ALBERT CRAWLEY 

Albert's Story.

Albert was born in the city of Derby in 1887 to father, Henry, a baker and confectioner, and mother Ellen. By 1901 the family had moved to Birkenhead at 219, Borough Road. The census showed Henry still as a baker and confectioner. Albert attended The Woodlands school.

After helping his father in the baker’s Albert was employed by Stafford Johns and E. T. Vanderbilt, photographers, who had premises in both Birkenhead and Liverpool. He then became a student to a local entertainer, J F Burrows. Following this apprenticeship Albert took to the boards himself, touring the Halls with a successful ventriloquist act. Theatre Halls were numerous in the early 1900s and performances were regularly given by theatre troupes, ventriloquists, hypnotists, poets, comedians, choirs and orchestras. 

The Birkenhead News, in 1905, reported a concert taking place in the Mission of St. Paul’s, Tranmere where “Bert Crawley gained much applause with his talented ventriloquisms and comic songs”

This career was interrupted with the onset of the First World War. Albert enlisted on the 27^th October 1915 joining the 8^th Battalion, Royal Scots Regiment. The battalion was stationed north of the Somme at that time and after his training he will have joined his unit there. Albert along with his Battalion took a key part in the Battle of the Somme.

At some stage during his period on the western front Albert fell ill and was unable to continue as a soldier. He was discharged from the Army on 18^th June 1917 and was awarded the Silver War Badge.

Sadly, Albert did not recover from his illness affecting his heart and died on Monday 3 December 1917. He was buried in Flaybrick Cemetery, Birkenhead on Thursday December 6^th. Although he had been discharged from the Army, Albert was buried in a Commonwealth War grave as the reason for his death was attributed to his active service.