Name
Albert Allaway
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
21/03/1918
24
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
123180
Machine Gun Corps (Infantry)
24th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
POZIERES MEMORIAL
Panel 90 to 93.
France
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Watford Borough Roll of Honour,
Croxley Green Village Memorial,
All Saints' Church Shrine, Croxley Green,
John Dickinson & Co Memorial, Croxley Mill, Croxley Green,
Rickmansworth Urban District Memorial
Pre War
Son of William and Charlotte (nee KIFF) ALLAWAY; husband of Emily Maria (nee GRAY) ALLAWAY of Watford.
His parents married 26 September 1880 at St Martin’s, Kentish Town, London. William died 1940 in Watford aged 81, and was buried 3 September in Vicarage Road Cemetery; Charlotte died 1947 in Watford aged 86, and was buried 8 February, also in Vicarage Road Cemetery.
Albert was born on 21 October 1893 in Croxley Green, Herts. He attended Victoria Infants’ School, Watford and then Beechen Grove Board School, Watford, from 7 January 1901 to 22 February 1901 when he left the town. In the 1901 Census, aged 8 he was a patient in Watford Isolation Hospital.
In 1911, Albert lived with his parents, William and Charlotte, at Croxley Mill Cottages. His father worked as a boilerman at Croxley Mill, while Albert was a labourer in a brickyard. He is listed on the Dickinson memorial, so probably became a mill worker later.
He married Emily M Gray on 24 January 1917 at Christ Church, Watford. Emily never remarried, she died in 1944 in Watford aged 52, and was buried on 12 August in North Watford Cemetery.
Wartime Service
Formerly 21891, Yorkshire Regt. He died on the first day of the German Spring offensive, ‘Operation Michael’, on 21 March 1918. The 24th Machine Gun Corps was in the front line between Jeancourt - Le Verguier and Vadencourt-Maissemy, north west of St Quentin.
At 4.20 am the enemy opened a heavy bombardment of the entire front. At 5.52 am the 24th MGC was ordered to man the battle stations. Exactly one hour later enemy shelling of the British back areas increased.
Sometime on this foggy day Albert Allaway was killed near Vraignes during the Battle of St. Quentin aged 24. The army paid his widow £9 2s 11d including a war gratuity of £5.
Additional Information
Unfortunately, Albert’s Service Record appears to be one that did not survive the World War Two bombing.
There is a brief article about and a Death announcement for Albert in the West Herts and Watford Observer dated 20 April 1918; plus an In Memoriam in the issue dated 29 March 1919.
Acknowledgments
Malcolm Lennox, Tanya Britton, Brian Thomson, Sue Carter (Research) and Watford Museum (ROH on line via www.ourwatfordhistory.org.uk)
