alfred keene profile

The Supreme Sacrifice by Alfred Keene a former Goldings Boy

A lady Diane Jennings who was trying to get information contacted me last week and explained that a family relative she
discovered was once a Goldings Boy, and did we have anything that would help here to fill in gaps of his life that they would like
to know about, unfortunately I was unable to help but perhaps Barnardo’s could help.
As she told me more of his life I felt that a fascinating story was unfolding, so we contacted each other again and she forwarded
the following bits of information to me so that other Golding’s lads will share his life.
It appears that Albert became a P. O. W. in Japan and sadly died there, and guessing perhaps he was a pilot with an aircraft carrier
and got shot down because it’s apparent by some of the letters below he was in the Royal Air Force, and the date of the letter tells
me that the war was in it’s conclusion…will we ever know? Perhaps never, but a very touching story even so.
Please read this story as I guess there were others that we may never know!
Alfred Keene, a Goldings Boy who gave his life like many others.

Hi Dave.
regarding the letter you received about Alfred Keene, I knew a boy by the name of Keene during my years at Goldings, he was
already in the tinsmiths shop when I went into shop in October 1942 and left Goldings 1943 or 44 I never knew is first name his
nickname could very well be buster as he was a bit of a lad and had quite a bust up with Mr de Boeck who punched him and gave
him a bloody nose Keene then went off to report him to the Governor with Mr De boeck chasing after him he never came back to the
tinsmiths but shortly after went out on a job, I remember his best mate called Edwards also put in a complaint to the Governor and
I'm pretty sure he left the same time as Keene.
During the war one could volunteer to join up at seventeen and half instead of being called up at eighteen so he could have gone to
the far east and been taken prisoner.

John Horn
Manchester