8622, Sergeant, 6th Battalion. Bedfordshire Regiment. (112th Brigade. 37th Division)
Killed In Action on the 15th July 1916 aged 28.
Sergeant Gilbert Way Albone
Gilbert was born in Maulden, Bedfordshire, on the 14th October 1887, the son of George & Elizabeth Albone. His father, who was originally from Stevenage, was a Carpenter by trade and the family lived in the St. Andrew’s Church in Biggleswade. George Albone later took up work as an Insurance Agent and the family moved to the High Street, Walkern. Gilbert became a professional solider serving with the 2nd Bedfordshire Regiment in Bermuda and had been an Army instructor at both Bedford and Aldershot. After leaving the Army he lived in Southgate, London where he worked as a Bus Conductor and where he met Harriett Edwards. The couple were married on the 11th April 1914 in the St.Michael at Bowes Church in Southgate and a few months later Gilbert was called back to Army service.
He left England on the 30th July 1915 and served continually on the Western Front. He was killed when his battalion attacked the village of Pozieres during the Somme offensive. The attack was headed by the 8th East Lancashire Regiment and supported by the both the 6th Bedfordshire Regiment and the 11th Warwickshire Regiment. Initially, the advance went unopposed but as the two forward battalions went over the crest of the Chalk Pitt they were held up by heavy and accurate machine gun fire. The Bedford’s were forced to dig in about 100 yards from Liniere.
Later, it was found that their attack had failed and they had suffered some 244 casualties with 3 Officers and 32 Other Ranks being killed and a further 25 Other Ranks Missing.His younger brother, Cuthbert, was also killed in the Somme sector a few months later.
Gilbert was amongst those killed and is buried in the Pozieres British Cemetery, Ovillers-la-Boisselle, France. (3.G.21.)
Gilbert's name appears on both the Stevenage and Walkern war memorials.
Medal Entitlement: 1914/15 Star, British War Medal & Victory Medal
