This man is a candidate for addition to Keighley's Supplementary Volume under the proposal to add further names in 2024, the centenary of the original roll of honour.
Click here to go to the Main page
Supported by the National Lottery's Heritage Fund, our project intends to submit about 120 names for peer review to add them to the book which is kept at Keighley Library. The unveiling of the book with it's new names is planned for November 2024, 100 years after the unveiling of the original war memorial.

Private. 1/6th Bn. Duke of Wellington's (West Riding Regiment) Service Number: 3/10521. Previously 2nd Battalion West Riding Regiment.

Early life:

Albert's parents were Thomas Powell born 9th March 1866 and Elizabeth Powell née Evans born 23rd June 1861. They were married on 31st December 1888 at Overton in Flintshire. Thomas was 21 and a labourer, Elizabeth was 25 and a spinster.

Albert was born at Overton in 1897 and his birth was registered at Ellesmere in the last quarter of the year.
In the 1901 census the family were living at 7, Woodsley Street in Burnley and they had three children who were Thomas aged eight, David aged five, Albert aged three and the youngest was Elizabeth aged just one. Their father Thomas was now employed as an iron moulder in cotton loom manufacturing, almost certainly employed by Butterworth and Dickinson at their Globe Iron Works, which was about 500 yards away from their home.

Street map of Burnley showing Woodsley Street and the Globe Iron Works.

In the 1911 census they were living at 52, Leeds Street in Keighley and Albert was 14 years old. He was employed as a 'Jobber' at a worsted Yarn Mill, meaning he was labouring in the textile trade. His father Thomas was 43 and a moulder making textile machinery, Elizabeth was 48 and a laundress. Their other children were David aged 16 and a core maker, Elizabeth and Edward were aged 11 and five respectively and were at school. The census records that Thomas and Elizabeth had been married for 22 year. They'd had seven children born alive, four were still living and three who had died, so this census represents their whole family. According to the Electoral rolls Thomas moved from 52 to 50 Leeds Street in 1914.

War service:

Albert enlisted as a volunteer in August 1914, with the 2nd Battalion, Duke of Wellington's West Riding Regiment which was very early in the war. He is named (as Alfred) in Keighley's Gallant Sons along with his brother David and both were living at 50, Leeds Street in Keighley.
David is also listed with the 1914 Town Clerk's Enlistments records, but Albert's name is missing from that list.
One might be forgiven for thinking that they joined up together, but the medal records suggest that whilst Albert had joined the 2nd Battalion West Riding Regiment, David had already joined the 6th Battalion (Territorials) of the West Riding Regiment on 25th June 1914, before the war broke out.

After training, Albert disembarked in France on 20th January 1915 with the 2nd Battalion, West Riding Regiment. According to the Battalion war diary, a draft of one officer and 121 other ranks joined the battalion in billets at Bailleul, although we have no documentary proof he was one of these men.

We are not sure how he ended up with the 1/6th Battalion West Riding Regiment from the 2nd Battalion, but it's possible he was wounded and after a period of recovery he was transferred on return to the front line. Unusually his service number did not change in the process. Another alternative is that the medal roll is incorrect and he was always with the 1/6th Battalion.

Albert went missing on the 9th October 1917 in the lead up to the Battle of Passchendaele, after a long battle on the front lines. His body was not found afterwards and he is named on the Tyne Cot Memorial to the missing in Belgium.

The following account in the battalion war diary tells us of the extremely hazardous wet and muddy conditions which the men had to fight in. The National Library of Scotland has trench maps available, and this one: TRENCH MAP covers the relevant area at the same time. We have reproduced a section of this map here:

Trench Map showing Wolf Farm, Calgary Grange etc where Albert lost his life.

