Pte Albert Bardsley missing in Action30 July 1916

[leon21]

Private No 27249 Albert Bardsley Officially Reported Missing on the 30 July 1916 during the attack on  Guillemont on the Somme.

Albert one of 9 children to parents James and Rosena Bardsley, and lived at 137 High Barn St Royton Oldham worked as a Piecer

at the King Cotton Mill Royton until he joined up in 1915.

He was attached to the Manchester Regiment Reserves, and later to the 18 Battalion  Manchester Regiment, sent to France in 1916,

he had only been in France for two months before being listed Missing in Action.

His body was later found and buried by 3 soldiers of the Irish Guards during the next attack on Guillemont 0n the 10 Sept 1916.

This is the statement of No 3765 Pte William Hendry of the 1/ Irish Guards No 10 Comp Harfleur 27 Nov 1916.

On Sept the 10th 1916 my Battalion was lying in support of the 2nd Battalion of Grenadier Guards. In company with two of my

comrades Pte Roughley and Crawley, both of whom have since been killed in Action, came upon the body of a British Soldier.

We buried him, and I took a pocket book out of his pocket, to find out who he was, we buried the body somewhere in the

vicinity of Guillemont Station. By the pocket book I found him to be No 27249 Pte Alfred Bardsley of 18 Battalion Manchester

Regiment, I was wounded myself on the morning of the 14th and admitted to hospital, while there about the 17th Sept, I gave

the book to an Officer of the Red Cross, who was inquiring for information respecting missing soldiers.

The family were later contacted by letter informing them that Albert had been killed in Action and returned the pocket book to

them, it contained two postcards, 6 letters some from his mother and some from his girlfriend, and a Military Pass.

Sadly Albert's grave was never found again and he is remembered on the Thiepval Memorial.

Albert was my Grandmothers Cousin, I came across this story in his Service Records.