Albert Spurr was born in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire in 1886 and baptised on the 27th August at St Paul’s church in the same year. He was born to George Spurr and Sarah Ann Shepherd who had nine children together. They were: William, George, Albert, John Thomas, Arthur, Alice Louisa, Annie and Walter. Arthur died when he was eight months old in 1891 and Annie died aged fourteen months in 1898. Another unknown child died in infancy. Two of Albert’s brothers also lost their lives in the Great War, George in November 1917 only three weeks after Albert and John, who was killed in an accident in July 1918. 

The Spurr family lived on Cherry Bounce, Hemel Hempstead for over thirty years, before moving into 86 High Street just around the corner by the end of the war. Albert’s father George was a ‘Farm Labourer’ for most of his working life, but when Albert started work it was as a ‘Draper’s Porter’. He then found employment with John Dickinson & Co. Limited in Apsley Mills as a ‘Millhand’, but he left this position before the start of the war. When he married, he gave his occupation as ‘Packer’ but no information about his employer.

Following the outbreak of war, Albert attested at Watford in September 1914 and enlisted with the Bedfordshire Regiment. He was immediately sent for training at Felixstowe and in early February 1915 he was granted some home leave. He returned to Hemel Hempstead where, on Wednesday, 10th February, Albert married his sweetheart Rose Elizabeth Bradshaw at St Paul’s Church on Queen Street. His younger brother John was best man at the ceremony.

Rose was a native of Berkhamsted and had been in domestic service since she left school. She and Albert met when she came to work in a private house known as ‘Eastleigh’ on Marlowes in Hemel Hempstead. Shortly after the marriage Albert was posted overseas to the 2nd Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, disembarking in France on the 9th June 1915. He arrived with the Battalion four days later as part of a draft of 100 men and almost immediately he was thrown into the fray at the Second Action at Givenchy.

The next few months for Albert meant gaining valuable experience in the trenches before the next major action at the Battle of Loos in September. Fighting here and around Hulluch continued until the 1st October and the 2nd Bedfordshires suffered heavy casualties as recorded in the War Diaries: “Casualties of other Ranks during 25.9.15 - 1.10.15. KILLED 45 MISSING 40 WOUNDED 270 - 355.” It is not known if Albert was wounded during the action at Loos or whether he was a casualty at the Somme in 1916, but at some point, he was evacuated to England for treatment and to recover. When he was fit again, he returned to the Front, this time posted to the 1st Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment. Research does not reveal exactly when Albert returned, but what is known is that in October 1917, he was with the 1st Bedfordshires fighting in the Third Battle of Ypres.

At the Battle of Poelcapelle, the 1st Bedfordshires were part of a futile attack on heavily entrenched German positions and came under withering machine-gun fire. The very poor weather and atrocious ground conditions meant that the attacking soldiers were easy targets and the assault was brought up short. The subsequent retreat to the jumping off points left many wounded men isolated on the battlefield, subject to enemy sniping as well as suffering the mud and rain. The War Diary simply recorded the following: “… Total casualties - 4 officers Killed, 6 wounded, 35 [Other Ranks] Killed, 97 wounded, 4 missing...”. Albert was one of the unfortunate men who fell during the two day battle.

He was killed on Tuesday, 9th October 1917.

Albert’s wife Rose did not remarry after his death and she passed away in Hemel Hempstead in 1969 aged eighty-six.

Albert is Remembered with Honour on Tyne Cot Memorial, West Vlaanderen, Belgium, Panel 48 to 50 and 162A.

He was 31 years old when he died.

Albert was entitled to the 1914-15 Star, the British War Medal and the Allied Victory Medal.