East Lancashire Regiment, 6th Battalion, Service no. 22486
Son of James Pritchard and Eliza Houlston
Died: 6th October 1916, aged 19
Story
Albert was born in Kippax on 2th February 1897, and spent his childhood in Kippax, before moving to 29 Hollinghurst, Allerton Bywater where he worked as a pony driver in the coal mine. Albert initially enlisted in the King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry (Service no. 1929) in Castleford, before joining the East Lancashire Regiment 6th Battalion, which Charles Biscomb had also joined. Their Service numbers were close together. Albert was part of a Division which moved to Egypt landing at Port Said in January 1916, and then defended the Suez Canal. In February 1916 they moved to Mesopotamia landing at Basra on the 6th March 1916, and the Division engaged in various actions including the attempts to relieve Major General Charles Townshend in the besieged town of Kut-Amara.
Albert died at Kut-Amara, but this was several months after the British troops surrendered to Turkish forces, and nearly 3 months after Charles Biscomb had committed suicide rather than endure the terrible conditions. It is probable Albert died attempting to re-capture territory which held no strategic importance, in a campaign which has been held to be one of the worst in British Army history. On 14th April 1917, Albert’s father James received £2 12s 11d from the army following his son’s death, with a further £4 sent to him on 3rd October 1919, sums worth a total of around £250 in today’s terms. Albert is buried in the Amara War Cemetery, Iraq. Grave IX. D.20.
Kippax Roll of Honour 