Albert Joseph Slough was born in Boxmoor, Herts on Tuesday, 12th January 1892 the fourth son and ninth child of Henry Isaac Slough and Emily Payne. Henry and Emily had a large family of thirteen children who were: Julia, Ethel Maud, Harry, Robert James, Margaret, Arthur William, Beatrice, Richard, Albert Joseph, Edward, Gertrude Mabel, Andrew and the youngest Hilda.

Albert’s brothers Robert, Edward and Andrew also fought in the Great War. Edward survived the conflict but Andrew was killed in France just six weeks after Albert’s death and Robert was killed in 1918.

The Sloughs originated from St. Albans and Albert’s father Henry, a ‘Machine Fitter’, brought them all to Boxmoor in 1885 when he started a job at Dickinson & Co. Limited. By the time Albert was born in 1892 the family were living on the London Road in the Two Waters area of Boxmoor where five of the seven children still at home were attending school.

In 1901, Albert’s brother Richard died aged eleven and five years later in 1906, tragedy once more overtook the family when his mother Emily died aged fifty-two. Albert had started work as a ‘Clerk’ by the time of his mother’s death and to supplement his income he enlisted with the Territorial Force and joined the 2nd Herts Battery Royal Field Artillery (RFA) on the 21st April 1909.

He was seventeen years old on enlistment and was described as 5 feet 9 inches tall with ‘Fair’ physical development, auburn hair, brown eyes and a fresh complexion.

In 1911 Albert was living with his oldest sister Julia and her husband William Green at their home in Harlesden, Middlesex and he worked as a ‘Packer in Photographic Materials Manufactory’[sic]. His employer was Eastman Kodak and he worked at its factory in nearby Harrow which had opened in 1891, the first manufacturing location the company opened outside the United States.

Albert was still serving with the RFA but he did not complete his four-year term, instead leaving in March 1912 to join the Royal Navy for a term of twelve years. He was first sent as a ‘Probationary Sick Berth Attendant’ to HMS Victory I, the Navy’s accounting and holding Barracks for the Fleet sailing out of Portsmouth.

On completion of his training he transferred to Haslar Royal Naval Hospital at Gosport before moving to Portland Royal Naval Hospital in Dorset where he remained until April 1916. He was then transferred to active service and joined HMS Queen Mary on the 28th April 1916. Albert had only been at sea for one month when he was killed in the Battle of Jutland on Wednesday, 31st May 1916. He died after the ship had been struck four times and sank in six minutes, following explosions in the forward magazines. All but eighteen of the crew perished.

HMS Queen Mary is designated as a protected place under the ‘Protection of Military Remains Act 1986’ as it is the grave of 1,266 officers and men

Albert is Remembered with Honour on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial, Hampshire, United Kingdom, Panel 20.

He was 24 years old when he died.

Albert was eligible for the British War Medal and the Allied Victory Medal.