Can you help to identify Albert?

Albert Edward Stapleton was born in Finchley, Middlesex, England in late 1885. He was the eighth of nine children born to William and Ellen (nee Plant) Stapleton, four girls and five boys:

Albert attended Saint Mary's school in Finchley, London and then, like his father, became a nurseryman/florist. In 1908, at the age of 23, he emigrated to Australia and settled in the Cootamundra, New South Wales area.

According to his sister Ellen in the UK, he wanted to join in the war efforts early, enlisting on 28 July 1915. He was assigned to the 4th Battalion, 11th reinforcements and shortly afterwards he embarked from Sydney, 13 October 1915, headed for Egypt.

Albert had training and assignments in Zeitoun, Tel-el-Kebir and Ismailia, Egypt. In February 1916, he was reassigned to the newly formed 53rd Battalion, part of the reorganisation to accommodate the new recruits coming in from Australia.

In mid-June 1916, the 53rd was preparing to join the British Expeditionary Force on the Western Front. Albert left Egypt with the 32 officers and 952 soldiers of his Battalion on the “Royal George” on 19 June and he arrived in Marseille on 28 June 1916.

Albert had written his sister while he was in Egypt that he had hoped to be able to get back to England, but she later noted that instead, “the ‘Great Push’ of July claimed them.”

After arriving in Marseille on June 28th, they had a 62-hour train ride to Thiennes. It was noted that their “reputation had evidently preceded them”, as they were well received by the French at the towns all along the route. After several days of marching the 35 kilometres to Fleurbaix, they were settled into billets on 16 July and by 0300 on the 17th they were into the front lines.

On the 18th, they took over the trenches held by the 54th, with the River Layes and the 60th Battalion on their left. There was severe bombardment all night by both the British Expeditionary Force and by the Germans. At 4:00pm, the 54th Battalion rejoined on their left.

The Australians’ attack began at 5:43pm. There were four waves from the 53rd attacking while they were only 15 yards from the German trenches. They initially took the German first and second line trenches, linking up with the 54th on their left, but no one could be found on the right. The battle continued and their lines were held through the night, but the Germans were counterattacking on their front and right flank and the trenches that were captured had to be given back. It took until midday on the 20th for the artillery bombardment to quieten down.

By 9:00am on the 20th, the 53rd received orders to retreat from positions won and by 9:30 they had “retired with very heavy loss”. By 4:30pm the remains of Brigade assembled at HQ. Of the 984 men who had left Alexandria just weeks earlier, 372 were killed or missing and 335 were wounded.

On the 21st, stretcher parties were given a chance by the Germans to collect the wounded, but Albert was not among them.

Albert had been shot during one of the charges and as he was returning, one of his mates said, “What, ‘Mother’ (his nickname), have they got you?” Albert’s reply was, “Yes. They’ve done for us this time.”

According to the reports, he had been shot in the shoulder and had been heading back to the dressing station for treatment in a “lively fashion”. However, before he got there, both Private 3425 Reignor PINCHEN and Private 3238 Headland F. BARNES reported that a ‘star’ shell (flare) had exploded, killing him instantly, still only yards from the German lines. Both Pinchen and Barnes had been with Albert in the 4th Battalion before transferring to the 53rd, and their signatures also appear in the earlier souvenir photo of the troopship.

A Court of Enquiry, held in the field on 2 September 1917 pronounced his fate as 'Killed in Action, 19 July 1916'.

His sister Ellen in England had been in regular contact with the AIF and the Red Cross trying to find out about Albert. Albert had written home from Egypt, but the first news the family had of him being in France were the reports that they received that he was missing.

With the confusion from the severity of the battle, there were later reports that Albert had survived and had been treated in England and went back into training. Ellen was advised of this, but with the caveat that these reports may be unreliable - as was later proven to be the case, as it did not relate to Albert.

Albert’s remains have not been found but he has been commemorated at the V.C. Corner memorial, panel 9, near Fromelles, France and the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, Roll of Honour, panel 158. He was awarded the 1914-15 Star and the British War and Victory medals and these were sent to his mother as his next of kin, as well as a Memorial Scroll and Memorial Plaque.

Albert’s brother, Lance Corporal Walter Richard Stapleton of the London Regiment County of London Artists’ Rifles Battalion (service number 764670), was also killed in action during the war. Walter, married with two children, died aged 39 at the Somme on 30 December 1917. Like Albert, he has no known grave but is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial in France.

His youngest sister, Frances (service number 731), also served in the Queen Mary’s Army Auxiliary Corps during the war. This corps was formed in 1917 recruiting the first women to serve in non-nursing roles in the British Army. Thousands of women enlisted to provide clerical, catering, storekeeping and vehicle maintenance services for the army to free up more men for combat. Like her two older brothers, Albert and Walter, Frances was awarded the British War and Victory medals.

Albert and Walter Stapleton - known unto God. Lest we forget.