Albert Ville's account of his experience in the army
I attach an extract from my grandfather's autobiography that relates to his
army experience in WWI. He was badly wounded in August 1918 in an incident in
which two of his comrades were killed. On the lighter side his account of
how he managed to obtain two Xmas dinners gives a more human insight into how
to survive army life!
| Title |
Albert Ville's account of his experience in the army
|
|---|---|
| Author |
Ville, Albert Edward
|
| Notes |
My grandfather Albert Edward Ville was born in Tottenham in August 1898 and toward the end of his life when he was living in Edgware he wrote a short autobiography. This is an extract relating his experience in the army during WWI. His discharge certificate shows that he enlisted at St Paul's Churchyard on 19th July 1916 and was initially a private in the 16th Battalion of the London Regiment (Private 698199) but was later moved to the 22nd Battalion of the London Regiment. He was called up in July 1917 and sent to France in December 1917. It is likely that he was soon in the front line as we still have several field services reports (postcards) that he wrote hurriedly to his parents in Compton Terrace, Highbury dated March 1918. After being badly wounded in August 1918 near Ypres, he was returned back to the UK to recuperate in Cardiff. He was discharged from the army on 7th January 1919 as he was ˜no longer fit for war service'. Two of Albert's brothers also served in the army during WWI (William and Lester Ville) and they too survived!
Editor's Comment: Pte. 555020 Albert Edward Ville, 16th Bn. (Queen's Westminster Rifles) London Regiment, served overseas in the 22nd Bn. (The Queen's), service no. 698199, and 11th Bn. (Finsbury Rifles), London Regiment. |
| Item date |
1916 - 1919
|
| Creation place |
Elverdinge, Ypres
|
| Item source | |
| Item medium | |
| Content | |
| Cataloguer |
Richard Marshall
|
| Filename |
GWA_4231_Albert_Ville_s_account_of_his_experience_in_the_army.txt
|
| Copyright |
The Great War Archive, University of Oxford / Primary Contributor
|
| Digital repository | |
| Contributor name |
Nick Ville
|
Collection
Citation
“Albert Ville's account of his experience in the army,” by Ville, Albert Edward. The Great War Archive, University of Oxford / Primary Contributor via First World War Poetry Digital Archive, accessed April 27, 2024, http://ww1lit.nsms.ox.ac.uk/ww1lit/gwa/item/5907.
Permitted Use
This item is available for non-commercial educational use under the terms of the Jisc Model Licence. Further details available at: http://ww1lit.nsms.ox.ac.uk/ww1lit/permitteduse
