Staff Sergeant Albert John Russell
5th (Royal Irish) Lancers
Killed in Action
Date of Birth: 5th October 1884
Place of Birth: Army Barracks at Sial Kote, India
Date of Death: 30th October, 1914 in Hollebeke, Belgium aged 30
Buried: Kemmel Churchyard, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium.
Remembered on the Teignmouth war Memorial and on the St. Michaels Memorial in Teignmouth.
Awarded the 1914 Star (RN), the British War medal and the Victory Medal
Staff Sergeant Albert (Bert) John Russell age 30.
Albert John was born in the Army Barracks at Sial Kote, India on 5 October 1884 where his father, Albert, was serving as Sergeant Farrier Quarter-Master with the 5th Royal Irish Lancers.
Albert's mother Jessie (Doyle) came from Teignmouth in Devon.
The family returned to the UK in 1898 after his father was discharged from the Army on a pension and moved to Teignmouth.
In 1900 he was shown as joining the Royal Navy, adding a year onto his age, he was discharged in 7 February 1904 on his own account which would explain his absence on 1901 census.
Cap Badge of the 5th (Royal Irish) Lancers Regiment. Courtesey of C.R. Coutman
Albert joined his father’s regiment 5th Royal Irish Lancers in 1904/5, he enlisted at Stratford, London, service number 7018. On 1911 census he was shown as a Corporal at Shrapnel Barracks, Woolwich and was single.
The 5th Irish Lancers were sent to Dublin in 1910 to help with the problems there at this time; Albert joined them at some stage after 1911 and during this time was promoted to Staff Sergeant. On 5th August 1914 the regiment was ordered to France as part of the 3rd Cavalry Brigade under General Gough.
At the end of August they were involved in the Battle of Mons where they fought a strong rearguard action against the advancing German Army and in October they were involved in the Battle of Messines and then in the first Battle of Ypres.
During this time Bert learnt that his younger brother, Lance Corporal John William Russell, serving with the same regiment, was reported missing.
He was fighting at Hollebeke in Belgium with his regiment when he was severely injured on 30 October; Albert died of his wounds. He was buried in Kemmel Churchyard where there are only 25 military graves. Remembered on St. James Memorial Window and Seafront Memorial, Teignmouth.
Grave Inscription reads: “There Is A Link Death Cannot Sever, Love And Remembrance Last For Ever”. ( from Miss R Hazell, his fiancé).
Following his death his mother, Jessie, received the news that her other son, John, was a prisoner of war.
John had been captured at the Battle of Mons where it was reported that he had been serving as orderly to Field Marshal Sir John French, Earl of Ypres . He remained a POW for the remainder of the war, returning at the end of 1918.
