Pte Depot Somerset Light Infantry
Albert Pow was born on 7 November 1886 in Withy Mills, Farm Paulton, Bristol to Albert Pow, farmer, and Annie Oram of Midsomer Norton. By 1901 the family had moved to the village of Chilton Trinity and while Albert Snr worked as an agricultural labourer, Albert younger, aged 14 worked as a porter in the nearby machine works. At this time he had a brother and a sister. By 1911 his father had died and they had moved to Gibbs Buildings, North Street, where Albert was described as a sewing Machine Repairer. This was for the Singer company and he rose to be the manager of the company's branch at Barnstaple. Before the war he served for a time in the Territorials and he had married Leonora Wills, of 2 Southgate Avenue, Bridgwater. They set up home in 139, Carlton Terrace, Taunton Road. They had one child.
He joined sometime in 1916 and was wounded during the battle of the Somme. In early winter 1916 his health broke down entirely, suffering from dysentery and trench foot. He remained in hospital for seven weeks, before being sent back to his regiment. However, not long afterwards he caught trench fever.
He died in Britain, in the Canadian Red Cross Hospital, Taplow, Buckinghamshire, on 11 May 1917 of empyema. He had been there several weeks, with his wife by his side. He was 30 years old. He was buried in the Wembdon Road Cemetery on 17 May with full military honours, accompanied by the Bridgwater detachment of the Somerset Volunteer Regiment, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Standen Paine. The coffin was covered by a Union Flag with Albert's cap, belt and bayonet. The Vicar of St Marys, the Rev. Langham conducted the service and the Last Post was sounded.
Some of the material here came from the research of Mr. John Turner, which can be found here.
