Alderton's WW1 War Dead
Below are the biographical and military details of the sixteen men listed on the Alderton War memorial. I have also included two men whose names do not appear on the Alderton village memorial. Only one of the two Grimmett brothers appears on the memorial, so details of both are included below, and Jesse James, who was born in Alderton but lived in Stanton, where he is commemorated.
Private Albert Taylor
Name/Rank: Private Albert Taylor
Regiment/Battalion: 2/6th battalion Royal Warwickshire regiment
Service No: 26580
Date died: 24th October 1918
Buried/Commemorated: Crucifix Cemetery, Vendegies-Sur-Ecaillon
Commemorated: Alderton War memorial
Albert Taylor was born in Toddington in 1899. His parents George and Sarah had thirteen children born between 1887 and 1909 though by 1911 only ten were still living. Albert’s father George was at times a groom and a farm labourer and from the birthplaces of the children it’s clear that the family moved around the Alderton area, with the children being born in Conderton, Winchcombe, Toddington, Greet and Pamington.
By 1911 Albert was at school and living in Oxenton with his parents and siblings Ellen, Henry, Florence, Annie, Ernest, Walter, Gertrude and a niece Emily. There were eleven people living in a four-room house. Sadly the 1911 census shows one of Albert’s sisters Margaret was living in the Tewkesbury Workhouse, Gloucester Road, with a son Arthur George aged two months. She was listed as a former domestic servant. Another sister Winifred was working as a servant at Middle Farm, Aston on Carrant, for the Yeend family. It’s likely that one of Margaret or Winnifred was the mother of Albert’s niece Emily.
Sometime between Albert leaving school and enlisting in the army he was working as a farm labourer, as Albert's picture from the Cheltenham graphic/Chronicle notes him working for a Mr. Mead of Dumbleton. The 1911 census has a Cuthbert John Mead living at Didcote Farm, Dumbleton and listed as a farmer. Albert was probably a farm labourer for him.
Albert enlisted at Cheltenham in the 2/6th Royal Warwickshire regiment sometime after the outbreak of war. The 2/6th Royal Warwickshires were a territorial battalion formed in Birmingham in 1914. They were part of the 182 brigade, 61st Division. Following a period of recruitment and training they arrived in France in May 1916. From analysis of Albert’s army service number, it’s likely he joined the battalion in either 1917 or 1918.
On the 23rd October 1918 the 2/6th battalion Royal Warwickshire regiment moved up to the front line in preparation for an attack. The following day the village of Vendegies was attacked and the river Ecaillon was crossed, but the battalion had to withdraw following strong enemy resistance. During this attack the battalion suffered over one hundred and eighty casualties of which thirty nine were killed in action or subsequently died of wounds. Albert Taylor was one of these and is buried alongside his battalion comrades in the small cemetery in the village of Vendegies-Sur-Ecaillon.
A pension of 5s was paid to Albert’s mother Sarah Taylor from 13th May 1919. Her address was Alderton, Nr. Tewkesbury.
Following Albert’s death, the Army record of soldiers’ effects lists two amounts of £7 9s 5d & £6 10s that were paid to his father George in 1919 and 1920 respectively. The first payment would likely have been the remains of Albert’s army pay and the second a war gratuity paid out to soldiers and their dependants.
Albert was entitled to the two standard WW1 service medals, the Victory medal and the British War medal.
Albert is commemorated on the Alderton War memorial and is buried in the Vendegies-Sur-Ecaillon village cemetery, northern France.
Regiment/Battalion: 2/6th battalion Royal Warwickshire regiment
Service No: 26580
Date died: 24th October 1918
Buried/Commemorated: Crucifix Cemetery, Vendegies-Sur-Ecaillon
Commemorated: Alderton War memorial
Albert Taylor was born in Toddington in 1899. His parents George and Sarah had thirteen children born between 1887 and 1909 though by 1911 only ten were still living. Albert’s father George was at times a groom and a farm labourer and from the birthplaces of the children it’s clear that the family moved around the Alderton area, with the children being born in Conderton, Winchcombe, Toddington, Greet and Pamington.
By 1911 Albert was at school and living in Oxenton with his parents and siblings Ellen, Henry, Florence, Annie, Ernest, Walter, Gertrude and a niece Emily. There were eleven people living in a four-room house. Sadly the 1911 census shows one of Albert’s sisters Margaret was living in the Tewkesbury Workhouse, Gloucester Road, with a son Arthur George aged two months. She was listed as a former domestic servant. Another sister Winifred was working as a servant at Middle Farm, Aston on Carrant, for the Yeend family. It’s likely that one of Margaret or Winnifred was the mother of Albert’s niece Emily.
Sometime between Albert leaving school and enlisting in the army he was working as a farm labourer, as Albert's picture from the Cheltenham graphic/Chronicle notes him working for a Mr. Mead of Dumbleton. The 1911 census has a Cuthbert John Mead living at Didcote Farm, Dumbleton and listed as a farmer. Albert was probably a farm labourer for him.
Albert enlisted at Cheltenham in the 2/6th Royal Warwickshire regiment sometime after the outbreak of war. The 2/6th Royal Warwickshires were a territorial battalion formed in Birmingham in 1914. They were part of the 182 brigade, 61st Division. Following a period of recruitment and training they arrived in France in May 1916. From analysis of Albert’s army service number, it’s likely he joined the battalion in either 1917 or 1918.
On the 23rd October 1918 the 2/6th battalion Royal Warwickshire regiment moved up to the front line in preparation for an attack. The following day the village of Vendegies was attacked and the river Ecaillon was crossed, but the battalion had to withdraw following strong enemy resistance. During this attack the battalion suffered over one hundred and eighty casualties of which thirty nine were killed in action or subsequently died of wounds. Albert Taylor was one of these and is buried alongside his battalion comrades in the small cemetery in the village of Vendegies-Sur-Ecaillon.
A pension of 5s was paid to Albert’s mother Sarah Taylor from 13th May 1919. Her address was Alderton, Nr. Tewkesbury.
Following Albert’s death, the Army record of soldiers’ effects lists two amounts of £7 9s 5d & £6 10s that were paid to his father George in 1919 and 1920 respectively. The first payment would likely have been the remains of Albert’s army pay and the second a war gratuity paid out to soldiers and their dependants.
Albert was entitled to the two standard WW1 service medals, the Victory medal and the British War medal.
Albert is commemorated on the Alderton War memorial and is buried in the Vendegies-Sur-Ecaillon village cemetery, northern France.
