Albert Edward Shepherd VC

Albert Edward Shepherd VC
Image from Wikipedia

It was announced in the Barnsley Chronicle on the 11th August 2017 that Albert Shepherd, the town's only recipient of the Victoria Cross during WW1, is to have a flagstone memorial displayed outside the Town Hall in his honour. Albert was awarded the Victoria Cross for the many acts of bravery he performed during an offensive at Villers Plouich, France on the 20th November 1917. He disabled a machine gun at pointblank range, which not only saved the lives of several of his comrades on that occasion, but also allowed the company to continue on with their intended mission. Later that same day Albert took charge of the Battalion and led them to their final objective, He did this after all the Officers and NCOs had become incapacitated and could no longer command. In all, 63 men from Albert's company of 97 were either killed or reported missing that day, Albert was one of 34 individuals from his battalion to survive. Even with such a great loss of life, the day was still considered a success, as the mission's objective had been achieved.

The full story of Albert's bravery was printed in The London Gazette on 13th February 1918:

"No. R/15089 Rflmn. Albert Edward Shepherd, K.R.R.C. (Barnsley). For most conspicuous bravery as a company runner. When his company was held up by a machine gun at point blank range he volunteered to rush the gun, and, though ordered not to, rushed forward and threw a Mills bomb, killing two gunners and capturing the gun. The company, on continuing its advance, came under heavy enfilade machine gun fire. When the last officer and the last non-commissioned officer had become casualties, he took command of the company, ordered the men to lie down, and himself went back some seventy yards under severe fire to obtain the help of a tank. He then returned to his company, and finally led them to their last objective. He showed throughout conspicuous determination and resource."

Albert Shepherds grave at Royston
Photograph by Dave Blyth on Find a Grave.

Albert was born at Royston on the 11th January 1897, He was the eldest child and son of Noah and Laura Shepherd. After leaving school he found employment as a pony driver at New Monckton colliery. He would resume working there as a miner after the war.

Albert enlisted with the 12th service Battalion of the King's Royal Rifles on the 18th August 1915. Just over a year into his service, Albert was promoted to the rank of Lance Corporal on the 28th August 1916. At the time of the events at Villers Plouich he was a 20 year old Acting Corporal, a position he'd held since the 28th September 1916.

Albert was discharged from the army on the 2nd January 1919. Not long after this he married his first wife, 19 year old Rosezillah Tillman at the church of St. John the Baptist at Royston on 17th February 1919. The couple had two sons and a daughter, but sadly Rosezillah died only six years in to their marriage. A year after her death, on the 6th November 1926, Albert married for a second time to 17 year old Gladys Maud Lees (who gave her age as 18 on the marriage certificate). The couple had one child, a daughter named Mildred, who passed away aged just 5 in 1944.

Albert Shepherd's medals on display at Winchester
Photograph by A. Phillpott

Albert died aged 69 on the 23rd October 1966. He is buried in Royston cemetery alongside his second wife Gladys and their daughter Mildred. Over the years there have been several memorials to Albert in Royston; including a bench and an inscribed archway above the entrance to the churchyard, (this inscription has since been replaced by a plaque on the local war memorial.) The Royston Civic Hall was also recently renamed in his honour. Albert Shepherd's Victoria Cross is currently on display at the Royal Green Jackets Museum at Winchester. On the 20th November 2017 a ceremony will be held outside Barnsley Town Hall, to install his memorial flagstone by the cenotaph.


Many thanks to Albert's granddaughter Beverley for providing me with additional biographical details about him and thanks are also due to the members of the BWMP Facebook page for providing me several of the reference sources that I used to write this blog post.

Sources___________________________________
1901 & 1911 Census, A History of Royston by Howard Jones, Barnsley Chronicle 11th August 2017, Findagrave.org - Albert Shepherd, Medal Index card for A E Shepherd, National Archives, Rgjmuseum.co.uk/, Victoriacross.org.uk, West Yorkshire, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1813-1935 for Royston, St John the Baptist andWikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Edward_Shepherd