Albert Cartwright was born on the 9^th August 1907, the son of Joseph & Harriet Cartwright (nee Bricknell) who had been married in a Civil Ceremony (or Registrar Attended) (Cheshire West ROC/29/5) in Chester in 1891.

Albert was baptised in St. Ethelwold’s Church, Shotton:-

Page 44 No. 389 27^th October 1907 born 9^th August 1907 Albert s/o Joseph & Harriett (sic) CARTWRIGHT (nee BRICKNELL), Shotton, Ironworker

The 1911 census sees the family living at 30, King Edward Street, Shotton, Flintshire (6 rooms), Joseph, 45 is an Ironworker, born in Staffordshire, his wife Harriet, 58 had been born in Chester and they tell us that they had been married 21 years and had suffered great bereavement as 4 of their 12 children had died.   Children born in Chester were Florence, 20 and single doing Domestic Work, Frank, 17, single and a Blacksmith and William, 15 who was not working.   The rest had been born in Connah’s Quay, they were Joseph, 13, Thomas, 11 and Hilda who were at School.   Babies, Albert, 3 and Harold, 2, made up the family.    Harriet filled in and signed the census.

Albert is seen again in the School Register at Queensferry (CP) (Infants) School, his date of Admission – 1^st August 1913, his address was Queen Street, Queensferry, his father was Joseph.

The next time we see Albert is on the 1921 census, which was taken on the 19^th June 1921.   The family were living at 33, Nelson Street, Shotton, Flintshire.   This source tells us that James Cartwright was now age 55 years and 6 months and was an Iron & Steel Furnaceman at John Summers & Sons, Hawarden Bridge, Shotton, Chester.   Harriet Cartwright was now 47 years and 6 months old and was “At Home.”   Frank Cartwright was now 27 years and 4 months old, single and was a Blacksmith at Wm. Lloyd, Blacksmith, Dock Road, Connah’s Quay.   Joseph Cartwright (Jnr.)*  was age 23 years, single, and an Ironworker at J. Summers & Sons, but was “At Home.”   Hilda Cartwright was 18 years and 7 months old and was “At Home.”   Albert Cartwright was 13 years and 9 months old.   Harold Cartwright was 12 years and 8 months old.   Also living there was Son-in-Law, Claude Harrison, he was 31 years and 6 months old, born in Tipton, Staffordshire and a Roller at John Summers & Sons, Hawarden Bridge.   His wife, Florence Harrison, daughter of James & Harriet, was 30 years 5 months old, born in Newcastle-on-Tyne and was “At Home.”.    Their son Claude Harrison was age 6 years 9 months old and born in Queensferry, Flintshire.

*Joseph may have been laid off as there was a Miner’s strike in 1921 and lots of the men who worked in John Summers & Sons were “Out of Work.”

We do not see Albert again until he enlisted into the Royal Welsh Fusiliers Territorial’s on the 23^rd October 1927 for a period of 4 years, this Attestation gave his date of birth as 9^th August 1907 at Connah’s Quay, but gives the Parish as Hawarden, Flintshire.   His trade was Steelworker and his father was Joseph Cartwright, 33, Nelson Street, Shotton, Chester.    Albert was discharged on the 23^rd July 1929 and I believe transferred to the 200 T.A.R. (Territorial Army Reserve).   There are remarks that I cannot make out, except “Docs to Preston 19^th August 1929.”

So it was inevitable that Albert would be recalled in the days before the war was declared or very early on, which would explain why I couldn’t find him on the 1939 Register which was taken on the 29^th September 1939. WW2 started on the 1^st September so Albert would /could have been in camp.

I also believe that Albert married Frances E. Owen in a Civil Ceremony at Hawarden in 1939 (Flintshire (Mold) HAW/14/78) and she is seen on the 1939 Register with her family, this document also gives us an insight to what happened to Frances after the death of Albert:-

1939 Register (Taken on the 29^th September 1939. WW2 started on the 1^st September so Albert would /could have been in camp.)

Owen Household (8 People)

23 Nelson Street,Shotton , Hawarden R.D., Flintshire, Wales

J John  Owen   14 Jun 1880     Male    Wharf Labourer (H W)            Married           2          1

Frances Owen 31 Aug 1881   Female Domestic House Duties            Married           2          2

E Eleanor Owen          15 Oct 1907    Female Invalid Single  2          3

Eric Owen 16 Oct 1914 (18 Oct? 1919) Male Mill Hands Iron Worker            Single  2          4

E Horace Owen 2 May1916 (11Nov 1917) Male Sheet Turner Iron Worker Single 2          5

Sorry, this record is officially closed. Check if you can open a closed record.

