ALBERT HOWARTH 

Albert's name is inscribed on the Stockport War Memorial amongst those who died serving with the Cheshire Regiment. When he enlisted, on 16 November 1914, he joined the reserve unit of the local Territorial Battalion - the 2/6th Cheshires and was given the service number 3176. He went overseas, probably around June 1916, as one of large group of recruits originally intended for the front-line Cheshire Battalion. However, once they arrived in France, the Cheshires had no need for replacement troops and so the men were gradually dispersed to other units. He had been raised locally and the family home had been at 14 Hannah Street, Reddish and, later at 80 Gorton Road. The 1901 Census records that his parents were James and Margaret and that he had three siblings - Joseph (then 14), Ada (12) and James (6). The family worshipped at St Elizabeth's Church and, as a boy, Albert had been a member of the Boys' Brigade and the church cricket team. More recently, he had played for the Reddish Vale Cricket Club. Before he enlisted, Albert had worked for Frederick Scott Ltd at the Company's Atlas wire rope works on Reddish Road. The 10th Battalion of the Lincolnshire Regiment was known as the Grimsby Pals and almost all of its initial members came from the town. It took part in the attack on 1 July - the first day of the Battle of the Somme - and suffered heavy casualties. It was probably after this that Albert was assigned to the Battalion as part of a draft of replacements. However, it can be assumed that Albert was further transferred, and this has not been properly noted in army records. On 19 August, the 10th Battalion was transferred away from the Somme on 19 August and moved north to near Bailleul. On the day Albert was killed they were at Erquinghem, just to the west of Armentieres near the border with Belgium. This is over 100 kilometres away from where Albert is buried, and he cannot have been with the Battalion when he was killed. It could be that Albert returned to 1/6th Cheshire Regiment, the battalion were involved in an attack on the Schwaben Redoubt opposite the Thiepval Wood on the day he was killed and he was originally buried in Paisley Avenue Cemetery, which was located next to wood, and which after the war was closed and the bodies moved to Lonsdale.



Concentration record that confirms Albert was orginally buried in Paisley Avenue Cemetery.  (note C for his christian name)