WO-95/2801/3 - 1/6th Battalion West Riding Regiment war diary for October 1917:

TRENCHES near CALGARY GRANGE. 6th October 1917:
Rain fell in torrents most of the day, making the shell holes, which was about the only accomodation, more unpleasant than ever.
Clearing the Battlefield & burying of the dead was pushed on as quickly as possible.
Casualties: (ten men either killed or wounded listed)
7th October 1917:
Rain again fell at intervals, making the greater part of the Country a terrible mess. Enemy's artillery was active but the Battalion had extraordinary luck. The soft nature of the ground alone saved many casualties.
Trenches. 5.20 pm:
Enemy were seen to be massing near PETER PAN for a counterattack. The S.O.S. was sent up & rifle and machine gun fire were opened on the enemy, who failed to reach our trenches. This cheered up the two Companies in the line considerably, they were cold and wet through, but on the appearance of the enemy all ranks showed the greatest keeness & only asked for tea to come up.
A & B Companies were sent up to relieve C & D Companies in the front line at night.
Casualty 266283 Private Tattersall, J 'C' Company wounded by shell.
8th October:
A slight effort appeared to have been made in the direction of fine weather, with a corresponding increase in hostile artillery. Towards dusk however, it started to rain in torrents & kept this up all night.
The attacking Brigades 146th on the left and 148th on the right started to move into their assembly positions at dusk. Heavy rain fell all night, it was pitch dark & progress was very slow. As the attacking troops joined up our front line Companies moved back & the Battalion was joined up KOREK on the rearward slope by 4.30 am on the 9th.
Casualties: (Five casulties listed, 1 killed 4 wounded) The man killed was 24447 Private Harold Dyson of C Company.

9th October 1917: 5.30 am.
Zero hour 49th Division attacked enemy's trenches as per operation orders attached, with 48th Division on the left & 66th Division on the right. Stubborn resistance appears to have been met with from the first, the chief worry being enemy machine guns firing from pill boxes or concrete shelters.
Battalions' movements & orders received were as follows: See attached.
7.20 am: Warning message received from Brigade that the Brigade would probably be called on owing to difficulties met with in forming up. Companies warned to be in readiness to move quickly.
7.25 am: Message received that all Battalions would be prepared to move at an hours notice.
10.25 am: Instructions received to move to D.8.d.3.6. & come under orders of 146th Infantry (Brigadier General Goring Jones) Verbal instructions received 10.30 am from BM 147th Brigade to remain in present position until orders were received from 146th Brigade.
11.52 am: Order received from 146th Brigade to send two companies via CALGARY GRANGE to D.3.d.8.4. & report to OC 1/7 West Yorkshire Regiment & attack high ground about D.3.d.9.9. and there establish strong point and thence to Cemetery, final objective being BLUE line from WALLEMOLEN to D.4.a.9.5. also to move to remaining companies to CALGARY GRANGE to remain in Brigade Reserve. Necessary orders issued to C & D Companies to carry out this attack & D Company under Captain B. G. Buxton M.C. moved over KOREK Ridge shortly after 12 noon in artillery formation to the map reference given as the HQ 1/7 West Yorkshire Regiment. They were followed by C Company under Captain H. J. Willink but C Company were met and ordered to return to the original position by O C 1/7 West Yorkshire Regiment at CALGARY GRANGE. They about turned & went back to their original position. During the movement of these two Companies across the eastern slope of KOREK Ridge the enemy shelled them heavily and opened machine gun fire on them but owing to the soft ground & the splendid behaviour of all ranks only one casualty was suffered and this was from a machine gun bullet.
Captain Buxton with D Company could not find O C 1/7 West Yorkshire Regiment at map reference given (it appears he was at CALGARY GRANGE) so pushed on though the troops who appeared to be doing nothing and finding it impossible to move up the valley running from PETER PAN towards WOLF FARM owing to heavy machine gun fire, worked round the southern side of PETER PAN & tried to push on in a northerly direction. Captain Buxton met Captain Fenton 1/4 West Riding Regiment (2 companies also sent up to support the attack) and arranged for the 4th to work on his right towards WOLF COPSE in order to attack WOLF FARM from the right flank owing to machine gun however the 4th Battalion were unable to move forward.
Finally owing to machine gun fire from about WOLF FARM (2 guns) & BELLE VUE (1 gun), Captain Buxton was only able to get a short distance & established four posts along the line D.4.c.4.4. (left) to D.4.c.65.35. (right). He then collected scattered men of 1/5th, 1/6th & 1/7th West Yorkshire Regiment & joined them with his two right posts.
The line held by this company was therefore the most advanced line on 146th Brigade front.
On hearing that OC 7 West Yorkshire Regiment had returned C company to its original position, the Brigade were communicated with & A & B Companies were ordered to stay in their original position & not move to CALGARY GRANGE.
7 pm: Orders were recieved to send two companies to North West across areas alloted to 1/7 & 1/8 West Yorkshire Regiment after dark. Protective barrage timed to start at 11.30 pm.
Necessary orders were issued to A company to move up area of 1/7 West Yorkshire regiment & B company for 1/8 West Yorkshire regiment. Battalion HQ moved up to shell holes near CALGARY GRANGE for its operations.
A company under Lieutenant Smith moved off & advanced across the area in line of sections or single file, three platoons in the front one in support. We moved this company by night up to front line posts which were strongly held & sent a ... patrol out 400 yards in front of this line meeting no enemy to North. but withdrew to his minimal position under orders received at....
B Company under Captain T. Coulthurst went to 1/8 West Yorkshire regiment & on reporting there was informed by their CO that there was nothing to move up as his front line posts were stil in rear of YETTA HOUSES.
B company therefore stayed near KRONPRINZ FARM in support of this Battalion (1/8 West Yorkshire Regiment) had suffered heavy casualties.

