Trafford

Born on the 8th March 1898, during the June quarter 1898 in the Altrincham
R.D. - ref: 8a/168, the son of Stephen Cowton & Mary Appleby (nee
Starkey).

1901 Census - Davenport Lane, Sale.   Son - aged: 9 - born: Manchester. 
Head of household - Charles Stephen Appleby (Snr) - aged: 32 - occ: Railway
Clerk - born: Altrincham.  Also - Mary Appleby - Wife - aged: 33 - born:
Whittington, Staffordshire.  Plus 3 elder siblings including Charles who
was also killed in WW1.

Attended Worthington Road School, Sale.

1911 Census - Rutland Lane, Sale.   Son - aged: 13 - occ: Scholar - born:
Sale.     Head of household - Charles Stephen Appleby (Snr) - aged: 44 -
occ: Railway Clerk - born: Altrincham.     Also - Mary Appleby - Wife -
aged: 44 - born: Altrincham ???.    Plus 3 siblings including Charles who
was also killed in WW1.Alan Bradshaw - a relative of Alfred has kindly sent
the following information regarding him.

Alfred joined the Royal Navy and became a 'Boy Signaller' on the Armoured
Cruiser HMS Monmouth which on the outbreak of war in August 1914 was
despatched as part of a small squadron to the South Atlantic and by October
the ship was operating in the vicinity of the Falkland Isles. A more
powerful force of modern German Navy vessels was detected in the area and
on 1 November 1914 the Royal Navy Squadron Commander, Vice-Admiral
Craddock, decided to engage the German forces despite having received
Admiralty instructions to maintain a watching brief. 
 The ensuing battle off the coast of Chile adjacent to the city of Coronel
was fairly brief and very much one sided  as the German ships were faster
and carried heavier armament. The Germans suffered 3 casualties in sinking
the Monmouth and Craddock's flagship HMS Good Hope and there were
unfortunately no survivors from either ship with the total Royal Navy dead
amounting to 1,570 including Alfred Starkie Appleby aged just 16.
 Having achieved a comprehensive victory the Germans stayed in the area and
were subsequently caught by a more powerful Royal Navy force which included
two heavily arrmoured big gun battlecruisers. The action took place around
the Falkland Isles on 8 December 1914 with the German squadron being
heavily defeated resulting in the sinking of six of their ships and the
loss of more than 1,800 men.
 The action on 1 November became officially known as the Battle of Coronel
and the follow up action on 8 December is now called the Battle of the
Falkland Isles.

H.M.S. "Monmouth"  was a cruiser built in 1901 and together with H.M. Ships
"Good Hope", "Glasgow" and "Ortanto" were off Coronel on the Chilean coast
searching for the German East Asia Squadron which was attempting to return
to Germany via Cape Horn.    On the evening of the 1st November 1914 the
two Squadrons met.   Initially the British had the advantage as the Germans
were silhouetted against the setting sun, but the Germans used their
superior speed to avoid action until after the sun had set which
illuminated in the afterglow.    The British were also hampered by the bad
weather which meant that their lower casement guns could not be worked.  
Another factor in favour of the Germans was that they had well trained
regular crews whereas the British ships had only recently commisioned with
crews made up of reservists.   Firing began at 19.00hrs and by 19.52hrs
"Good Hope" had been battered to a wreck by the German ships "Scharnhorst"
& "Gneisenau" there was a final large explosion and then she sank.  900
crew died there were no survivors.
"Monmouth" had received a similar battering from the German ships and after
the sinking of the flagship had broken away to the North. She was found by
"Nurnberg" at 21.00hrs listing steeply to port with steam escaping
amidships.  Her port guns could not be worked so by staying on her port
side the "Nurnberg" could fire at her at will with no risk of return fire
and after a few rounds the "Monmouth" sank with the loss of her 900 crew.  
There were actually 4 survivors who had been put onto Albrohos Rocks to
establish a lookout /signal station.      This was known as the Battle of
Coronel.

TNA ref: ADM 188/698 - 222/222.

His brother - Charles Stephen Appleby was also killed on active service.

See the Article in the Sale & Altrincham Messenger dated 30th October
2014.