Albert Padfield

Story:
Albert Padfield's birth was registered at Shaftesbury, Dorset, in 1883, the son of Charles Padfield and Sarah Maria Padfield (née Mussell).  He lived his early life in Margaret Marsh, Shaftesbury, Dorset.  He had enlisted on 13 Oct 1902 with the Corps of Lancers of the Line as a Private (Service No. 6173). He remained in service until discharged on 3 Jan 1906 following a Courts Martial. He married Phoebe Maud Coombes at Melbury Abbas, Shaftesbury, Dorset, on 23rd March 1911 and they went on to have one daughter.  Within weeks of his marriage he had moved to Wandsworth, London, to live with his brother-in-law.  He enlisted on 16 December 1916 and joined the Royal Engineers as a Pioneer (Service No. 226294).  He served in France and Flanders and at some time transferred to the 312th Road Construction Company RE as a Lance Corporal (Service No. WR/40245).  He was discharged on 13th March 1919 and awarded the Victory and British War medals.  His wife and daughter had moved back to Cann, Shaftesbury, Dorset, in 1918 and in 1919 Albert had given an address in Tisbury, Wiltshire, on his discharge.   The 1921 Census shows him at the New Inn, Cann, Shaftesbury, as the Licensed Victualler. (No mention of his wife at this time.) The last record of him is in the Electoral Register 1926 where he gave Foots Hill, Cann, Shaftesbury, as his address. There is no record of him in the 1939 Register or of an obvious death record.

Albert's brothers Levi and James also served in the war, but James sadly died shortly after his discharge from the army in 1919.