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Major Edward Moubray ALLFREY MC and Bar
3rd Battalion, Kings Royal Rifle Corps Date of birth: 9th February 1893 Date of death: 29th June 1923 Died aged 30 Buried at Bagayam Pastorate, Palavansathu, Tamil Nadu
Edward Moubray Allfrey was born at Stratford Upon Avon on the 9th of February 1893 the second son of Captain Henry Allfrey, 60th Rifles, and Kathleen Elizabeth (nee Hankey) Allfrey of Hemingford House, Alveston, near Stratford Upon Avon in Warwickshire. He was christened at Kineton Parish Church on the 5th of March 1893. He was educated at Lancing College from September 1906 to April 1909 where he was in Seconds House and was a member of the Officer Training Corps. On leaving school he worked as a tea planter in Ceylon until the outbreak of war in August 1914 when he enlisted as Private 747 in the Ceylon Planters Rifles. On the 3rd of September the unit was moblised and went to Diyatalawa for training. In October 1914 they boarded the SS Worcestershire at Colombo with a complement of 8 officers and 229 men and sailed for Bombay where they arrived on the 2nd of November. From Bombay they sailed for Egypt where they landed at Port Said on the 16th of November, when they moved to the Gymnasium Barracks at Abbassia for guard duty on the Suez Canal. In December they marched to a camp in the desert near Zeitoun and from the 12th of December they furnished a guard for the Abdin Palace where their number began to decline as the men were posted to England to be commissioned as officers. Edward Allfrey returned to England, was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the 6th Battalion Kings Royal Rifle Corps (Special Reserve of Officers) on the 10th of February 1915 and went to France where he joined the 1st Battalion of his regiment with two other officers at Moeux les Mines on the 30th of May 1915. He was posted to A Company. He was promoted to temporary Captain on the 31st of December 1915, while in command of a machine gun company, and to temporary Lieutenant on the 9th of February 1916 a rank he relinquished on the 12th of March 1917. He was promoted to Staff Captain on the 1st of April 1916 and was posted to the staff of 99th Brigade on the 4th of April 1916. He later returned to his battalion. In the early morning of the 29th of July the battalion was withdrawn to Montauban Alley having suffered casualties of fourteen officers and three hundred and eight other ranks killed, wounded or missing during an attack on Delville Wood. For his actions that day he was awarded the Military Cross which was announced in the London Gazette of the 20th of October 1916 The citation read:- "For conspicuous gallantry and good work during operations. He organised and carried out, in a most efficient manner, the supply of ammunition, rations and water to the troops engaged. This was rendered most difficult owing to continuous shell fire by the enemy and the necessity of wearing gas helmets all the time." He was promoted to Lieutenant on the 1st of July 1917 and to Acting Captain on the 20th of July 1917 and retained this rank when he was appointed as Battalion Adjutant on the 23rd of December 1917. On the 10th of March 1917 the 1st Battalion King's Royal Rifle Corps was tasked with the capture of Grevillers Trench near Courcelette on the Somme. At 5.15am they left their trenches in darkness with a mist still clinging to the ground. After a short, sharp fight they gained and consolidated the enemy positions which had been badly damaged by the preceding barrage. Edward Allfrey was wounded soon after leaving the trench but in spite of this he led his men forward and supervised the establishment of a series of strong points in the newly captured position. Despite an enemy artillery barrage which lasted for most of the rest of the day the position was held. For this action he was awarded a Bar to his Military Cross which was announced in the London Gazette of the 11th of May 1917; the citation read:- "For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. Although wounded, he led his company in a most gallant manner. He sent forward posts, which he visited in person, and it was' mainly owing to him that such an advance line was reached." He was promoted to Acting Captain on the 7th of February 1918 and to Acting Major on the 16th of February 1918 while serving in Battalion Headquarters a rank he relinquished on the 9th of March 1918 On morning of the 21st of March 1918 the battalion was at Equancourt on what was the opening day of the German spring offensive. They were attacked by overwhelming numbers of enemy troops which forced the battalions on their flanks to retreat, which in turn obliged the battalion to withdraw and fall back. By the 28th of March they were at the village of Forceville. The following day Edward Allfrey, who had been despatched to Boulogne, returned that morning and was put in charge of forming a composite battalion from some eight hundred stragglers and new drafts which were to relieve his Brigade in the line. He managed this in such good time that he was able to have dinner with his battalion officers that evening. By the 2nd of April he was in command of the battalion and was reappointed to the rank of Acting Major once more on the 9th of April 1918 while serving at the headquarters of the battalion. On the 5th of June 1918 Allfrey and the battalion Adjutant were sent to reconnoitre a new line at Monchy-au-Bois which the battalion occupied on the 7th of June. On the 11th of October 1918 the Commanding Officer of the battalion went on leave and Edward Allfrey assumed command until his return on the 3rd of November. On the 11th of November the battalion was at Capelle when news of the armistice came through and in December they marched into Germany as part of the army of occupation. On the 17th of April 1919 he was promoted to Acting Major while serving as a company commander in the 45th Battalion Royal Fusiliers with the North Russia Expeditionary Force. He embarked on board the SS Porto at the end of May/beginning of June 1919 and sailed for Russia where he saw action during operations on the Dvina River against the Bolsheviks. He relinquished the rank of temporary Major on the 21st of July 1919 and returned to England in August/September 1919. On the 17th of March 1920 he transferred to the Indian Army Reserve of Officers as a Temporary Captain to rank from the 16th of February 1918. He was promoted to Temporary Major on the 1st of April 1920. He relinquished both ranks, returning to the rank of Lieutenant, on the 1st of November 1921. In India he served as Aide De Camp to Lord Willingdon, Governor of Madras , from 1920 to 1923. He hunted with the Ooty Hounds in the 1921/22 season and died at Ootacamund following an operation for appendicitis. His funeral took place the following day. He is commemorated on a brass plaque at St Stephen’s Church, Ootacamund, Tamil Nadu, India.

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