Military History

Theatre of War	Medals	Commonwealth War Grave of Memorial
France and Flanders	1914-15 Star, British War & Victory Medals	Thiepval Memorial
Arrived in Theatre	Medal Citation (if app)	SWFHS Area Memorials
30 Jul 1915	~	Whatcote
Action, Battle or Other Reason Killed	Date and Place Enlisted Date	Other War Memorials
Battle of the Ancre (Somme)	7 Sep 1914 at Warwick
Place of Death	Previous Regiments or Units
Beaucourt	~

Circumstances Leading to Death (Normally from War Diary)           

Albert was killed during the successful operation to capture Beacourt from the German Army.

The attack on Beaucourt village at 7.45 a.m. was the task of 190th Brigade which had managed to collect near Beaucourt Station 400 of the H.A.C. and about 80 of the 7/Royal Fusiliers. This group advanced but came under heavy rifle and machine gun fire from Beaucourt village and had to halt and take cover on reaching the position held by troops with Colonel Freyberg. At this critical point Colonel Freyberg, although wounded again, led the assault himself with a mixed detachment from the Howe, Drake, Hawke and Nelson battalions, the H.A.C. and the 7/Royal Fusiliers, straight into Beaucourt whilst the13th K.R.R.C. pressed forward south-eastwards through the village. Little resistance was encountered and nearly 500 prisoners were collected from the cellars and dug-outs, a line being established round the eastern edge of Beaucourt with patrols being pushed forward as far as the protective barrage permitted.

The capture of Beaucourt was reported at 10.30 a.m. and by that time 13/Royal Fusiliers and 13/Rifle Brigade, with a fresh barrage for their renewed assault, were in possession of most of Beaucourt Trench where again there was little resistance.

That afternoon the hold on Beaucourt was consolidated. Fears of a German counter-attack from the area of Baillescourt Farm about a mile to the East of the village, where German troops were observed gathering in mass, came to nothing after a heavy artillery bombardment of the area East of the village.

Courtesy of WW1 War Graves