Remembering Albert French

[Patrick @ IFF]

Should you be in the Ypres area on Tuesday 15 June, Friends of the In Flanders Fields Museum will pay their respect to Rifleman Albert French. He's the first in a series of 3 "Remembrances" this year.

The aim of these remembrances is to mark our respect to some of the fatal casualties on the date of their death. Therefore the numerous anonymous names on the headstones are personalised.

We listen to his personal history (in Dutch) and pay our respect by laying a wreath and playing the Last Post (by 2 buglars of the Menin Gate).

Rifleman Albert FRENCH (King's Royal Rifle Corps 18th Bn.) died on 15 June 1916 at the age of 16.

The Remembrance will take place at Hyde Park Corner (Royal Berks) Cemetery Ploegsteert at 20.00 h.

[Paul Reed]

He's the first in a series of 3 "Remembrances" this year.

Who will be the others?

[Ian C]

Patrick,

Albert came from Wolverton, Buckinghamshire, near where I live, it is now part of Milton Keynes.

Many years after Alberts death a bundle of letters that he had sent to his family were found and rescued from the rubbish. They were published in a book called, "Your loving Son Albert", I believe that there was also a radio programme based on the letters.

More information about Albert is available on;

WWW.livingarchive.org.uk

Take the link to History & Heritage and there is a section on Albert.

IanC

[Will O'Brien]

Patrick

Here is some info on Albert French...............

Rifleman Albert Edward Mortlock French C/7259

A Company, 18th Service Battalion, Kings Royal Rifle Corps

Killed In Action Thursday 15th June 1916 age 16.

Buried Hyde Park Corner Royal Berks Cemetery, Ploegsteert, Comines-Warneton, Hainaut, Belgium. Grave Reference B.2.

Son of Mr Edward French of 60 Young Street, Wolverton, Buckinghamshire.

He is commemorated on the Wolverton & Stony Stratford war memorials.

Albert French was born in New Bradwell on the 22nd June 1899 & prior to the war he was an Apprentice Engineer at the Wolverton Railway Carriage Works. He travelled to St Pancras, London in July 1915 & volunteered with the Kings Royal Rifle Corps, just one month after his 16th birthday. He spent the later part of 1915 at training camps in Gidea Park, Essex & Aldershot in Hampshire. In 1916 Albert French’s training was switched to the Witley training camp in Godalming, Surrey & it was from here he was sent to France in early May 1916. He was killed in action near St Eloi six weeks after leaving England & just one week before his 17th birthday.

The following are extracts from letters sent to Albert French’s father upon his sons death -

‘17th June 1916 - Dear Mr French - I am very sorry to have to write to you & inform you that your dear son was killed in action on the 15th June. He died as every true soldier wishes to die, doing his duty nobly for king & country. He was doing some sand bagging on the parapet of the trench when four bullets from a machine gun hit him & he died instantaneously. He lies buried amid brave comrades in a wood & his grave is carefully tended by his friends in his battalion. I offer you my deepest sympathy & pray that almighty god in his mercy will give you comfort & strength to bear up under this great blow. May I remind you of that text which occurs in the 15th Chapter of St John’s Gospel & the 14th Verse - Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. I am yours sincerely Chaplain M.A.O Mayne ,122nd Infantry Brigade, British Expeditionary Force’.

‘17th June 1916 - Mr E. French, Sir, I regret to have to report the death of your son, C7259 Rifleman A. French, who was killed by machine gun fire whilst with a work party on 15th June 1916. He was a very good soldier, although so young & a willing worker who made many friends in the Company. He is sadly missed not only by his section but by his platoon & company & not least at all by myself. The officers, warrant officers, non commissioned officers & riflemen of A company, 18th Service Battalion of the Kings Royal Rifle Corps wish to convey to you & your family their deepest sympathy in this your sad bereavement. Yours faithfully Captain R Pennell, Commanding Officer, A Company.

Whilst the first letter advises that Albert French was hit by machine gun fire & died instantly, other sources from my research on him indicate that he was in fact only hit by one bullet & lived for a short period of time before dying. It has been impossible for me to ascertain which if either version is true.

The following is a rather poignant extract from the last letter sent to Albert French by his sister Mabel, written just two weeks before he was killed. His sister writes about his coming birthday which he never lived to see.

