| Description | Work completed by volunteer includes the following information:
Albert was born in Beverley in early 1884. He was the son of John Smith and his wife Annie. John was an iron turner and fitter at a local tannery and the family home was on St Andrew's St. Little is known of Albert's upbringing but having served an apprenticeship he became a plumber.
In Oct 1907 Albert married Maud Rispin at Beverley Minster. Their first child, Harold, was born in Dec 1904. They had three other children: Robert in 1908, Annie in 1913 and James in 1916. The family lived on Lurk Lane and later at 38 St Andrew's St.
Little is known of Albert's war record. It seems that he joined the 3rd Battalion of the Yorkshire Regiment initially. This was a reserve battalion that trained recruits who would then be sent to other regimental battalions as replacements for casualties. No medal records exist for Albert which suggests that he was never sent abroad from the UK, the qualifier for an award. At an unknown time, but possibly suffering from health issues which had prevented front-line service overseas, Albert was transferred to the 347th Company of the Labour Corps where he remained for the duration of the war.
On 7 Nov 1918, a short time before the end of the war, Albert died at the age of 34, of "influenza and septic pneumonia contracted whilst on active service". He was buried in a designated war grave at St Martin's cemetery on Queensgate. He is not commemorated on the Hengate Memorial, but he is recorded on the Minster's East Riding Memorial (as being a soldier in the Labour Corps). His widow did not remarry. His brother Frederick William Smith was killed in action on the Somme in 1916.
Includes information taken from census, military records, Commonwealth War Graves, newspapers |