AH Cates; on the memorial he is Bdr AE Cates]

Links
https://www.ww1cemeteries.com/bard-cottage-cemetery.html

text: Brian Bouchard & Ann Williams: if you can add to this page please contact the editor
page added 4 Mar 2009: updated 26 Nov 17