Albert Green was born into a farming community in the Cambridgeshire village of Croydon-cum-Clapton in the summer of 1895. When war was declared in 1914 he was living in the village with his widowed mother and three brothers. On 7th January 1916 he sailed to France with the 11th Battalion Suffolk Regiment as Private 15606 Albert Green. His first experience of trench routine was at Bios Grenier to the South of Armentieres when he fought in the trenches in the 111 corps sector in February 1916 before moving down to the Somme in May 1916. One the first day of the battle of the Somme on 1st July 1916 his Battalion was tasked to attack the enemy lines across Sausage Valley. The 11th Suffolk's were known as "D" Battalion, they advanced within minutes of the barrage lifting, the advance started at 7.30 am after the explosion of a large mine, but the area was covered by enemy machine guns and the 11th Battalion suffered heavy losses with very few of them reaching enemy the lines. Albert was one of the Battalions 148 killed that day,he was 21 years old, the Battalion also suffered 387 wounded and 75 missing. Albert is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial in France, he is also remembered on the village War Memorial in Croydon-cum-Clapton along with his brother, uncle, and cousins husband. Albert Green was my 1st Cousin 2 times removed.

John Tiller