6498: Albert Alty, South Lancashire Regiment.
Creators: name: Project Team, Lest We Forget
Publisher: name: University of Oxford
Year: 2024
Subjects: classificationCode: 430304
subject: British history
classificationCode: 430308
subject: European history (excl. British, classical Greek and Roman)
classificationCode: 430316
subject: International history

description: Albert Alty was my uncle. He was the son of William and Selina Alty. Before the war he was a joiner. Immediately before the war he worked for C. E. Bennett &amp; Co. Ltd., Union and Bengal Mills, Manchester. Before going to Manchester he had been an active member of various organisations connected with St Paul's Church, Southport. He married Jean Frances Waddell in 1911 and their daughter, Daisy, was born a about year later. He had two brothers who also saw active service in the First World War.Albert enlisted on 28th August 1914. He joined the 2nd Battalion of the South Lancashire Regiment with service number 11722. He went to France on 05/12/1914. On Christmas Eve 1914 he went into the trenches. He sent many postcards and letters home, which I have now. The letters usually start with "Just a few lines to let you know that I am still in the land of the living and keeping in good health and spirits' or something similar. There is mention in the letters of George and Jane. George is likely to be Albert's brother and Jane George's wife. There are mentions of Wilfred, Frank and Harold, all likely to be Albert's brothers. I have one letter from Jean Alty to Albert Alty dated Saturday Sep 30th [1916]. It Refers to Albert going out to supper with Gilbert Taylor.Albert was wounded and was in hospital in Boulogne. One of his letters was written on 10/09/1916 while he was in hospital. This was followed by a period at the Convalescent Depot at Boulogne. On 11/10/1916 he wrote, saying he was going to rejoin his regiment that day.Albert was reported as missing on 21/10/1916 and there followed a long period of uncertainty as to what had happened to him. A letter from Sergeant Jos. Harrel dated 19th February 1917 said that he had buried Albert. In a letter to Mrs Alty dated 21/02/1917 Lieut J. S. Boast says that he is not going to tell her to give up all hope of hearing from Albert, but to be candid he thought he had been killed. An official letter dated 21 July 1917 indicated that Albert had been killed in active service on 21/10/1916. He is buried at Grandcourt Road Cemetery, Grandcourt, Somme, France. He was killed only two weeks after being sent back to the front. It is thought that he had not fully recovered from his injuries. Albert was 29 when he was killed.I have a letter which is from a cousin, Jean, and addressed to Miss N. Waddell at Southport. The cousin lived at Tillicoultry, Scotland. Miss N. Waddell is likely to be Eleanor, sister of Jean, Albert Alty's wife. The letter is dated 11th March, 1916. The letter is a letter of sympathy about Albert Alty. The date on the letter is before the death of Albert Alty. However, examination of the postmark on the envelope shows the year as 1917.Jean wrote to C. E. Bennett &amp; Co. Ltd. About money and pensions. I have the reply letters from the company.