Alfred Fieldhouse was born on 10 July 1895 at Wolverhampton, the second of five surviving children of Alfred Fieldhouse, a cabinet locksmith, and his wife Sarah Ann (née Orme).

He joined the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class on 19 April 1912 at HMS GANGES II, giving his previous occupation as metal turner. In July 1912 he joined the armoured cruiser HMS DEVONSHIRE, where he remained until Feb 1915, being rated Ordinary Seaman on his 18th birthday, and Able Seaman in March 1914. From March to June 1915 he was at the Devonport torpedo school, HMS DEFIANCE and qualified as a Torpedoman. He served in the light cruiser HMS CARYSFORT from June 1915 to October 1916.

He joined HMS DOLPHIN on 13 October 1916 and the following month was drafted to HMS VULCAN, depot ship for the Third Submarine Flotilla, at Immingham. In February 1917, he transferred to the books of HMS HEBE which took over the depot ship role for the Third Flotilla when VULCAN was transferred to Queenstown. It is thought that he served in HMS D6 from October 1916 until February 1917, but after that may have served briefly in ‘C’ class submarines attached to HEBE, before being constrained by illness.  He died on 26 March 1918 at Grimsby Hospital.  His service record does not indicate a cause of death, but a Wolverhampton WW1 history site blames emphysema.  He was buried at Wolverhampton Borough Cemetery.