1st Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment
Albert Berry was a pre-war regular army soldier who fought in the early battles of the war and was discharged due to sickness.
He was born at Cirencester in late 1893, one of twelve children born to William Berry (1862-1946) a cart driver for a builder and his wife Ellen (née Smith; 1864-1950). According to the 1911 Census of the couples twelve children only nine were surviving by that year. Those surviving had birth years ranging from 1882 to 1910. At the time of the 1901 Census the Berry family lived at 19 School Lane, Cirencester and by 1911 had moved to 157 Gloucester Street, where that year’s census form notes Albert (17 years) was employed as a farm labourer.
Unfortunately, no Army Service or Pension Record has survived for Albert. However, certain records have survived which do provide some information as to his army career. The register of Silver War Badges (SWB) issued states that he enlisted in the Army on 26 November 1911, so he was a pre-war regular soldier, who had joined the Gloucestershire Regiment and was posted to the 1st Battalion. He was serving when the Great War broke out on 4 August 1914 and we know from his Medal Index Card that he first went to France, on 13 August.
The 1st Glosters were part of 3 Brigade, 1 Division and they took part in the rearguard action that became known as ‘The Retreat from Mons’.
If Albert had not suffered any significant injury or bout of sickness during the years 1914 to 1916, he would have participated in some major actions at Loos, Ypres and the Somme.
According to SWB records he was discharged from the Army, due to sickness on 23 January 1917 and would have then received his Silver War Badge, to denote his status as a discharged serviceman. Following his discharge, he became a cart driver for a grocer and on 20 October 1917 he married Louisa Cobb at Cirencester. She had been a domestic servant in London and wasslightly older than Albert. The couple went to live at 47 Gloucester Street, Cirencester.
A recently released Pension Record Card states that Albert died as a result of pulmonary tuberculosis, on 15 May 1918, aged 24. It is probably fair to assume that this was the illness which had resulted in his discharge nine months earlier: he had been married a little less than seven months. His widow never re-married and lived until 1977.
Lance Corporal Albert Berry was buried in Cirencester (Chesterton) Cemetery on 20 May 1918 and a standard CWGC headstone now marks his grave. He is commemorated on the Cirencester War Memorial, along with his brother, Edward (Teddy) born in 1900, who as Private (No 39621) serving in the 1st Duke of Edinburgh’s (Wiltshire) Regiment was presumed killed in action on 26 April 1918 and is commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial to the Missing.
Researched by Graham Adams 18 April 2021