Alfred Cecil Herring VC

b. 26/10/1888 Tottenham, London. d. 10/08/1966 Sunningdale, Berkshire.

Alfred Cecil Herring (1888-1966) was born at 53 The Avenue, Bruce Grove, Tottenham, Middlesex on 26th October 1888. His father, George Edward Herring, was originally from Essex. He married Cecilia Emily nee Lewis in 1882. George was a solicitor’s clerk. Alfred had three siblings.

Alfred was educated at Tottenham County Grammar School, where he was captain of the cricket and football teams and was a member of the King’s Royal Rifle Corps Cadets between March and September 1906. He served his articles with Daniel Stewart Fripp FCA and qualified as a chartered accountant in December 1912.

Alfred C Herring VC

He joined the Army on 10th December 1914, as a Paymaster, and served in Chatham from 1914-1916. He was commissioned in the Army Service Corps as a Temporary Second Lieutenant and served with them for a year in France between November 1916 and November 1917. He was then attached to the 6th (Service) Battalion, Northamptonshire Regiment.

On 23/24 March 1918 at Montagne Bridge, France, the enemy had gained a position on the south bank of the canal and Second Lieutenant Herring’s post was surrounded, but he immediately counter-attacked and recaptured the position, together with 20 prisoners and six machine-guns. During the night the post was continually attacked, but all attacks were beaten off, largely because Lieutenant Herring was frequently visiting his men and cheering them up. It was owing to his bravery and magnificent handling of his troops that the enemy advance was held up for 11 hours at a very critical period. This was his first engagement.

After the action, he was taken prisoner and as interned at Graudanz Camp, West Prussia. Some accounts state that he was presented with the VC by the German Commandant of the Camp. Although the award was gazetted on 7th June 1918, he did not receive the news for several weeks. He was later presented to the Kaiser, who congratulated him on a very fine fight. He had been promoted to Temporary Lieutenant, Royal Army Service Corps on 26th April 1918. The VC ribbon was presented by Brigadier General Edward Henry Charles Patrick Bellingham DSO CMG, Senior Britis Officer at the POW Camp on 18th August 1918.

On 23rd December 1918 he returned to England and on 27th January 1919 he was promoted to Major and served as Group Accountant with the Cost Accounting Committee. He was presented with the VC by King George V on 15th February 1919, and resigned his commission and left the Army in 1922, becoming a partner in the firm of Evans Fripp Deed & Co. In May 1925 he became a member of the London Stock Exchange and was a partner in a stockbroking firm from 1925 to 1961.

While working between the wars, he lived in Fox Lane, Palmer’s Green. In February 1922, he married Miss Winifred Frankland at St Barnabas Church, North Dulwich, and they had four children. He was an active golfer and having been captain of football and cricket at school he later captained the Old Boys’ Football Club. He attended a couple of VC events during the 1920s and the 1956 VC Centenary in Hyde Park. He held a number of directorships, including one with the Austin Motor Company.

Alfred died on 10th August 1966 in the Ascot Nursing Home, Sunningdale, Berkshire, having been living at the Oatlands Park Hotel in Weybridge, Surrey at the time. He was cremated at St John’s Crematorium in Woking, and his ashes were scattered in the Chaucer South Area of the Vase Garden. In his will, he left £82,681 gross, a sum which made him one of the most financially successful of all the 1918 VCs. He was also commemorated with the Alfred Herring Public House in Palmers Green, London, and a VC commemorative stone at Tottenham War Memorial.

In addition to his VC, he was awarded the British War Medal 1914-20, Victory Medal 1914-19, George VI Coronation Medal 1937 and Elizabeth II Coronation Medal 1953. His medals were donated to the Royal Logistic Corps Museum.

LOCATION OF MEDAL: ROYAL LOGISTICS CORPS MUSEUM, WORTHY DOWN, WINCHESTER, HAMPSHIRE.

BURIAL PLACE: WOKING CREMATORIUM, WOKING, SURREY.

ASHES SCATTERED IN CHAUCER SOUTH AREA OF VASE GARDEN.