Name
Albert William, (Toby) Buckett
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Biography
The Hertfordshire Express of May 19th 1917 reports that Albert was also known as ‘Toby’ and that he was with the Canadians. He was the grandson of Mrs D Buckett (probably Dinah), who lived on Great Green. No photograph has been found of Toby, but his attestation papers reveal that he was 5’ 7 3/4”, had brown eyes and dark brown hair.
Unfortunately there is the possibility of some confusion over Albert’s parents. The 1891 census records indicate that he was the son of George and Dinah Buckett and that his siblings were Harry, Alice, Ellen and Frederick. However, the 1901 census suggest that he was in fact their grandson. The latter is confirmed by a newspaper cutting and other parish and census records, so it would indicate that Albert was the man baptised on August 4th 1889 and the son of Mary, who was the daughter of George and Dinah Buckett. The latter is also confirmed in the 1901 census, which records that he was living with Dinah and aged eleven. He would have been about twenty-five at the outbreak of war.
Edna Lake, from Canada, informs us that five Pirton men, including Toby, emigrated to Canada together in 1912. The others were Tom Abbiss, Edward Lake, Charlie Stapleton and one of the Walkers, possibly Arthur Robert Walker. However, there is conflicting information for the emigration dates, including from the North Herts Mail, which suggests 1909 or 1910 for Toby. He then lived in New Westminster. Toby, Tom, Edward, and Arthur all joined the Canadian Expeditionary Force returning to Europe to fight – their allegiance to Great Britain still being strong.
In November 1916, he was given leave and returned to Pirton ‘His many friends found a hearty welcome for him and were pleased to see him looking so well.’ Then on May 19th 1917, the Hertfordshire Express informs us that, before the war, Toby had worked for ‘Messers. Lucas, of the brewery, Hitchin’, confirms his emigration to Canada in about 1912, that he was married and that he had been wounded by a shell splinter to the face, and as result was back in England. The Parish Magazine of June 1917 records him as serving in the 47th Battery and wounded.
His attestation papers record him as born May 5th 1889, a labourer and married. He was in the 104th Regiment of the Active Militia. The oath was taken in New Westminster on February 28th 1916, when he would have been twenty-six.
Acknowledgments
Text from the book ‘The Pride of Pirton’ by Jonty Wild, Tony French & Chris Ryan used with author's permission
