Alfred John King died on Saturday 14 October 1916 aged 22 while serving with the 6th Bn., Royal Berkshire Regiment (not, as shown on the War Memorial, the Bedfordshire Regiment). He enlisted at Hertford and was originally assigned to the Hertfordshire Regiment.
He is buried at Codicote (St. Giles) churchyard. His headstone is in good condition. His name is included on the Codicote war memorial in the churchyard there. His death at the age of 22 was registered at Camberwell. His war service was with the regimental depot in England, and his death was apparently from natural causes.
He was the son of William and Mary King. William King was born at Arlesey in Bedfordshire but Mary came from Croscombe in Somerset. At the time of the 1901 census the family were living at Arlesey. The return shows that Alfred was then seven years old and was born at Arlesey. In 1911 the King family were living at what is now no. 4, Ayot Green. Boarding with them was another young man destined to die in the war – namely James Wigmore. William King was the head horse keeper on one of the local farms and Alfred was a house boy employed, presumably, at Brocket Hall or Ayot Lodge or one of the other large houses in the parish. At the time of Alfred King’s death his parents were living at London Road, Welwyn, but previously they had lived at Codicote Bottom.