Died aged five years. Alfred was the son of the school caretaker, Benjamin Edwin Batt, aged 31, who died just a few months later, on 1 November 1917, "... from "shock received whilst doing his duty during the air raid..." it says on his gravestone.
Andrew Behan has kindly carried out some research on this little boy. Alfred Ernest Batt was born on 29 February 1912 in West Ham, a son of Benjamin Edwin Batt and Alice Harriett Batt, née Cummings. His father was a Printing Ink Maker, before serving for four months as a Rifleman in the 3rd/17th County of London Regiment (Poplar and Stepney Rifles) in 1915. He was discharged for medical reasons and the family had been living at 12 Douro Street, Old Ford, Bow. He became a resident caretaker at the Upper North Street School. Alfred E Batt was killed, aged 5 years, at this school along with 17 others as a result of a bombing raid by German aircraft and was buried on 20 June 1917 with 14 other children in a mass grave at the East London Cemetery and Crematorium, 230a Grange Road, Plaistow, E13.
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