Albert Thomas Hendely was born in 1892 at Frant Sussex, near Tunbridge Wells, the youngest of 7 children of William and Annie Hendley of ‘Sea View’ Red Lion Street [Wish Hill] Willingdon. He was a baker and confectioner at Mr Roberts’ bakery at the old Post Office. Albert enlisted September 1914 and was sent to the Cooden Mount training camp Bexhill until July 1915. From here he moved to Detling Camp Maidstone and finally Witley Camp Aldershot before embarking at Southampton 4th March for Le Havre. Shortly after reaching the Front Albert was hospitalized with enteric fever in June 1916 avoiding the Boar’s Head Battle Richebourg when many of his comrades in the Southdowns battalions were killed. He was sent home to recuperate in August before returning to France in September 1916. Albert was killed on the first day of the Battle of Passchendaele, 4 weeks before his planned wedding to Elsie Wooller whose two brothers were killed 1916 and 1918 and are also commemorated on the Willingdon Memorial. He is buried in Buffs Road Cemetery Belgium.

Rosalind Hodge