Over sixty people came to The Dings Park in St Philips, Bristol on November 1st to remember Alfred Jefferies, the only man from Bristol to be shot for desertion in World War 1, and his brother Arthur who was killed in action. The park is a short distance from where the brothers lived before they volunteered to join the army.
November 1st was the centenary of Alfred’s execution. The ceremony began with the reading of a quote from a soldier who served in the same battalion as the Jefferies brothers which referred to Alfred’s execution, saying no-one would remember him. One hundred years later the gathering in the park was specifically to remember Alfred.
After several brief speeches and a minute’s silence, the Last Post was played. Then David Jefferies, Alfred’s great-great-nephew and Arthur’s great-grandson, laid a wreath and a sign was attached to the park railings in memory of the two brothers.
The Remembering The Real World War 1 group are proud to have moved Alfred Jefferies from being a forgotten name to being part of Bristol’s public history. His name should never be forgotten again.
Media coverage of the event can be seen at
BBC Points West – here – about 15 minutes in
ITV West – here
Bristol Post – here
Bristol 24/7 – here
(The BBC & ITV links may not work for long – so view them soon!)
For more information email rememberingrealww1@gmail.com