BORN HULL 1895. ELDEST CHILD OF CHARLES STRINGER & MARGARET BRIDGES. HIS PARENTS DIED YOUNG AND HE WAS RAISED BY HIS AUNTIE MRS ANNIE LOCKING AT 18 FISH STREET, HULL. HE HAD ONE YOUNGER BROTHER CHARLES HENRY BRIDGES AND ONE SISTER MARGARET BRIDGES. HE LEFT FOR MELBOURNE AUSTRALIA ON 21/03/1914, SAILING FROM LIVERPOOL ON THE WHITE STAR SHIP ‘IRISHMAN’. HE WORKED AS A ‘FARMHAND’ IN NEW SOUTH WALES.
HE ENLISTED COOTAMUNDRA, NEW SOUTH WALES, ON 17/08/1915. HIS MILITARY RECORDS DESCRIBE HIM AS 5 FOOT 4 INCHES TALL, WEIGHT 140 LBS, 35 INCH CHEST, DARK COMPLEXION, GREY EYES AND BROWN HAIR. RELIGION: CHURCH OF ENGLAND. AFTER BASIC TRAINING HE WAS POSTED TO FRANCE. ARRIVING VIA ALEXANDRIA ON 18/06/1916, AND THEN ON TO MARSEILLES, FRANCE, ARRIVING 29/06/1916. HE WAS WOUNDED AT FROMELLES, A MONTH LATER ON 19/07/1916 – ‘GUNSHOT WOUND TO LOWER EXTREMITIES’. HE WAS WOUNDED AGAIN ON 20/11/1916 – ‘GUNSHOT WOUND TO LEFT ARM AND RIGHT THIGH.’ INVALIDED TO BETHNAL GREEN HOSPITAL, EAST LONDON, ON 25/11/1916. WHILE RECOVERING AT PERHAM DOWNS, SURREY, HE WENT ABSENT WITHOUT LEAVE FOR 6 DAYS. AWARDED 25 DAYS DETENTION. RE-POSTED TO FRANCE AS A ‘BATMAN’ ON 07/04/1917, SERVING WITH THE AUSTRALIAN LIGHT HORSE AND THEN JOINING THE 60TH BN AIF. WOUNDED A THIRD TIME, ON 16/10/1917 – ‘GUNSHOT WOUNDS TO THIGH, FOOT AND HEAD’. TRANSFERRED BACK TO ENGLAND ON 01/11/1917. WENT ABSENT FOR 9 DAYS AT SUTTON VENY, DEVERILL, AND LOST 54 DAYS PAY. RETURNED TO FRANCE 21/03/1918, TO COUNTER THE GERMAN SPRING OFFENSIVE. WOUNDED FOUR TIMES. HE WAS KILLED IN ACTION A MONTH LATER ON 26/04/1918, AGED 23.
HIS DEATH WAS REPORTED IN THE HULL DAILY MAIL, ON 23/05/1918. HIS ARMY EFFECTS INCLUDING A DAMAGED WALLET, 5 COINS, PHOTOS, CARDS AND RECEIPTS, WERE RETURNED TO HIS AUNTIE ANNIE LOCKING, WHO HAD MOVED NEARBY TO 11 PRINCE STREET, MARKET PLACE, HULL. HIS BROTHER PTE., CHARLES HENRY BRIDGES, 24196, SERVED WITH THE 4TH EYR AND LATER WITH THE 1ST GARRISON, HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT. ALBERT BRIDGES IS REMEMBERED ON THE WALLA WALLA MEMORIAL, NEW SOUTH WALES, AUSTRALIA. HE IS COMMEMORATED ON THE SOMME, AT THE VILLERS-BRETONNEUX MEMORIAL.
Many thanks to Peter Erbacher (peter_erbacher@hotmail.com) for helping with the above information. Pete writes “I’ve written a movie about a WWI medallion that was found in Walla Walla NSW where Bridges was working. It was inscribed W T Stewart – it should have been Stuart. Bridges is his sidekick, for want of a better word. The script is currently in development.” Please e-mail Pete if you have any letters or photos of Albert Bridges that may help him with the film script. Thank You.
