Albert was born on 31st October 1889 in Dover, Kent to parents William and Emma and on the 1891 census he was 2 years old, the youngest of four children and lived at 18 Albany Place, St Mary the Virgin Parish in Dover. Ten years later on the 1901 census the family lived at 1 Woolcombe Lane, St James Parish in Dover. Albert was then aged 12 - the middle child, with his other older siblings having left home, except older brother William. They helped look after their younger sister Edith as their Mother Emma had become a widow following the death of her husband.
His previous occupation was a fireman before joining the Navy on 27th March 1908 for 12 years. He was 5'7" tall with dark brown hair and grey eyes.
He began Navy training as a Stoker 2nd Class at base ship HMS ACHERON and shore base PEMBROKE l until 19th October 1908, before being posted to his first ship, HMS INFLEXIBLE from 20th October 1908 until 19th June 1910, rising to Stoker 1st Class on 1st October 1909.
His next vessel was HMS ATTENTIVE, joining the Adventure Class cruiser on 20th June 1910 until 3rd August 1910. He returned to HMS PEMBROKE II for a week then joined HMS ST GEORGE on 12th August 1910 until 30th April 1912. On his return he transferred to HMS TYNE on 1st May 1912 until 13th June 1913 rising from Stoker 1st Class to Acting Leading Stoker on 10th April 1913. Throughout his Navy career his character and conduct was very good.
In June 1912 he was awarded a Royal Humane Society Bronze Medal and Certificate for saving a man’s life in Harwich, Essex on 1st August 1912.
He returned to shore and was based again at HMS PEMBROKE II for 6 months, rising in rating to Leading Stoker on 20th November 1913.
His final posting was to the Dreadnought Battleship HMS Vanguard on 6th December 1913 serving aboard during the ships fight at the Battle of Jutland. He rose to Stoker Petty Officer on 18th December 1914 and enjoyed playing in the ship's football team and in the autumn of 1916 he married Flora Dunkling.
He died aged just 27 years old.
(#188 - 131/843)
Sources:
1891, 1901 and 1911 England Census
www.lsars.org.uk
British Army and Navy Birth, Marriage and Death Records, 1730-1960 National
Archives of the UK; Kew, Surrey, England; Admiralty: Naval Casualties, Indexes, War Grave Rolls and Statistics Book, First World War.; Class: ADM 242; Piece: 007 (1914 - 1919)
England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1916-2005 General Register Office; United Kingdom; Volume: 2a; Page: 2440
British Army and Navy Birth, Marriage and Death Records, 1730-1960 National Archives of the UK; Kew, Surrey, England; Admiralty and predecessors: Office of the Director General of the Medical Department of the Navy and predecessors: Service Registers and Registers of Deaths and Injuries. Registers of Reports of Deaths
Royal Navy and Royal Marine War Graves Roll, 1914-1919 TNA Series: ADM 242/7; Scan Number: 0602
CWGC Register
WWI Pension Ledgers and Index Cards, 1914-1923 Western Front Association; London, England; Pension Record Cards; Reference: 036/0142/BUS-BUT
Photos courtesy of Ann Albert