Private
Albert WILLIAMS
Infantry
Died: 1st September 1918 - Age: 38

Commemorated:

1. Book:The (1921) Masonic Roll of Honour 1914-1918Pg.138
2. Memorial:The (1940) Scroll - WW1 Roll of Honour29A GQS
    

Awards & Titles:

 

Early Life :

"Albert Williams was the 38 year old second oldest son of Jenkin and Deborah Williams, Penllwyngwent, who in the 1881 census are shown to have twelve children. His mother had died in 1912, and his father shortly before the start of the war, in 1914. He was an assistant teacher in Aber Boys School, Cwmogwy before the War, and was well known and greatly respected in the wider community. He was a very intelligent and well educated man who had strong Christian convictions, and a desire to enter the ministry. He had already contributed in a valuable way to the life of Glynogwy Chapel, and promised much for the future."

See Welldigger Blog for more.

Service Life:

Campaigns:

Unit / Ship / Est.: 15th Battalion, The Welsh Regiment 

Action : The Battles of the Hindenburg Line and associated actions 

12 September - 12 October 1918. As the momentum of the British advance continued it was clear that the Hindenburg Line defences offered the greatest threat to further advances. It was highly likely that the magnificently engineered defence system would re-establish the status quo of static trench warfare. However a series of magnificent actions at Havrincourt and Epehy paved the way for dramatic crossings of the Canal du Nord and the St Quentin Canal by early October. Both canals had been integrated into the Hindenburg Line system and their capture effectively broke the defensive capability of the system. Soon afterwards the British were attacking at Cambrai (again) and then by mid October were pursuing the Germans to the River Selle.

Detail :

285750 Private Albert Williams, 15th Battalion, Welsh Regiment.
Formerly 2388, Glamorgan Yeomanry.

The date of his death is recorded differently across different sources, but is after the 1st and before it is reported in the papers on the 20th. This legend settles on the Probate date and that from the "Soldiers Effects Register", given as the 1st September.

The Glamorgan Gazette on Friday 20th September 1918 records his death:

"Death in Action. - We regret to announce the death in action of Sergt. Albert Williams, son of the late Mr. and Mrs. Williams, Penllwyngwent Farm, Ogmore Vale. Deceased was highly respected in the district, and generally popular. In civil life he was employed as assistant at the Aber Schools, Ogmore Vale."

A Commemoration was made at the "CENTENARY Of the Church of the Calvinistic Methodists, Glamorgan:

"Our history would be incomplete without a section of it to the five heroes who had obeyed the call of their King and their Country, yes, and their conscience with their God, in the most serious crisis our country, and the world also, has every been in. Voluntarily, and not from obligation they joined the Army to fight the most cunning, unprincipled, barbaric enemy who ever went to war. A lot was heard during the war about Conscientious Objectors, but the proper attention was not given by far to the fact that millions of our Soldiers and Seamen were Conscientious Objectors, and that through them our country was saved so that today we are not under the merciless oppression of the Germans. From the number of the Conscientious Objectors there are five heroes from the church of the Glyn. Their names are:



Of the five, the last only was killed. His life was taken from him by a German sniper, and the life of a young officer who jumped towards him to help him when he saw him fall, September 5th, 1918. He was a Licensed Assistant Teacher in Aber Boys School, Cwmogwy before the War. When the news came of his death, deep sadness extended over the Glyn and Cwmogwy, where he was known so well, and he was respected so greatly. He was a young man of strong mental abilities, and had had the best education. There was in him deep, religious tendencies, and once a strong tendency for the ministry. A lot of service was expected from him, and he had been of special use in the church already. A remembrance service was held for him November 3rd, 1918, when the secretary preached."

Welldigger elaborates:
"Of the five members of the chapel who served in the Great War, just one lost his life. That was Albert Williams, Penllwyngwent, who it seems had been sent to France in August 1917 to join the 15th Service Battalion of the Welsh Regiment at Ypres, where he would have been involved in the heavy fighting at Pilckem Ridge. A quieter sector followed, and the the 15th Welsh found themselves on the Somme in 1918, where they were caught up in the German offensive of March that year, and then in the costly allied advance to the Hindenberg Line in the late summer of 1918. During this final offensive of the war, Private Albert Williams is reported to have been killed by a German sniper, the officer who leapt forward to try to rescue him also losing his life in the attempt. It seems this happened during attempts to capture the by then pulverised village of Morval in 'enormously intense fighting' which began at 4.45am on that day. According to CWGC records and the inscription on his parents' grave, this happened on 1st September 1918, not on 5th September as reported by Charles Williams. Albert Williams was one of 54 men from the 15th Welsh killed between 27th August and 4th September 1918, all of whom lie buried in the little cemetery at Morval on the Somme devoted solely to them. The battalion lost 17 men killed and 40 wounded or missing during that day's fighting. This was in a period in the war when the 15th Welsh had their highest casualty figures; they losing a staggering 40 officers and 900 men in the closing months of the fighting. The inscription on Albert Williams' headstone reads 'I know that my Redeemer liveth,' which reflects the faith he had found in the little Calvinistic Methodist chapel at Glynogwr. There is also a commemoration of him on his parents' grave in St Tyfodwg's graveyard, Glynogwr."

Probate: WILLIAMS Albert of Penllwengwent Farm Blackmill near Bridgend Glamorganshire private Welsh regiment died September 1918 in France Administration London 5 May to Thomas Williams and John Williams farmers. Effects £661 8s 9d.

Masonic :

TypeLodge Name and No.Province/District :
Mother : Ogmore No. 1752 E.C.South Wales

Initiated
Passed
Raised
26th July 1911
26th February 1912
22nd April 1912
 

Lodge records at the United Grand Lodge of England show that Albert was a Schoolmaster from Penllwyngwent, in 1911 when he was initiated. His contribution record show two years of arrears (1914-15), a payment of 6/- in 1916, then two years of war service, possibly meaning he served the entire war. He record is ended "Killed in action Sep 1918."

Source :

The project globally acknowledges the following as sources of information for research across the whole database:

Additional Source:

Last Updated: 2019-11-13 08:08:21