94th Training Battalion (16th Gloucestershire Regiment)
Albert George Gulwell was one of nine children born to William and Mary Gulwell of Kingscote. Two children had died by the time of the 1911 Census. Both parents were born locally. Albert was born on 20 October 1898 and was baptised at St John the Baptist Church, Kingscote on 16 December 1898. William was a groom.
At the 1901 Census, William’s occupation was coachman. Albert was the youngest of four children with his eldest brother being an agricultural labourer at the age of 12.
There were three more children by the time of the 1911 Census. Older brother Edward was a groom. Sixteen-year-old Dennis had left home and lived on the Lasborough Park estate working as a stud groom. Albert was still at school.
Albert’s short service records have survived. He attested on his 18th birthday – 20 October 1916 at Cirencester joining the 94th Training Battalion. His address was Williamson’s Farm Hatherop, Fairford. He was 5 foot 2 inches, nine stone and a farm labourer. The records show that Albert was admitted to hospital at Chiseldon on 25 March 1917 with measles. He died on 5 April 1917 with heart failure and broncho pneumonia, aged 18. He was buried at St John’s Church, Kingcote on 11 April 1917 and has a CWGC headstone. Albert is the only one of 12 war dead listed on the war memorial for WW1 to be buried in the church yard.
The following piece appeared in the Cheltenham Chronicle on 28 April 1917:
Considerable gloom has been occasioned in the little Cotswold village of Kingscote by the death of Pte Albert George Gulwell. He attained military age about 6 weeks ago and was sent to Chiseldon where he contracted pneumonia. Pte Gulwell was until the war employed at a large stables near Williamstrip, Fairford and was a smart and promising young fellow.
Both Edward and Dennis served during the war, both enlisting in 1915. Edward served with the Gloucestershire Yeomanry until 1919 and Dennis with the 7th Battalion Gloucestershire Regiment; both survived.
Researched by Helen Wollington March 2021