Albert William Holland moved to Wickhamford with his family some time during the First World War. On his maternal side, he had connections with Badsey, as his mother’s mother, Rachel Winfield (née Hartwell), was from the Hartwell family who had lived in Badsey since the 18th century. Private Holland is recorded on the war memorials in St John the Baptist Church, Wickhamford, and in Wickhamford Memorial Hall.
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Private Albert Holland was born in Offenham and lived in Wickhamford after the 1911 census; he joined the 14th Battalion, Worcestershire Regt (No 36213) and was killed in action on 1st January 1918 in France, aged 19. According to the Badsey Parish Magazine of Feb. 1918, his mother received a letter from his platoon officer. It said:
Dear Mrs Holland,
It is with deepest regret that I have to inform you that your son, Pte A. Holland, 36213, has been killed in action.
Such sympathy as I can offer you I know is of but little avail but may it mean something to you that his death was practically instantaneous and I can assure you that he felt very little pain.
During the short time he was with me he proved to be one of my best and most willing men. Although still very young he had the nerve of many men much older and I shall greatly miss him.
Yours very sincerely,
John Hackett, 2nd Lt.
9 Platoon
C Company
14th Worcesters
B.E.F. France
He had not been in France for many weeks and is buried in the Sunken Road Cemetery, Villers-Plouich (Memorial/Grave A 27). A Memorial Service was held for Private A Holland at Wickhamford on January 23rd 1918.
Albert was the son of William and Elizabeth Holland and still at school in Evesham at the time of the 1911 census, living in Littleworth Street. He was the second of nine children of this couple from 1895 to 1917, two of whom died in childhood. The family were still living at 1 Longdon Hill, Wickhamford at the 1921 census. Albert’s parents received a number of communications concerning his death. They received his ‘dog-tag’ or disc worn around his neck, a Memorial Plaque or ‘Death Penny’, a letter from the Army Record section informing them of where their son was buried, a note from the Secretary of State for War, on behalf of the King, and his British War Medal and Victory Medal. These now belong to the granddaughter of his brother Maurice and she has supplied the photographs of these items shown below.
Acknowledgements
- With grateful thanks to “soilsister” for allowing us to use this photograph of Albert Holland’s grave, first posted on the Find a Grave website.
- The other photographs were kindly supplied by Nicola Mathison, great-niece of Albert Holland.