Prior to the First World War, Alfred worked at the boot factory of Clarke, Ward and Co in Hinckley.

He enlisted/attested into the Territorial Force at Hinckley at the outbreak of the War and was posted to 1/5th Bn. Leicestershire Regt. as a Private with Regimental Service number 4355.

He first entered the theatre of war in France on 11 Dec 1915.

Under the Army Council Instruction (A.C.I. 2414/1916), published on the 23rd December 1916, that promulgated a new numbering system for all Territorial Force units, Alfred was allotted the regimental service number 241556.

On Friday July 14th, 1916, The Leicester Daily Mercury published the following article on page 4, under the heading. – LOCAL CASUALTIES. – Hinckley Casualties. – Pte. A. GARNER, of the Leicestershire Regiment, whose father is a Hinckley tradesman, has been seriously wounded in the left arm, and is now in a Devonshire hospital.

Alfred was killed in action in the field on 28 May 1917. The War Diary provides no details:

28 Apr-17 - TRENCHES. At 11.30pm a party from “C” Company under 2nd Lieutenant G. E. BANWELL raided an enemy post near church at N.7.a.70.37 but found it unoccupied.

29 Apr-17 - TRENCHES. At 2.10am gas projectors were fired on enemy trenches on our front, 250 on CITE ST. LAURENT and CITE ST. EDOUARD, 50 each on HILL 65 and FOSSE 3. Our artillery carried out an intense bombardment on enemy trenches in conjunction with this. Retaliation was very heavy especially with heavy trench mortars but we had no casualties, though the Battalion had 32 casualties during this tour, chiefly from shelling (22 in “D” Company). At night Battalion was relieved by the 4th Battalion LEICESTERSHIRE REGIMENT and marched to rest billets in cellars in CITE ST. PIERRE.

The Hinckley Times reported the following on 19 May 1917¹:

SHOT DEAD BY SNIPER

PRIVATE A. GARNET (HINCKLEY) "A FAVOURITE WITH ALL HIS FELLOWS"

Mr and Mrs. Garner of Curzon Terrace, Factory Road, Hinckley, have been notified that their son, Private Alfred Garner of the Leicesters, was shot dead by a sniper on April 28th last.

Writing to the brereaved parents, Pte W. Henson explains that Pte. Garner and another soldier were sent with a message to the front line, and while passing a dangerous point a sniper shot Pte Garner through the back. His only words before he died were 'Oh dear!' Everyone was upset when the news was received, and all sent their deepest sympathy. The company officers were very sorry to lose him.

The article continued with extracts from letters received from fellow soldiers and officers.

Alfred was buried in Bully-Grenay Communal Cemetery British Extension, Pas de Calais, France. He was posthumously awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal.