Private A Hopkins and family
Who is this uniformed man who stands proudly on the front cover of St Albans' Own East End Volume 1? We might have considered Mr Hopkins to be just another resident of Fleetville in the early years of the twentieth century. He might have agreed. But the view of Fleetville residents was elevated after the First World War.
He was one of many soldiers whose photos appeared in the Herts Advertiser in those years, and also occupied the pages of several chapters of St Albans' Own East End. They may have gained honours for bravery, or, more likely commemorated for giving their lives in the service of their country.
 |
| Pte A T Hopkins, KIA 1917 COURTESY DAVID PAYNE COLLECTION |
If we walk, or drive, along Hatfield Road we can remember where Alfred and his family had lived, exactly. A house on the corner of Hatfield Road and Cavendish Road, where early residents of the growing district had engaged Alfred to carry out internal improvements to their homes; he and one of his brothers ran a decorating business.
 |
| Home of the Hopkins family, 1 Horndean Villas, Hatfield Road, as seen in the present day. |
Walking along Alma road where now is a new housing development, was a printing works called Dangerfield's, later Evershed's. This is where Alfred's father worked. Alfred's brothers, Robert and James together fought and were injured. However, Alfred lost his life.
His Company diary for 20th September 1917 in the Passchendale-Ypres Offensive, recorded that fire was opened and lifted to the various barrage lines. During the programme on that day casualties included five killed (A T Hopkins among this number) and three wounded from shellfire.
According to a descendant of Alfred, David Payne, Alfred has no known grave but his name is among those commemorated on the wall at Tyne Cot Cemetery.
 |
| Helen and her children Enda, Alfred jar and Vera. COURTESY DAVID PAYNE COLLECTION |
Among those not so far mentioned in this account was Helen, Alfred's widow and their three young children, who we might imagine continued their Fleetville lives struggling emotionally and finding great difficulty financially.
However, as probably occurred in many communities, a small group of men living nearby in Clarence, Blandford, Glenferrie and Brampton roads raised a fund for the benefit of Helen and her children to spare them from the worst hardships of the following years.