‘6th June 1916 - Dear old Albert, just a line hoping it finds you in the pink as usual. We have just had the sad news to say Lord Kitchener has been drowned. My word we hadn’t needed to lose men like him but still I expect it can’t be helped. I expect Aunt told you about Reg. I haven’t heard other that he was in hospital. Don’t know what was the matter with him but I should think it must be something very bad or they would not have brought him here. Well old boy how is weather out in France, it has been wet here all the weekend. The young boys here aren’t half having to go up & enlist & some have gone to France today to work on the railway. Dad & the boys send their love. You will soon be sweet 17 & never been kissed on the 22nd of this month. Well cheerio & keep on smiling. I will close now with my fondest love. Your loving sister May’.

After the war Albert French’s father was refused a war pension by the War Office on the grounds that his son had lied about his age when he had volunteered for active service.

Ian is correct that Albert French & the letters he wrote to his younger sister Mabel were the subject of a Radio 4 documentary as well as a book. Both are entitled ‘Your loving brother Albert’.

Information sourced from

Commonwealth War Graves Commission Debt of Honour Register.

Soldiers Who Died In The Great War 1914-1919, Kings Royal Rifle Corps Volume.

The National Roll Of The Great War Bedfordshire, Northants & North Bucks Edition.

The Wolverton Express & Bucks Weekly News – 23rd June 1916.

Your Loving Brother Albert - Published By Oak Leaf Books.

[Will O'Brien]

Albert French

[Will O'Brien]

His original grave marker (not a very clear picture I'm afraid)

[Patrick @ IFF]

Who will be the others?

Paul,

The others:

Tuesday 31 August 2004 at 18.00 h.:

Second Lieutenant Aloïs de MAHIEU

2 Grenadiers 1/3 (Belgian Army)

+ 31 August 1918

Churchyard Oostvleteren

Saturday 6 November 2004 at 17.00 h.:

Second Lieutenant Baron Alexis George DE GUNZBURG

11th (Prince Albert's Own) Hussars attd. Royal Horse Guards

+ 6 November 1914

Churchyard Zillebeke

[koyli]

Sorry to be a spoilsport but de Mahieu isn't in OostVleteren churchyard anymore. I went looking for his grave a few months ago and couldn't find his grave or that of other Belgian soldiers in the churchyard. The local town council don't know where he is, although they did find evidence that family were planning to have a familytomb put in the cemetery to house the remains of Louis. This would have been halway the seventies. An enquiry to the "Algemene Directie van de Wetgeving en van de Nationale Instellingen Militaire begraafplaatsen", somewhat like the C.W.G.C., gave the return answer that according to them Lt L. deMahieu was stil buried in Oostvleteren churchyard (don't get it mixed up with the Belgian Military cemetery in Westvleteren) and that they had no clue where he would be buried at this time. My bet is that the soldiers were cleared out of the churchyard and that deMahieu was reburied either in Brussels or Antwerp where the family resides.

Cheers

Koyli

[Patrick @ IFF]

Hi Koyli

This seems to be very strange... I've been informed that family members of Aloïs de Mahieu will be present at the ceremony

I'll make some inquiries.

Patrick

[Patrick @ IFF]

Hi Koyli

Here is the result of my inquiries.

Apparently, it's not "Alois" de Mahieu, but "Louis" de Mahieu.

Some people of the IFFM-Documentation Center visited the grave on 25 March 2004 and it's was still there .

The grave is a private tomb, not a Belgian military headstone. So difficult to discern.

It is situated on the civilian graveyard of Oostvleteren: if you're in front of the church, at the back on the left.

The family continues to maintain the tomb annualy: a nephew whitened the inscriptions last year.

Other military graves were indeed transferred to the Belgian Military Cemetery at Westvleteren.

A stained glass window dedicated to Louis de Mahieu was unfortunately destroyed during a church blaze on 22 December 1977.

The IFFM-Documentation Center (Dominiek Dendooven/Roger Verbeke) thoroughly checked military and family archives.

No family members currently reside in Brussels or Antwerp (the family originates from this city). The now Count Louis de Mahieu lives in the village of Tisselt (between Antwerp and Brussels). Another direct nephew was the former mayor of Olsene (village in the province of East-Flanders).

Family members will indeed be present at the Remembrance on 31 August 2004.

Hope this answer suits you.

Patrick

[koyli]

Fantastic,

Thanks for the reply.

At least that's that mystery cleared. It's a pity the town council didn't know the details. Anyhow I will be able to go and visit the grave, thanks again and sorry if gave the wrong idea.

koyli.