Albert George Booth was born on 6 September 1898 in Devonport, Devon, a son of Thomas and Agnes Elizabeth Booth. His birth was registered in the 4th quarter of 1898 in the Devonport registration district, Devon. On 1 October 1898 he was baptised in the Garrison Church, Devonport, where the baptismal register shows the family living in Raglan Barracks and that his father was a Corporal in the Royal Welsh Fusiliers.
On 31 March 1901 when the 1901 census was undertaken, he is shown as a 2-year-old boy living at Crown Hill Barracks (Married Quarters), Crown Hill, St Budeaux, Plymouth, Devon, with his parents and two brothers; Robert Alfred Booth, aged 9 years and Thomas Booth, aged 6 years. His father was shown as aged 40 years and as a sergeant - infantry, whilst his mother's age was recorded as aged 29 years.
Having been educated at the Duke of York's Royal Military School, Dover, Kent, on 28 June 1916 he enlisted in the Royal Welsh Fusiliers and was placed in the Army General Reserve. Mobilised on 6 September 1916 he was posted the following day to the Royal Welsh Fusiliers Depot and joined the regiment's 3rd Battalion on 10 September 1916. His service number was 44395. On 9 March 1917 he was appointed as an unpaid Lance Corporal.
He entered France on 13 March 1918 and was attached to 'B' Company, 13th Battalion, Royal Welsh Fusiliers when he was killed in action, aged 19 years, on 26 August 1918.
On 25 January 1919 his army effects totalling £6-0s-9d were sent to his mother and she was sent his £9-0s-0d war gratuity on 6 December 1919. He was posthumously awarded the British War Medal 1914-1918 and the Victory Medal.
When he was recruited he stated that his next of kin was his mother, Agnes Ethel Booth who lived at 29 Great Cumberland Place, Marble Arch, London, but when the War Office tried to get in contact with her to seek her disposal instructions for his memorial plaque and scroll this letter was redirected to Harleyford, Marlow, Buckinghamshire, where at Marlow Police Station she confirmed her name was Agnes Elizabeth Booth.
His body had been buried near where he was killed but in January 1924 it was exhumed and reburied in Plot 12, Row N, Grave 9, in Delville Wood Cemetery, 5 Rte de Ginchy, 80360 Longueval, France.
He is shown as Booth.A.R. Pte. Royal Welsh Fus. on the Quebec Chapel War memorial just above that of his brother Thomas Booth who was killed in action on 5 June 1915. He is also commemorated on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission's website and on the Imperial War Museum's Lives of the First World War website.
Credit for this entry to: Andrew Behan.
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