Born on 18th December 1885 at Walthamstow, son of John Henry (Varnish Manufacturer) and Annie Wildash.
1891: With his family at “Thornbury” Wood Street, Walthamstow. 1901: A Scholar at Bancroft’s School Woodford Wells, boarding at “The Bryn” in nearby Whitehall Road. In1909 his father died. 1911: A Drapery Warehouseman, living with his widowed mother and family at 60 Montalt Road, Woodford Green. This had been the family home when Albert was a Boarder at Bancroft’s. He went on to work for D. Hall & Co (Insurers) in London.
He enlisted in London during 1914, and arrived in France on 25th July 1915. His Battalion was in action on the first day of the Battle of the Somme, in the southern area near Carnoy. They managed to advance well past their initial objective to take the "Montauban Alley" trench system.
The surviving records show that Albert “Died” in service, rather than the usual “Died of Wounds”, which usually suggests the death was not directly attributable to enemy action, but his Battalion was heavily committed during the early days of the Battle of the Somme. The absence of a service record makes it difficult to say precisely how Albert Wildash became injured, and subsequently came to lose his life in 6 General Hospital near Rouen.
Research by Adrian Lee, Local Historian
Sources:
Ancestry.com
For more information on this individual please see The Old Bancroftian website.