Albert Slack
- Family History
- Military History
- Extra Information
- Photographs
Albert was the son of William and Elizabeth Slack (née Davis). His father William was the son of William Slack who married twice. His first wife, Esther (née Ball m. Radford St Peter, 1848) by whom he had at least six children, Robert, John, Elizabeth, William, Mary Ann and Charles, died in 1864. William married secondly Mary Crackle (b. 1840 m. Nottingham St Paul 1865), by whom he had at least six children: William birth registered 1868 (J/F/M), John, Selina, James, Elizabeth and Albert. William jnr. married Elizabeth Davis at Sneinton St Philip in April 1888. They had two sons, Albert b. 1889 and Henry b. 1891 d. 1892 (buried Nottingham St Catherine, May 1892). In 1891 William, a French polisher, Elizabeth, a lace clipper, and their son Albert were living in Wagstaff's Yard, Kingston Street, Sneinton. William and Elizabeth were recorded on the 1901 Census at 32 Pierrepont Street, Sneinton. Albert has not yet been traced on the 1901 Census, but he joined the Army in January 1907 and by 1911 was serving with the 1st Battalion King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry in Hong Kong. His parents have not yet been traced on the 1911 Census. The two notices of Albert's death in the local paper in November and December 1914 gave different home addresses: 5 Holland Yard, Pierrepont Street, Sneinton, which was probably his parents' home, and Manvers Street, also in Sneinton. William and Elizabeth were recorded at 20 Kingston Street, Sneinton, on the 1921 Census. Elizabeth probably died in 1921 (J/A/S) and William in 1925.
Albert enlisted in the army on 28 January 1907 and at the time of the 1911 (Military) Census was serving with the 1st Battalion KOYLI in China/Hong Kong. The 1st Battalion was in Singapore on the outbreak of war but returned to England, landing at Southampton in November 1914. It served with the BEF France from January 1915 but had deployed to Salonika before the end of the year . The 2nd Battalion (13th Brigade, 5th Division), which had been in Dublin when war broke out, deployed to France, landing at Le Havre on 16 August. It was in action at Mons and the subsequent retreat. Albert's army service record has not survived but in 1907 he would have enlisted on a 12 year engagement to serve a fixed number of years with the Colours before transferring to the Army Reserve for the remainder of his engagement. If he had not extended his service with the Colours, he may have been recalled from the Army Reserve on the outbreak of war. Albert served with the BEF France from 10 August 1914 and was killed in action at La Bassée two months later on 27 October. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Le Touret Memorial (Panel Reference 31). He qualified for the 1914 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal. CWGC - History of the Le Touret Memorial (extract): the Memorial is at the east end of Le Touret Military Cemetery. 'The Le Touret Memorial commemorates over 13,400 British soldiers who were killed in this sector of the Western Front from the beginning of October 1914 to the eve of the Battle of Loos in late September 1915 and who have no known grave ... Almost all of the men commemorated on the Memorial served with regular or territorial regiments from across the United Kingdom and were killed in actions that took place along a section of the front line that stretched from Estaires in the north to Grenay in the south. This part of the Western Front was the scene of some of the heaviest fighting of the first year of the war, including the battles of La Bassée (10 October – 2 November 1914), Neuve Chapelle (10 – 12 March 1915), Aubers Ridge (9 – 10 May 1915), and Festubert (15 – 25 May 1915).' (www.cwgc.org)
Nottingham Evening Post, 'Deaths,' 29 November 1914: ‘Slack. Killed in action October 27th, Corporal A Slack KOYLI, 5 Holland Yard, Pierrepont Street. Did his duty.' (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk) Nottingham Evening Post, 8 December 1914, Photograph with caption: 'Cpl A Slack, Yorkshire LI, Manvers St., Nottm, killed in action, October 27th.' (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk) Nottingham Evening Post, ‘In Memoriam,’ 27 October 1915: ‘Slack. In loving memory of Corpl. A Slack, KOYLI, killed in action, October 27th, the beloved son of William and Elizabeth Slack. Just a year ago he left us, we miss his loving face’ but he left us to remember (-) on earth can take his place.’ (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk) Nottingham Evening Post, ‘In Memoriam,’ 27 October 1915: ‘Slack. In loving memory of Corpl. A Slack, KOYLI, killed in action, October 27th. Sleep on (-) a far off grave – a grave we cannot see but (-) life and memory last we will remember thee. May [Bullers], Lily [Bullers] and Rosie [Truett].’ (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk) Nottingham Evening Post, ‘In Memoriam,’ 27 October 1915: ‘Slack. In loving memory of Corpl. A Slack, KOYLI, killed in action, October 27th. As (-) we miss his dear face more, but he went (-) and he died on a foreign shore. Grandad, Aunt Lena [Selina] and Uncle Fred Truett.’ (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk) Nottingham Evening Post, ‘In Memoriam,’ 27 October 1915: ‘Slack. In loving memory of Corpl. A Slack, (-) son of William and Elizabeth Slack. Killed in action, October 27th, 1914, at La Bassée, France. Late KOYLI. He did his duty. We never knew what pain he (-) we never saw him die; we only know he passed away without a chance to say goodbye. Aunt Ada, Syd and Ada.’ (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk) Nottingham Evening Post, ‘In Memoriam,’ 27 October 1916: three notices - 'fiancée', ‘Aunt Ada and cousin Ada’, and ‘Grandma, aunt Lena, uncle Fred, cousins May, Lily and Rose.’ Note: Selina [Lena] Slack, Albert's maternal aunt, married Henry Bullers in 1892 (Nottingham St Saviour) and had two daughters, Eveline May (b. 1893) and Lilian Mary (b. 1895). Her husband died in 1897 and the following year Selina married Frederick John J Truett; they had one daughter, Roseina Doris (b. 1903). The family was living in Sneinton in 1901 (Manvers Street) and 1911 (Whittier Road). Nottingham Evening Post, ‘In Memoriam,’ 27 October 1917: two notices - ‘mother, father, grandma,’ and ‘Aunt Ada and Cousin Ada.’ Registers of Soldiers' Effects: Albert made a Will in favour of his mother, Mrs E Slack, who was his sole legatee. WW1 Pension Ledgers: named his parents, William and Elizabeth, residence Nottingham.
