Name
Albert John Monk
1895
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
05/10/1917
21
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
266587
Hertfordshire Regiment
1st Bn.
4 Coy.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
YPRES RESERVOIR CEMETERY
I. H. 9.
Belgium
Headstone Inscription
None
UK & Other Memorials
4 Co' Hertfordshire Reg' Territorials’ Memorial, Hitchin, St Mary's Church Roll of Honour (Book), Hitchin, British Schools Museum Memorial, Hitchin, Welwyn Village Memorial, Welwyn St Mary the Virgin Roll of Honour, Welwyn, Hertfordshire Regimental Memorial, All Saints Church, Hertford
Pre War
Albert John Monk was born in Welwyn, Herts in 1895, the son of Frederick and Charlotte Monk. He was baptised on 23 February 1896 in Wheathampstead, Herts.
On the 1901 Census, the family was in Welwyn, living in half of the Old Rectory in Mill Lane. They were still there in 1911 and Albert was working as a Carman for a coal merchant, J B Davis. His father was working as a butcher's labourer.
His father died in 1914 and his mother later lived in London Road, Welwyn.
Wartime Service
Albert enlisted in Hertford and joined the 1st Battalion, Hertfordshire Regiment. He was allocated regimental number 266587 and served with 4 Company of the Regiment.
The Hertfordshires had just received a severe mauling at St. Julien as a result of which they had temporarily ceased to exist as a fighting unit having lost half their number. On the 26th September the 118th Brigade was again involved in action and the Herts attacked with the three other Battalions in the Battle of Polygon Wood. At the time of his death the 1st Battalion of the Herts were part of the 118th Brigade of the 39th Division in X Corps
They were positioned west of Gheluvelt and south of Clapham Junction (on the Ypres to Menin road). It is probable that it was in this engagement that he suffered the injuries that caused his death. He would probably have been admitted to either No. 21 or No. 48 Casualty Clearing Stations at Ypres.
Albert died of wounds on 5 October 1917, aged 21, and is buried in Plot l, Row H, Grave 9 in the Ypres Reservoir Cemetery, Ypres, Belgium.
Additional Information
His mother received a war gratuity of £11 and pay owing of £5 15s 11d. She also received a pension of 7 shillings a week.
His brothers Henry, Marcus and Frederick also served and survived the war.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
Adrian Dunne, David C Baines, Paul Jiggens, Welwyn and District History Society - www.welwynww1.co.uk, Brenda Palmer, Jonty Wild, www.bedfordregiment.org.uk/Hertsrgt
