Person    | Male 

Andrew Behan has kindly carried out some research on this man:
Sapper Albert Edward Kells. Born on the 21^st April 1882 in Kennington, London, the son of Trumpet-Major Robert Kells, V.C. and Sarah Ann Kells, née Matthews. His father was a Yeoman of the Guard who was awarded his Victoria Cross whilst serving as a Lance Corporal in the 9^th/12^th (Queens Royal) Lancers at Boolundshuhur (currently called Bulandshahr)  during the Indian Rebellion on the 28^th September 1857, aged 25 years. On the 26^th August 1889 he was registered to attend Battersea Park Road School. Battersea, now called Chesterton Primary School, along with two of his older brothers. The family were living at 30 Park Grove, Battersea. The 1891 census shows the family living at 43 Landseer Street, Battersea. On the 15^th October 1899 he enlisted into the North Staffordshire (Prince of Wales) Regiment as a Boy Drummer and served in ‘B’ company, 2^nd Battalion. His service number was 5746. The regiment was posted to South Africa during the Boer War and he was awarded the South Africa 1901-02 Queens Medal with a Transvaal Clasp. On the 18^th July 1903 his father paid £18 to buy his son out of the army. (This was later repaid to his mother when he re-enlisted in the army during World War One). In November 1904 he was appointed as an Assistant Postman in Battersea. In early 1910 he married Margaret Isabel Annie Strickland in Brighton, Sussex, and they had one daughter, Marjorie Eileen Jane Kells who was born on the 17^th March 1911. The 1911 census shows the family living at 70 Standen Road, Southfields, Wandsworth and he is shown on the electoral registers as being there in 1912, 1913 and 1914. In August 1912 he was appointed as a Postman at London’s Western District Office. He re-enlisted into the army on the 26^th February 1915, joining the Royal Engineers Postal Section, service number 30548 and entered France on the 12^th March 1915. He died, suffering from shell shock, on the 18^th September 1916 at Summerdown Camp, Eastbourne, Sussex, aged 34 years. Probate was granted to his wife and their address was shown as 35 Cheltenham Place, Brighton. His estate amounted to £217-10s-0d. He is buried in Grave PG77, Brighton Borough Cemetery, Lewes Road, Brighton, BN2 3QB and his headstone shows his widow was living at 18 Gladstone Terrace, Brighton. He was posthumously awarded The 1914-15 Star, The British War Medal 1914-1918 and The Victory Medal.

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