Lance Corporal Alan Victor Dodd

Thank you to Patricia Brazier for the following research.

Alan was born on 9^th May 1898 in Holmwood. He was baptised at the parish church of Holmwood. His father is Arthur Ernest Dodd, a house painter and his mother is Hetty Dodd (nee) Tipper.

In the 1901 census, Alan is living at Mill Cottages in Holmwood with his parents and three siblings, Maud Noel aged 11, Marjorie Valentine aged 9 and Arthur Frank aged 6. Alan is 3 years old.

Alan attended South Holmwood Church of England School from 24^th March 1902 until 28^th June 1907, when the family left the district.

The 1911 census shows his family living at 7 Lenham Gardens, Lenham Road Sutton in Surrey. His father, Arthur is still a house painter. His sister, Maud is still living with the family; she is 21 and a school teacher. Alan is 13 and still at school. Marjorie is a ladies maid in the household of John Stavers in Knightsbridge and Arthur is lodging with a family in Wimbledon; he is an engineer.

Alan enlisted into the army in London in October 1915. His battalion was involved in the Diversionary Attack at Gommecourt during the battle of the Somme and also took part in the battles of Ginchy, Fleurs-Courceltte and Morval in 1916. He died on 6^th September 1916. He has no known grave and is remembered on The Theipval Memorial, Panel Reference 9C and 13C.

The notice below appeared in the Dorking Advertiser on Saturday 30^th September 1916.

Alan’s father Arthur died in 1923 aged 70. His mother Hetty died in 1926 aged 64. They are both buried in St Mary’s churchyard in Holmwood. His sister Maud did not marry and died in 1966, his brother Arthur died in 1942 and also did not marry.

Born	Holmwood, Surrey
Lived	Sutton, Surrey
Son of	Arthur Ernest and Hetty (nee Tipper) Dodd
Enlisted	London
Regiment	1st/4th Battalion. London (Scottish) Regiment
Number	4606
Date of Death	6th September 1916
Place of Death	Somme, France
Cause of Death	Killed in Action
Age	19
Memorial	Thiepval Memorial, France