Commemorative peal in honour of war hero

At 12.30pm, on Sunday, May 27, a quarter peal of bells will ring for 45 minutes at the village’s St Aidan’s Church and at St Nicholas Cathedral, in Newcastle, in memory of Albert Hall.

Aged 31, Albert was killed on active service in France on May 27, 1918. He was Bamburgh’s final fatality in the war.

Albert was born at Burton Farm, in Bamburgh parish, in 1887. In civilian life, Albert, better known as Skipper, was chauffeur to AH Leather-Culley and married Rebecca Hall.

He was a member of the local cricket club committee, was captain of the Workman’s Golf Club and was on the committee of the Reading Room.

He was noted for his duties as MC at fund-raising events and was captain of St Aidan’s bell ringers. He was one of the most regular attenders at St Aidan’s church, a member of the choir and sang at numerous fund-raising events.

He enlisted at Alnwick in May 1915. In the July, he was sent to France, Egypt and Salonica as a driver in the Royal Engineers. After contracting a severe illness, he was sent to Malta, then back to England.

In April 1918, he was sent to France, but was killed a few weeks later.

He has no known grave, but it is believed he was killed during the Battle of the Aisne and his name is listed on the Soissons Memorial, Ainse, France.

His name is listed on the Bamburgh war memorial and the Roll of Honour in St Aidan’s Church, along with his brothers Philip and William.

Albert and Philip are also on the plaque in St Aidan’s Belfry of the bell ringers who were killed in the Great War.