Name
Albert John Monk
1896
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, Not on the Wheathampstead memorial
Pre War
Albert was born in 1896, possibly in Wheathampstead, Hertfordshire and baptised there on 23 February 1896 – although the later census suggests he was born in Welwyn, His parents were Frederick Joseph and Charlotte Monk.
In the 1901 Census, the family was in Welwyn, living in half of the Old Rectory in Mill Lane. Present were both parents: Frederick (41) and Charlotte (41), with Frederick working as a coal carman - as were his two eldest sons.. Their children were: Frederick C (16), Henry J (15), Albert John (5) , Phoebe Lily (3), Marcus (1) and Florence Maud (2 months).
They were still were living at Old Rectory, Welwyn, Herts. 1911. Present were both parents, Frederick was now working as a general labourer for a butcher. The census recorded they had been married for 30 years with 11 children, of whom 3 had died. All the children listed above Frederick, Henry, and were absent. The others were present with Phoeby Lily recorded as Lily, Marcus as Mark and Florence as Maud. Albert was 16 and a carman for a coal merchant and George (8) a new sibling. A boarder, Edward Johnson (50) was present.
His father died in 1914 and his mother later lived in London Road, Welwyn.
He originally enlisted as Private 4913 in the Hertfordshire Regiment, meaning that he enlisted between 20 April 1915 and 24 May 1915.
Officially Albert was recorded as living in Welwyn, Herts. when he enlisted in Hertford.
Wartime Service
He was allocated Regimental number 266587 early in 1917 as part of the re-numbering if the territorial man, and served with 4 Company of the Regiment. 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. He would probably have been admitted to either No. 21 or No. 48 Casualty Clearing Stations at Ypres.
The Herts 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. 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 was buried in Plot l, Row H, Grave 9 in the Ypres Reservoir Cemetery, Ypres in Belgium.
Additional Information
After his death £5 9s 6d, pay owning was authorised to go to his mother Mrs Charlotte Monk on 10 January 1918, then 6s 5d on 21 March 1918. Later, a war gratuity of £11 was authorised to be paid to her on 6 November 1919.
His pension cards record his mother, as his dependant, living at London Road, Welwyn. She was awarded a pension of 4s 2d a week from 4 September 1923.
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
