Pte 29513 Albert Edward Nutbrown

• Age: 22
• From: Bootle, Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 17th Btn
• K.I.A Saturday 17th February 1917
• Commemorated at: Arras Memorial
  Panel Ref: Bay 3

Albert Edward was born in Bootle in the third quarter of 1896 the son of William Nutbrown and his wife Elizabeth (nee Caldecutt) who married in 1885 in Liverpool. William was born in Yorkshire while Elizabeth was born in Liverpool. 

Albert Edward was the 5th of 8 surviving children, sadly 5 other children died young. His siblings were; William, Sarah, Alfred, Annie, Charles, Ernest, and George. 

The Census of 1901 shows the family living at 38 Wilfer Street, Liverpool. Albert Edward is 5 years of age and lives with his parents and five siblings. His father is 43 years of age and his occupation is shown as a bootmaker, whilst his mother is shown as 36 years of age. His siblings are declared as; William aged 15 and a shop boy, Sarah 13, Alfred 11, Annie 10 and Charles who is newborn.  .

By 1911 the family are living at 147 Ruskin Street, Kirkdale. Albert now 14 is shown as an errand boy for Fosters breadshop. Both parents are resident and declare that they have been married for 25 years and have had 13 children of whom eight have survived. His siblings who are declared in the household are; William Henry aged 25, Sarah Ann aged 24 a domestic servant, Alfred 21 is a boot repairer, Annie 19 is also a domestic servant, Charles Frederick is 10 and at school, as are Ernest aged 8 and George aged 6.  

Albert enlisted at Seaforth and was  originally serving in the 13th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment as Private 29513. He was reported as wounded in the Daily Post of 09th August 1916, most probably at Guillemont.

He subsequently transferred and was killed in action with the 17th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment on 17th February 1917 aged 22.

Albert's body was not recovered from the battlefield and his name is recorded on the Arras Memorial in France. 

The ARRAS MEMORIAL commemorates almost 35,000 servicemen from the United Kingdom, South Africa and New Zealand who died in the Arras sector between the spring of 1916 and 7 August 1918, the eve of the Advance to Victory, and have no known grave. The most conspicuous events of this period were the Arras offensive of April-May 1917, and the German attack in the spring of 1918. Canadian and Australian servicemen killed in these operations are commemorated by memorials at Vimy and Villers-Bretonneux. A separate memorial remembers those killed in the Battle of Cambrai in 1917. Both cemetery and memorial were designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, with sculpture by Sir William Reid Dick. The memorial was unveiled by Lord Trenchard, Marshal of the Royal Air Force on the 31 July 1932 (originally it had been scheduled for 15 May, but due to the sudden death of French President Doumer, as a mark of respect, the ceremony was postponed until July).

Soldiers Effects father William, no Pension record has been found.

Older brother William served in the Machine Gun Corps as 83567 227 Coy MGC and survived the War. 

CWGC records hold Albert's parents address as 11 Grove Place, Kirkdale, Liverpool.

The family suffered further grievous loss in the early days of WWII when Albert's younger brother Charles Frederick, serving in the Merchant Navy, was killed on 17th October 1939  when his ship S.S. Yorkshire was torpedoed in the Atlantic on route to Liverpool from Rangoon. Charles Frederick is commemorated on the Tower Hill Memorial in London at Panel 120.  

Elizabeth Nutbrown died in 1940 aged 74 having seen two sons die in both world wars. We can only imagine her grief.

Albert Edward is commemorated on the following Memorials:

Hall of Remembrance, Liverpool Town Hall, Additions Panel 2  

St Mary with St Athanasius Church, Kirkdale.

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