Military History

Albert is listed as being killed in action on 12th April 1918 having originally been reported as missing in action. The following description of events is taken from the 40th Battalion Report on Operations 9th to 13th April 1918:

During the 11th and 12th instant our Machine Guns on the left co-operated with the Infantry and covered them, as under pressure of attacks delivered from the South they gradually fell back on Le Verrier, while our guns on the 34th Division Front also fought with the Infantry, who took up a line South East of Pont de Nieppe along the railway. On a number of occasions during this period our guns were able to deal most effectively with considerable bodies of the enemy as they massed for the attack.

The guns which had been operating on the front of the 34th Division were ordered to rejoin the Battalion and this they did at Hazebrouck on the 13th instant. While the guns operating on our own front were during the night of the 12th instant concentrated at Vieux Berquin.

On the 12th instant the personnel and guns at Vieux Berquin moved to Straszeele where they were reinforced by 7 guns from the Battalion Headquarters where new guns had been delivered.

On the afternoon of the 12th instant, under orders of the Division demand action was developed covering Hazebrouck and Straszeele to La Souverain by the above mentioned 12 guns and by 5 additional Vickers from Battalion Headquarters.