Albert was born on 10th March 1892 in Bainton, Yorkshire to Henry and Charlotte (Maw). He was actually registered as William Albert, but was subsequently known as Albert William afterwards, perhaps a clerical error when registering his birth happened to switch his given names around.
He was one of six children and on the 1901 census, aged 9, he lived at Half Penny Farm with his parents, an older sister and younger brother, his father working as a horseman on the farm.
He cannot be found on a census during 1911 but that may be because he was on the move down to East Anglia. He is next noted on records marrying Ethel Fletcher in the quarter of June 1916 in Newmarket having moved from Yorkshire. At the end of that same year the newlyweds had a daughter Audrey.
He signed up with the Navy on 20th October 1916 for hostilities, his records stating he was previously with the RNVR (#Y4637), but no records can be found.
He was 5'9" tall, with brown hair and eyes and trained at Pembroke II as a Stoker 2nd Class until 29th January 1917, transferring to HMS VANGUARD on 30th January 1917, his only ship.
#210 - 179/843
Sources:
England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1837-1915 -FreeBMD
1901 England Census
Royal Navy Registers of Seamen's Services, 1848-1939 National Archives of the UK; Kew, Surrey, England; Royal Navy Registers of Seamen's Services; Class: ADM 188; Piece: 941
National Archives Admiralty: Naval Casualties, Indexes, War Grave Rolls and Statistics Book, First World War.; Class: ADM 242; 007 (1914 - 1919)
National Archives 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 Death
CWGC Register
Royal Navy and Royal Marine War Graves Roll, 1914-1919 ADM 242/7; Scan Number: 0833
WWI Pension Ledgers and Index Cards, 1914-1923 Western Front Association; London, England; Pension Record Cards; Reference: 051/0199/COL-COL
Cambridge Archives