SKELTON - IN - CLEVELAND
IN HISTORY

"WE WILL REMEMBER THEM"
53650 Private ALBERT EDGAR WINFIELD.

10th Bn, West Yorkshire Regiment (Prince of Wales's Own).

Died, aged 19, on the 20th of September 1918.

Born in Skelton in Cleveland. Enlisted at Saltburn by Sea, N Yorks.

Son of William and the late Hannah Winfield, of 18 Boosbeck Rd, Skelton Green, N Yorks.


Gauche Wood Cemetery, Villers-Guislain.

FAMILY:-
1901. Albert, aged 2, was living at 18 Boosbeck Rd and had been born in Skelton.
His father, William, age 37, worked in the Ironstone mines below ground. He was born at Crawley Oxfordshire.
His mother, Hannah, age 31, was born at Bladon Oxfordshire.
Albert had two brothers, Harry 10 and William 4 and two sisters, Nellie 8 and Harriet 6.

1911. The family are still at 18 Boosbeck Rd. Albert's mother has died. She has had 6 children and all are living.
Emily Blake, aged 35 is living in as the Housekeeper. Harry is working in the Mines. William is a Grocer's Assistant and there is a new arrival since 1901, Hannah, age 7.
ATTESTATION
Albert's attestation Form below shows that he enlisted when he was just old enough to do so, aged 18 years 1 month, at Saltburn by Sea, N Yorks. He was a Pupil Teacher at the time.
Many Service records from the First War were destroyed or badly damaged, like this one, by German fire bombing of London in the Second War. At his medical he stood only 5ft 1 in and had a 31 inch chest.

WAR SITUATION:-
The 10th Battalion of the West Yorkshire Regiment was attached to 50th Brigade, 17th (Northern) Division.
In the early part of the war the Division fought at Ypres. Albert joined his Battalion in April 1918.
At the time of his death the Germans were on the defensive.
The tide was turning against them and holes were being forced through the once impenetrable Hindenberg Line.
The 17th Division fought in the Battle of Epehy, 18 September 1918 and Albert lost his life at some time during this action.
MEMORIAL
Gauche Wood Cemetery, Villers-Guislain, where Albert is buried, is a small village in the south-western most corner of the Department of the Nord.
It is 3 kilometres west of Gouzeaucourt which in turn is 19 kilometres north east of Peronne and and 16 kilometres south west of Cambrai.


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