Born on the 2nd January 1894 Albert was the youngest son of George and Ellen Salisbury, who were then living in Horn Lane, Shipston-on-Stour, and he was baptised on the 25th February 1894 in St Edmunds. Albert was also the twin of his sister Ellen. The Boys School register indicates that the family moved to Church Street sometime between late 1896 and mid 1898.  It is in this same period that Albert enrolled in the Infants School and on the 2nd July 1900 Albert moved up from the Infants to the Boys School. As in 1891 the 1901 census shows Albert’s father George working as a Guard on the Railways. The census also shows that Albert’s older brother George also worked on the railway, as a porter. The family are recorded as living in Church Street in one of the larger houses at the Stratford Road end.  An item of note in the census is that one of the three boarders living with the family is a Sapper Frederick White of the Royal Engineers. Albert completed his education on the 6th December 1907, four weeks before his fourteenth birthday. Sadly in 1909 Albert’s older brother George died aged just 21. He was buried in Shipston Cemetery. Albert joined the Army in April 1915 and in January 1916 was sent to join the 11th Signals Company who had been withdrawn from Gallipoli just before Christmas. Whilst it is known that Albert’s     rank was Lance Corporal, his medal index card also details the rank of Sapper, which gives us an insight into his job in the Army. It is also known that he served with the 11th Signals Company, who supported the 11th Division which fought in all the major battles on the Western Front from late 1916 As a sapper Albert would have been part of a Company of 162 men.  He would either have been assigned to No 1 Section, which supported Divisional Headquarters or to Nos 2, 3, or 4 Sections which served the 3 Brigades of the Division. If he served in the latter then it is known that he would have been in the Telephone section. On the 13th April 1919 the Evesham Journal reported: It is with deep regret we report the sudden death of Lance-Corpl A Salisbury, son of Mr and Mrs Salisbury of Shipston-on-Stour. The deceased soldier was for some years a porter at the Great Western Railway station, Shipston-on-Stour and for some time prior to the outbreak of war was signalman at Henley. In his civilian occupation and in life generally he was respected for his quiet courteous and obliging manner, and his absence will be very much noticed on many occasions. He joined the Royal Engineers in April, 1915, being sent to Egypt in the following January. From there he returned to France in the July, and was with his company right up to the time of demobilisation, going through his part of the campaign without being wounded. He crossed from Le Harve to Southampton on 15th March, arriving at the demobilisation station at Havant on the 16th, when he was immediately taken into hospital with influenza. He gradually got worse and his parents were sent for on the 20th and remained with him until he died on Thursday the 27th.  The body was brought to Shipston for burial on Tuesday evening last. The funeral took place at Shipston Cemetery, and although there is no Old Comrades Association or anything of a like kind at Shipston, two or three of the discharged non-commissioned officers and men decided to give him, if possible, a military funeral.  At 2pm about 40 discharged non-commissioned officers and men paraded outside the Council Schools and, under Corpl W E Cox RAF, followed the hearse. The coffin, which was provided by the military, was of polished elm with brass furniture, was covered with the Union Jack and on the breastplate “Lance-Corporal A Salisbury RE Born January 2 1894 died March 27 1919 aged 25 years” He was followed by Mr and Mrs Salisbury (father and mother), Mr W Salisbury (brother), Miss Joyce Sands (fiancé), Mr T Salisbury and Miss E Salisbury (brother and sister) and Misses A and M Salisbury (sisters), Mr W Salisbury and Mrs Mace (uncle and aunt) Mrs Gregory (Coventry) Corpl W Burton MM (cousin) Pte W Cook RAF, Mr ???? Stationmaster, representing the Great Western Railway. The bearers were old school chums who have come through the campaign, Ptes W Baker, G Barnes, B Barnes, J N Walker, all of the MGC. There were many beautiful floral tributes. Amongst the regiments represented were MGC, RE, Tank Corps, Gloucesters, Warwicks, KRR, RAF, HM Navy, and Warwick Yeomanry. Deceased was brother of Mr W Salisbury, who has been booking clerk at GWR station at Evesham for several years. Albert died on the 27th March 1919 and was buried with his brother George in Shipston-on-Stour cemetery and the gravestone commemorates both brothers.  Albert is remembered on the Council School and Town Memorials.

Mike Wells