Name
Albert William Owen Gilbert
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
10/10/1917
20
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
203474
Duke of Wellington's (West Riding Regiment)
1st/4th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
DOZINGHEM MILITARY CEMETERY
X. H. 9.
Belgium
Headstone Inscription
Peace perfect peace
UK & Other Memorials
Hitchin War Memorial, 4 Co' Hertfordshire Reg' Territorials’ Memorial, Hitchin, Holy Saviour Church War Memorial, Radcliffe Rd., Hitchin, St Mary's Church Roll of Honour, Hitchin
Pre War
This is almost certainly the same person as the ‘O.W.’ Gilbert shown in the National Roll. Before mobilisation he worked for Mr L. Angell the baker of Walsworth Road, Hitchin.
His home was at 51, Kings Rd, Hitchin. He was unmarried and his parents were Frederick and Kate Gilbert.
Wartime Service
He was mobilised in August 1914 as a Territorial in the Hertfordshire Regiment and went to the Western Front in August 1916. At some stage, he was transferred and was given the Regimental Number 203474 in the1/4th Battalion Duke of Wellington's (West Riding) Regiment and served at Ypres, Arras and on the Somme. This Battalion at the time of his death was part of the 147th Brigade in the 49th Division. He was mortally wounded in the arm and abdomen.
He was most probably injured the same day that he died. This was in the area near the road between Gravenstafel and Meetcheele where mud and water was waist deep and where an attack began at 5.20am.
He was buried in Plot 10, Row H, Grave 9 in the Dozinghem Military Cemetery in Westvleteren near Poperinghe in the Ypres Salient, Belgium.
A private inscription on the headstone reads "Peace perfect peace". The name of the cemetery was a play on the Flemish language as used by the British troops. The location was near to that of the 4th, 47th and 61st Casualty Clearing Stations.
Acknowledgments
David C Baines, Jonty Wild
