Albert Cutler was born in Apsley End, Hertfordshire on Friday, 28th March 1890 and baptised, a few weeks later on Sunday, 18th May at St Mary’s Church in the village. He was the oldest of seven children born to Harry (Henry) Cutler and Laura Emma Christmas. The children were: Albert, Alick, Violet, Gladys Maud, Harold Owen, Robert Owen and Laura Ellen. One unknown child died in infancy. Albert went to Apsley Boys school which he entered in 1895 and left on 6th March 1903, just before his thirteenth birthday. When he started work it was in the printing trade and he trained to be a ‘Stereotyper’. This highly skilled job entailed creating the solid plates of type metal that were used in the printing of newspapers and books.

Albert met Emily Hunt, who worked with John Dickinson & Co. Limited, and they became sweethearts and were married on Saturday, 16th August 1913 at St. Mary’s church in Apsley End. At the time of their marriage, Albert was living and working in Hendon, Middlesex and soon after the happy couple set up home in Tottenham. In December 1915, they had their only child, a daughter christened Marjorie Grace.

Albert enlisted under the Group (Derby) Scheme on the 4th December 1915 when he attested at Mill Hill and on the promise of future service was transferred to the Army Reserve. Under the scheme he was due to be mobilised in March 1916, but his occupation in the printing trade was ‘starred’, giving him an exemption for a further year. He was mobilised in March 1917 and posted to the 14th (Reserve) Battalion London Regiment (London Scottish) and sent to Winchester for basic training. The London Scottish had been at Abbots Langley on mobilisation in August 1914 and would have been well known to Albert, who had lived for a time at nearby Shendish.

Three months after mobilising Albert was posted overseas and went to France, disembarking at Le Havre on the 10th June. Following his arrival, he was assigned to ‘B’ Company and spent a short time in the trenches, but most of June and July were occupied with Battalion training until it moved to Ypres in early August. His first serious action was in the Battle of Langemarck on the 16th August 1917, part of the Third Battle of Ypres. The attack, as was much the same case throughout the Battle of Ypres, was hindered by horrendous weather and ground conditions particularly where the 14th London Scottish was in action. As a result, progress was slow and the attacking soldiers came under heavy enfilade fire from the German positions.

Ground was gained but at a heavy price, with battalion casualties on the 16th and 17th August recorded as 186 officers and men killed, wounded or missing. Albert was one of the unfortunate men wounded and he was evacuated to 44 Casualty Clearing Station for attention. Sadly, he succumbed to his wounds shortly after arriving.

Albert died on Friday, 17th August 1917.

He was commemorated on the memorial plaque in St Mary’s Church, Apsley End.

Albert is Remembered with Honour in Brandhoek New Military Cemetery No.3, West Vlaanderen, Belgium, where he is interred in Grave II. H. 29.

The inscription on his headstone, requested by his wife Emily, reads: “A PLACE IS VACANT IN OUR HOME THE VOICE WE LOVED IS STILL”.

He was 27 years old when he died.

Albert was entitled to the British War Medal and the Allied Victory Medal.