Born: 1895, Bradford
Died: 19 Huly 1916, Fromelles
Buried: NKG
Address: 44 Institute Road, Eccleshill
Parents: Robert and Maria, nee Brooks
Spouse:
Siblings: Alice, Arthur, Nellie, Annie, William, Lily
Occupation: Stavert, Zigmola & Co
Organisations/clubs:
Military
Rank: Pte
Medals/awards:
Rolls of Honour: Eccleshill, Park & St Luke’s; Loos Memorial
Children:
Regiment: Machine Gun Corps
Albert Waller
Albert Waller was born in 1895 in
Bradford the son of Robert and
Maria, nee Brooks who had moved
to the area from Norwich sometime
before 1897.
Robert died in 1904 and by 1911
Maria and her family were living at
879 Bolton Road. Her older
children had obtained employment
in professional occupations and
Albert at 16 was working as a
warehouse lad. When Albert
enlisted he was living at 44
Institute Road and working for
Messrs. Stavert, Zigomala and Co.
He enlisted on the 22nd of October
1915 as Private 2844 in the
Middlesex Regiment but then
transferred to the 182nd Company
Machine Gun Corps
(Infantry) as Private
28579.
His unit joined the 61st
Division in France on the
19th of June 1916. The
first major action in which
the Division was engaged
turned out to be an
unmitigated disaster.
An attack was made on the
19th of July 1916 at Fromelles, a
subsidiary action to the much larger
battle taking place further south on
the Somme. The Division suffered
very heavy casualties for no
significant gain and no enemy
reserves were diverted from the
Somme.
Such was the damage to
the Division and its
reputation that it was not
used again other than for
holding trench lines until
1917.
The Shipley Times &
Express reported: “Pte
Albert Waller has been
missing since July 19th.
He was fighting with the
182nd Machine Gun
Company and has been in France
since June this year.
“He was 21 years of age and was
last seen in the German trenches.
His mother resides at 44 Institute
Road, Eccleshill and her son was
employed at Stavert Zigomala and
Co. There are over 20 relatives with
His Majesty’s forces.”
Albert was in fact killed in action
that day. He is remembered at the
Loos Memorial known as Dud
Corner Cemetery due to the large
number of unexploded enemy
shells found in the neighbourhood
after the Armistice. This memorial
commemorates men who have no
known grave, who fell in the area
from the River Lys to the old
southern boundary of the First
Army, east and west of Germany.
Albert left his effects to his mother
Maria who received £2.4.8d on the
17th of December 1917 and a War
Gratuity of £3.0.0d on the 21st
October 1919.
Researched and written by Jean
Britteon, to whom many thanks