Casualties: 51 men were listed at the end of this diary report, of which 8 were killed, 41 wounded and 2 missing. One of the missing was 10521 Private Albert Powell of D Company.

He has no known grave but his name is listed on the Tyne Cot Memorial in Belgium.

Post war:

Albert was awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal for his war service. These would have been sent to his parents after the war and they would also have received a bronze memorial plaque and King's certificate engraved with his name. They would also have been sent with his personal effects.

His mother Elizabeth was the sole legatee in Albert's will and she received his outstanding pay which was £15 7s 7d on 16th May 1918 and a war gratuity payment of £14 10s on 8th November 1919. She applied for a dependant's pension but the cards do not mention any amounts having been paid to her.

Thomas and Elizabeth were recorded in the 1921 census as living at 50, Leeds Street in Keighley and they were in the 1939 register living at 5, School Walk in Keighley during the Second World War.
Albert's brother David survived the war but was invalided out on 26th November 1918 with wounds and was given a silver war badge to show he had served his country, but was unfit for further service.

Albert does not appear to be named on any war memorial or roll of honour in the Keighley District. There is an 'A. Powell' named on the Sun Street Methodist Church war memorial at Cliffe Castle Museum, but this was Arthur Powell, a Royal Navy Seaman who died in 1916, as he is named in full in the Wesleyan Methodist circuit records as a member of the Sun Street congregation.

Information sources:

England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1837-1915
1888 Flintshire Marriages And Banns
England & Wales Births 1837-2006
1901 England Census
1911 England Census
Keighley's Gallant Sons
KeighleyTown Clerk's 1914 Enlistments
British Army World War I Medal Rolls Index Cards, 1914-1920
World War I Service Medal and Award Rolls, 1914-1920
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Soldiers Died in the Great War, 1914-1919
1/6th Battalion West Riding Regiment war diary for October 1917
Army Registers of Soldiers' Effects, 1901-1929
World War I Pension Ledgers and Index Cards, 1914-1923
1921 Census Of England & Wales
1939 Register
Keighley News Archives at Keighley Library
Wesleyan Methodist circuit magazines at Keighley Library
National Archives.
National Library of Scotland mapping service
Michael Gainsford