Cpl 52919 Albert Ince

• Age: 34
• From: Chorley, Lancs
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 17th Btn
• K.I.A Thursday 12th October 1916
• Commemorated at: Warlencourt Brit Cem
  Panel Ref: V.B.25

Albert Ince was born 1882 in Chorley and baptised on the 13^th Jan 1882 in St George's Church, Chorley. On his baptism record his mother is shown as Rachel Ince, of “Cowley”, who is a frame tenter (which is a job looking after the spinning frames in a mill). His father is not mentioned but Rachel had married James Ince on the 24th September 1868 at St Paul, Addlington, her maiden name was Baxendale. 

Rachel is listed as being married in the 1871 and 1881 census, but James is not found at the same address. She has a son, Edward in 1869, and a daughter Melinda in 1880, as well as Albert in 1882.

In 1871 James is boarding at 32 Bengal St, Chorley, he is aged 25, married, and a cotton mill worker born in Chorley. 

It is not known when Albert’s father died but his mother Rachel married William McClelland in July 1887 at St James, Chorley. Rachel and William, who is a watchman in a cotton mill, are living at 61 Cowling Road, Chorley with all three of Rachel’s children. Albert is 9 years old, Edward is 22 and a shipper and grinder and Melinda, at the age of 12 is a threader in a cotton bleach works. 

The 1901 census shows Albert living with his sister Melinda and her husband Joseph Higgins and Joseph’s mother. The 19 year old Albert is a Private in the 8th Lancashire Fusiliers.

According to the Police Gazette of April 2nd 1901, Albert Ince is recorded as having enlisted in the 4th Lancs Fusiliers on 4th July 1900 and deserted the Army on the 6th March 1901.

Albert married Mary Helen Twist in 1910 in Chorley. 

The 1911 Census shows Albert living at 12 William Street, Chorley with his wife Mary Helen. Albert is aged 29, born 1882, a general labourer on the railway, born in Chorley, and his wife Mary aged 35, born 1876 in St Helens. The census shows the couple had been married for less than a year.

He enlisted in Bury and was formerly 7976, Lancashire Fusiliers, following a transfer he was serving in the 17th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Corporal 52919 when he was killed in action on the 12th October 1916 aged 34 during the Battle of the Transloy Ridges which was part of the ongoing Somme Offensive. 

17th Bn War Diary: Battle of Transloy Ridge –

11-10-16 - Gird Trench/Gird Support – Battalion in front line and support trenches. British bombardment of enemy front line system commenced about midday. Hostile shelling was intermittent throughout the day.

12-10-16 - Our bombardment continued. Enemy reply weak. 2.5 p.m. Zero hour. Attack on German front line system commenced. Enemy wire was found to be uncut and attack was unsuccessful. Hostile machine gun fire was very heavy and caused many casualties. Battalion H.Q. and Support Trench were heavily shelled throughout afternoon and evening. […] During this action all communication had to be carried out by runners and carrier pigeons as all wires were being continually cut by enemy shelling.

Casualties: 5 officers killed, 5 officers wounded, 38 OR killed, about 225 OR wounded/missing etc.

Graham Maddocks, in “Liverpool Pals” p.140, adds: “As the whistle blew, the 17th Battalion left its trenches to move forward. […] As soon as the attacking waves left their trenches the enemy artillery began to register on them, and at the same time, the defending infantry commenced a murderous rain of fire. […] Although their numbers had been depleted by the

British bombardment, they were trained and experienced soldiers, well dug in on high ground, and for the most part, looking out on uncut wire. As such, it was virtually impossible for them to miss the City Battalion men struggling to advance in the mud towards them. The 17th Battalion, on the left, was particularly badly hit, as its portion of No Man’s Land contained a slight rise in the ground, and as the troops emerged onto it they were silhouetted against the sky and became easy targets. Those on the left of the attack, who managed to avoid the hail of bullets and make it to the German wire, then found that it was totally uncut, and thus trapped, they too became easy targets, to be picked off almost at the enemy’s will. It was hardly surprising that, seeing the first waves being wiped out, some of the following waves turned back and made for their start lines. These lines were now packed with other waves of troops, however, and the fleeing men added to the congestion already there, and became easy prey for the German gunners. There is some evidence also, to suggest that at this stage, the British trenches were also being hit by their own heavy artillery shells which were falling short.”

A newspaper gave the following account:

Albert Ince, 52919, Corporal, Lancashire Fusiliers Reservist.

Enlisted 1900. Called up August 5th, 1914 and served in France from November, 1914, he took part in the battles of Ypres, Yser and served in various parts on the French Front. Suffered from frost-bite in the feet. Went to France on Ascension Day, 1915. Invalided home again with nervous complaint, returned for the third time and on June 29th on SS St Peter & Paul, 1916. Killed at Butte-de-Warlencourt, on the Somme, on 12th October, 1916. He had been transferred August, 1916, to the King’s Liverpool Regiment. Attended St Mary’s Church.

Albert rests at Warlencourt British Cemetery, France.

Warlencourt Cemetery is entirely a concentration cemetery, begun late in 1919 when graves were brought in from small cemeteries and the battlefields of Warlencourt and Le Sars.  The Graves Registration form shows graves from “Le Sars 6/1, 6/2, Hexham Road, Seven Elms”.

Graves were brought in from the original cemeteries at Hexham Road (Le Sars), and Seven Elms (Flers), as well as over 3,000 British graves due to the fighting which took place around the Butte de Warlencourt from the autumn of 1916 to the spring of 1917, and again in the German advance and retreat of 1918.   The cemetery now contains 3,505 Commonwealth burials and commemorations of the First World War, 1,823 of which are unidentified.

Farnworth Chronicle 26^th Jan 1917 

EX-RAILWAY WORKER KILLED.

Corpl. A .Ince, of the Lancashire Fusiliers, who had been reported missing since October 12th, 1916, is now reported to have been killed in action on that date. The deceased soldier, who was 36 years of age, was formerly employed[report not finished] 

Soldiers Effects and Pension to widow Mary H. and children Mary Teresa(b.1911) and Helen(b.1912), 18 William St, Chorley. 

 Widow Mary, dob 15^th April 1875, appears on the 1939 register still at 18 William Street with daughter Mary Teresa. 

She died aged 70 in 1945. 

We currently have no further information on Albert Ince, If you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.