Albert HAINSWORTH

CH/18049, Private. b. 1896, Clayton d. Mon. 13th November 1916 (aged 20).

Albert lived on 5 Druid Street, Clayton having moved from 4 Bentfield Cottages when he was 5. He lived with his father Benjamin and his mother Sarah, sister Vera and elder brother by a year, Joe and younger sister Gertrude. In 1911 aged 15 Albert was working as a Train Booker with Great Northern Railways.

A professional soldier, Albert had joined up in early 1913 aged 16. He was sent to France in September 1914 into the 1st Battalion, Royal Marines Light Infantry, a unit with a reputation for being ‘elite’. This group of men was effectively the Royal Navy’s ground troops, and during earlier periods were formed specifically for use as boarding parties to create havoc on enemy ships during close combat sea battles.

However, during the First World War this unit was totally land based and very quickly became an infantry regiment just like any other, although they did have the distinction of being some of the first men to land on the Gallipoli Peninsula in 1915. Albert was amongst them and served there for over six months before being returned to France. He landed at Suvla Bay, one of the major battle sites of that particular campaign and managed to survive his time there without injury.

Upon his return to France Albert had a fairly unremarkable time for the first half of 1916, until the Battle of the Somme when his battalion were sent into the slaughter at the front line in early July.

He managed to escape the initial stages of the battle, but was wounded at the end of October 1916 and placed in a field hospital near to the front. Word was sent to his father back in Bradford who duly informed the local paper. Unfortunately since this message had been sent, Albert had returned to the trenches and had been killed in action.

His unit 63rd (Royal Naval) Division was involved in an attack on Beaucort Hammel, on the left of the Division, linked with the 51st (Highland) Division on the 13th November and this may have been where he met his death.

Mr. Benjamin Hainsworth’s announcement that Albert had been wounded but was alright was published in the paper on the 5th January 1917, nearly two months after Albert’s death. This lack of efficient communication was to leave many families grieving even more as they struggled to come to terms with the death of their loved ones.
He is remembered on the THIEPVAL MEMORIAL.

Joe Hainsworth

Z/9539. b 22/1/1895 Clayton d. 1961 Clayton

Joe shared his childhood with Albert, who was just a year younger. Joe was called up on 9 May 1916 for immediate service in Naval Volunteer Reserve, Signals. Joe survived the war.

In 1919 Joe went on to marry Elsie Andrews, a local girl from Virginia Street at the Baptist Chapel in Clayton. They lived at 4 Cobden St. in Clayton. In 1939 Joe is shown still living on 4 Cobden St. with his wife Elsie and sons Harold aged 17 and Lawrence aged 15 and working as a weaving overlooker.

Joe died in 1961 in the family home on 4 Cobden St aged 66.