Frances (E) Cartwright  (Frizzle) 16 May 1919         Female Lodger Married           2          7

B Norah  Owen (Williams)    31 May 1921   Female Shop Assistant            Single  2          8

Albert’s father and Brother Frank are seen on the 1939 Register as well:-

1939 Register

CARTWRIGHT Household (2 People)

17 Queens Street , Hawarden R.D., Flintshire, Wales

Joseph Cartwright 29 Nov 1865         Male Retired Steel Furnaceman Rolling Mill Widowed 303 999      1

Frank   Cartwright       21 Mar 1894    Male    ???       Single  303      2

This tells us that Harriet had died, and I found her death in 1926 (Flintshire (Mold)HAW/16A/88) so Joseph had been a Widower for many years.   He was still alive when his son Albert died in 1945, so he suffered another bereavement 2 years before he died in 1947 (Flintshire (Mold)HAW/31A/26)

Although Albert had enlisted with the Royal Welsh Fusiliers Territorial Army in 1927, he must have been recalled at the beginning of the war and transferred to the 1^st Bn South Lancashire Regiment

The Lancashire Regiments in World War II

http://www.lancashireinfantrymuseum.org.uk/world-war-ii-1/

Shortly after the outbreak of war with Germany the 1st South Lancashires and 1st Loyals crossed to France with, respectively, the 4th and 1st Divisions of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF). By early October 1939 both battalions were in position on the Belgian frontier, where they were joined in April 1940 by the 1st and 4th East Lancashires, both of 42nd Division.

On 10th May 1940 the ‘Phoney War’ came to an abrupt end when Germany invaded Belgium and Holland. The BEF advanced into Belgium but the Allied front rapidly collapsed before the German ‘blitzkrieg’ and the British force, with its flanks exposed and its rear increasingly threatened, was obliged to make a succession of withdrawals. Ordered back from one defensive line to the next, amid scenes of growing chaos, the four Lancashire battalions fought a number of delaying actions, most notably at Tournai on the Escaut, at Lannoy and at Rousbrugge, before reaching Dunkirk.

Albert could have been in DUNKIRK 1940

All three of the 1st Battalions then took up defensive positions to cover the evacuation of the BEF. The South Lancashires held the far left of the British line, west of Nieuport, the Loyals occupied the fortified town of Bergues on the right, while the East Lancashires plugged a gap in the centre of the line along the Bergues Canal. All three units held their positions, under constant attack, until ordered to withdraw. On 1st June a determined enemy attack on the Dunkirk perimeter was halted by the gallant stand of B Company, 1st East Lancashires, for which Captain Marcus Ervine-Andrews was awarded the Victoria Cross (the only one at Dunkirk), assisted by a counter-attack by the Loyals. The three Lancashire battalions were among the last British troops to embark on the night 2nd/3rd June.

I believe that Albert was at NORMANDY 1944

Normandy Landing. On D Day, 6th June 1944, the 1st South Lancashires were one of the two leading assault battalions of the 3rd Division. The Battalion landed on Queen White Beach at 7.20 a.m. and, despite losing the Commanding Officer and well over one hundred other casualties, made good progress through the well-prepared German beach defences and pressed inland to capture Hermanville by 9 a.m. Over the next days the South Lancashires captured the villages of Plumetot, Cresserons and La Deliverande, and the enemy strongpoint known as ‘Trout’, and secured the famous Pegasus Bridge across the Orne.

Albert is seen as Wounded on the Casualty List (Page 17 1476) on the 7^th June 1944 and looking at the casualties of the 1^st Bn South Lancashire, there were 27 men mentioned as Wounded, (the whole page were casualties from different Regiments around these dates).  These are 1^st Bn South Lancashire Regiment casusalties:-

2 on the 11^th June 1944

5 on the 10^th June 1944

8 on the 9^th June 1944

4 on the 8^th June 1944

7 on the 7^th June 1944

1 D.N.R.  – 27 men wounded

The next Casualty List (Page 5 No 1845) gives Albert’s name as the only Wounded from the 1^st Bn South Lancashire having died on the 23^rd August 1945, so Albert had been wounded and suffered for over 14 months.

Albert’s wife Frances E.Cartwright (nee Owen) was to remarry in 1949 to Thomas J. Frizzle in St. Ethelwold’s Church, Shotton  (Flintshire (Mold) C115/07/E282).