Trussler: Private Albert James (TR/8/1541)

33rd Battalion, Training Reserve

Albert James Trussler was the youngest child of six children born Abel Trussler and his wife Louisa Ann (née Clarke). He was born in Mells, Somerset early in 1899.

His father was a gardener at Moor Court, Amberley and at the time of the 1911 Census the family lived at Tower Cottage, Church Road, Woodchester.

Albert was probably conscripted into the Army shortly after his 17th birthday in 1916 and was initially placed with 13th Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment.

Due to the flood of conscript soldiers requiring training there was a reorganisation of training units in September 1916 and regimental affiliations were dispensed with and Reserve Brigades established each consisting of Training Reserve Battalions.

Private Trussler was placed in the 33rd (not 53rd as stated in CWGC records). He would have undertaken training prior to being posted to a unit serving abroad, once he had reached the age of 19.

Albert was just 19 when he died on 10 April 1917 of measles and pneumonia at Compton Chamberlayne Military Hospital, near Wilton, south Wiltshire.

Two of his brothers also died in the Great War: 12451 Serjeant Thomas Wyndham Trussler died of wounds which were probably sustained at the Battle of Loos on 27 October 1915, aged 21, serving with the 10th Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment; 121144 Signaller Percy Edward Trussler died (probably of illness) on 13 March 1917, aged 24, whilst serving with 170th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery.

Thomas and Percy are both buried in France at Etaples Military cemetery and Punchevillers British Cemetery respectively.

Another brother, Frank, served as a Private (number 18121) in the Worcestershire Regiment; he went to France in September 1915 and survived the war in Egypt is supported by the above newspaper report.

Their father had died in 1916 and the Stroud News of 20 April 1917 reported that Mrs Trussler of Amberley whose youngest son had died in a military hospital the previous week, had within 18 months lost her husband, three sons a brother and a brother-in-law.

Albert’s remains were brought back to Amberley for burial, in the churchyard of the church where he had once been a chorister.

For reasons which are unknown the grave was not marked and he was not listed in the CWGC Register. He was, however, commemorated on the Woodchester Wayside Cross, along with brothers Thomas and Percy.

It is believed that his name appeared on the Addendum to the Brookwood 1914-1918 Memorial for those known to be buried in the UK, with no known grave.

His exact grave must have been discovered around 2013 as the CWGC Register now shows an order for a standard CWGC headstone being placed on 5 July of that year. This was in situ by November 2015.

Research by Graham Adams 4 November 2015 with some information from ‘Far From His Native Land He Lies’ by Nick Thornicroft)