Name
Albert Walter Weeden
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 Parish Magazine of October 1915 records Albert, who was serving in the Coldstream Guards, as ‘indirectly connected to Pirton’, although for the reasons given below he has a direct connection to Pirton.
This man is a curiosity; the 1918 Absent Voters’ List records him as Lance Corporal RTS/5567 Machine Gun Corps (Guards), with his home address given as Dead Horse Lane (now Royal Oak Lane). This suggests that Albert Walter was living at the same address or at least reasonably close to the other Albert Weeden, who also survived, perhaps a cousin or other relation.
It was not until the release of the 1911 census, and the discovery of his service record, that more information could be established. This in turn led to further details being provided. Albert Walker was the son of Elizabeth Weeden, and born out of wedlock. She later married her 3rd Cousin Frederick Percival Weeden in Islington in 1897. Both were from Pirton, and by 1911 they had been married for fourteen years and were living at 20 Moreland Street, Finsbury Park. The census lists two children: Albert (b 1892) and Alice (b c1906). Albert was born in Pirton and Alice in Finsbury Park. Albert was single and working as a dairy clerk.
He enlisted on July 29th 1915 in London, aged twenty-six. His father’s address was still Moreland Street. Albert was recorded as a clerk (elsewhere as dairyman) for H J(NB: this is hard to read from the records) Pring, 216 High Road, Leyton. He joined the Coldstream Guards as Private 16559. After training and home service he embarked for France on August 29th 1916 and the 4th Battalion. After a month at the Base depot he joined his Battalion in the field. On October 21st he transferred to the 2nd Guards Brigade, Machine Gun Corps (MGC), as Private 736, and qualified as a machine gunner.
Albert became sick in early May 1917 and rejoined his Company on the 18th but, within four days, was sick again and was admitted to hospital in Gailly on the 23rd, where he was treated for an ‘Abs L buttock’ (presumably - abscess left buttock), but was discharged on the same day, rejoining his Company on June 26th. On October 12th he was shot in the thigh, admitted to the 47th General Hospital and by the 29th was well enough to be discharged to the base depot.
Between March 13th and 27th 1918 he was given well earned UK leave and did not return to action with his Battalion until April 21st. In June he was appointed to the rank of Lance Corporal. Then, on September 9th 1918, he was mildly gassed and was again admitted to hospital. He was discharged on the 12th but, a month later, on October 11th was gassed again, with phosgene gas. This time it was more serious and on the 20th he was invalided to England and admitted to Military Hospital, Sycamore Road, Nottingham, where he spent the remainder of the war. It was not until December 4th 1918 that he was well enough to be discharged.
In his final medical, although he complained of chest pains, he received no disability award and was demobilised on February 11th 1919, having served for three years and 198 days, of which two years and two months were in France.
Perhaps his parents had moved back to Pirton by then but, in any case, his home address was given as Royal Oak Lane, Pirton.
Acknowledgments
Text from the book ‘The Pride of Pirton’ by Jonty Wild, Tony French & Chris Ryan used with author's permission
