Peterborough & The Great War

Biography

Alfred Alonzo Mingay was born in Lowestoft on 31 October 1896 to parents Walter, a trawler fisherman and Ellen Mingay (nee Baldrey).  In 1901, the family and eleven children were living at 10 Ipswich Road, Lowestoft.  By 1911, the family and nine of their fourteen children were listed at 64 Cambridge Road, Lowestoft.

On 08 December 1914, Alfred joined the Royal Navy Reserve undergoing training at HMS Pembroke. After a short posting to Gibraltar he joined HMS Almanzora patrolling the Northern Approaches.
Alfred Mingay passed through Peterborough East Station and signed the visitors’ book in May 1916.
He was eventually discharged from the Royal Navy at Chatham on 04 February 1919. His medal record reveals he was awarded the 1914/15 Star, British War and Allied Victory Medals.

Alfred married Mary B Smart at Mutford (Lowestoft) in 1930.  They had two children Robert, born in 1930 and William, born in 1934.  On the 1939 Register, Alfred was living at 34 Denmark Road, Lowestoft and his occupation was listed as general labourer.  Alfred died in Lothingland, Suffolk in 1940, aged 43 and is buried at Kirkley Municipal Cemetery.

“HMS Almanzora was a commercial liner built in 1914 and converted for use as an Armed Merchant Cruiser in the Royal Navy, along with her sister ships Arlanza, Andes and Alcantara. From September 1915 to December 1916 HMS Almanzora was with the Northern Patrol (10th Cruiser Squadron) in the Central Atlantic.” http://bit.ly/2iET7Xe and http://bit.ly/2k422xF

Please get in touch if you can tell us more about Alfred Mingay.