3rd Battalion, Duke of Edinburgh’s (Wiltshire Regiment)
Albert Edward Rose was a pre-war career soldier, whose military service began, it would appear at a very young age. His wife was twice widowed as a result of the war.
He was born at Ampney St Peter, Gloucestershire in late 1892 (his baptism took place there on 5 February 1893). His parents were James Rose (1858-1922), a general labourer on an estate and his wife Sarah (née Eustace: 1857-1932).
The couple had eight children, born between 1880 and 1897, inclusive. In 1901 the family lived at 37, Village Street, Ampney St Peter.
An extensive Army Pension Record has survived for Albert. On 22 June 1907 he enlisted in the Army at Devizes, undertaking to serve for seven years ‘with the Colours’ and a further five in the Reserve.
He noted his previous service in the Militia and his occupation as an agricultural labourer and
previously an apprentice draper. He also quoted his age as ‘17 years 10 months’. This was false as the BMD Register confirms his birth in late 1892. This would make him just short of fifteen on enlistment!
His wish to serve in the Wiltshire Regiment was granted and he spent the years up to January 1912 within Britain. He was posted to the 1st Battalion of the Wiltshires on the 3rd of that month.
The 1911 Census return shows him located at Longmoor Camp, East Liss, Hampshire.
At the end of January 1912, he was posted to South Africa, where he remained until March 1913.
A further period of home service followed, during which he saw promotion to Corporal.
Following the outbreak of the Great War the 1st Wiltshires, part of 7 Brigade, 3 Division, were sent to join the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) in France, landing at Rouen on 14 August. It then took part in the ‘Retreat from Mons’ south to the River Aisne and the subsequent advance, which found the battalion in the Neuve Chapelle sector in mid October.
During this time, on 22 September, Albert had been promoted to Lance Serjeant. On or about
20 October he sustained a gun shot wound to his face and neck and was taken to No 6 Casualty
Clearing Station at Merville (eight miles north of Bethune) and then onto No 13 Stationary Hospital at Boulogne. He was sent back to England on 18 November (destination unknown, presumably for treatment and recovery) and was placed on the strength of the 3rd Battalion, until the end of August
The 3rd Wiltshires was a Reserve battalion, which acted as the Portland Garrison, based in
Weymouth from July 1915.
He married Gertrude Louise Barnett (born 28 September 1894) at Weymouth on 18 March 1916.
She was a widow (maiden name Foy), whose first marriage had been at Portland in 1913. This was to 9018 Private Percival William Barnett, a serving soldier in the 1st Battalion, Royal Welsh Fusiliers.
He went missing, believed captured, on 30 October 1914, near to Zandvoorde, in the Ypres Salient.
International Red Cross records indicate that he was captured by the Germans but died soon after and was buried by them in Tenbrielen Communal Cemetery German Extension.
After the war his and the remains of five comrades were exhumed and reburied in Larch Wood (Railway Cutting) CWGC cemetery, near Hill 60 in the Ypres Salient.
On 1 September 1916 Albert crossed the Channel from Southampton to Rouen and re-joined the
1st Wiltshires in the field, probably spending the intervening time at one of the base training areas, such as Etaples. In the previous month he had been demoted to Corporal for handing over his duties as Orderly Serjeant without authority.
He was re-appointed Lance Serjeant on 7 January 1917.
Towards the end of 1916 he started to have problems with his health. He experienced a painful
swelling over his mastoid bone, an area which was the site his wounding in October 1914. Linked to this was inflammation of his middle ear. More concerning was the experiencing of shortness of breath and other symptoms of pulmonary tuberculosis.
He was sent back to England on 22 January 1917 and never returned to the trenches.
He was admitted to hospital in Brighton and then sent for four weeks convalescence at Eastbourne.
His chest condition was getting worse and he could not maintain pace on route marches designed to improve his fitness. On 30 March, 1917, after ten days furlough, he re-joined the 3rd Wiltshires at Littlemoor Camp, near Weymouth and not long after was admitted to hospital in Weymouth.
On 24 April 1917 an Army medical board recommended his discharge from the Army, as being permanently unfit for further service. He was now a confirmed pulmonary tuberculosis case,
which was attributable to his service in the harsh and insanitary conditions of the trenches. No
hospital treatment was recommended and Albert declined a place in a sanatorium.
He was discharged with ‘good character’ on 15 May 1917 and awarded a Silver War Badge, to confirm discharge from military service. His military career had lasted 10 years and 64 days. At the time of discharge his address was noted as 26 Farm Court, Daglingworth.
Lance Serjeant Albert Edward Rose died at home on 24 September 1917. The CWGC Register
correctly states his age as 24. A recently released Pension Record Card (PRC) states the cause of
death was ‘pulmonary tuberculosis and exhaustion, contracted on active service’. He was never to see his daughter, Edwina Betty, who was born on 13 November 1917.
The Pension Record Card notes his widow’s address to be 1 Alma Cottage, Chester Street,
Cirencester. Gertrude Rose lived until 1981 and her daughter died seven years later.
Albert Edward Rose was buried in Cirencester (Stratton) Cemetery on 29 September 1917 and his
grave is marked by a standard CWGC headstone.
His is the only Great War related grave in that cemetery and his name did not appear in the
original CWGC Register listings and must have been added at a later date, when perhaps a
researcher uncovered the fact that he was a true casualty of the war.
Research by Graham Adams 11 May 2021