Albert Hill VC (24 May 1895 – 17 February 1971) was an English recipient of the

Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previously ...

, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.

Early life

Born in

Hulme Hulme () is an inner city area and electoral ward of Manchester, England, immediately south of Manchester city centre. It has a significant industrial heritage. Historically in Lancashire, the name Hulme is derived from the Old Norse word ...

Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...

, one of ten children, he was a weak and frail child who after his schooling started work in a mill, before becoming an apprentice planker at Wilson Hat Manufacturers, in Wilton Street, Denton (Manchester).

First World War

In August 1914 he joined the 10th Battalion, the

Royal Welsh Fusiliers The Royal Welch Fusiliers ( cy, Ffiwsilwyr Brenhinol Cymreig) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, and part of the Prince of Wales' Division, that was founded in 1689; shortly after the Glorious Revolution. In 1702, it was designated ...

, as a private. He was awarded the

for his actions at

Delville Wood The Battle of Delville Wood was a series of engagements in the 1916 Battle of the Somme in the First World War, between the armies of the German Empire and the British Empire. Delville Wood , was a thick tangle of trees, chiefly beech and ...

, part of the Battle of the Somme in 1916. His citation read: He was also a holder of the French Croix de Guerre, the Russian

Cross of St. George The Cross of Saint George (russian: Георгиевский крест, Georgiyevskiy krest) is a state decoration of the Russian Federation. It was initially established by Imperial Russia where it was officially known as the Decoration of ...

, and three campaign medals.

Later years

In February 1919 he returned to work in Wilson's factory, and married Doris Wilson a year later. They emigrated to the United States in 1923, where he found work as a building labourer, and had three daughters and a son. He attempted to enlist on the outbreak of the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

, but was advised to do defence work instead.Tameside council
/ref> He died in

Pawtucket, Rhode Island Pawtucket is a city in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 75,604 at the 2020 census, making the city the fourth-largest in the state. Pawtucket borders Providence and East Providence to the south, Central Fal ...

in 1971 and was buried with full military honours in Highland Memorial Park, Johnston, Rhode Island. Hill Court in

Wrexham Wrexham ( ; cy, Wrecsam; ) is a city and the administrative centre of Wrexham County Borough in Wales. It is located between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley, near the border with Cheshire in England. Historically in the count ...

is named in his honour.

The Medal

His Victoria Cross is displayed in the

Royal Welch Fusiliers Museum The Royal Welch Fusiliers Museum is a museum dedicated to the history of the Royal Welch Fusiliers, a historic regiment of the British Army. The museum is located within Caernarfon Castle in Caernarfon, Gwynedd, North Wales. Admission is include ...

in Caernarfon Castle.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Hill, Albert 1895 births 1971 deaths British Battle of the Somme recipients of the Victoria Cross People from Hulme Royal Welch Fusiliers soldiers British Army personnel of World War I Recipients of the Croix de Guerre 1914–1918 (France) English emigrants to the United States Recipients of the Cross of St. George British Army recipients of the Victoria Cross Burials in Rhode Island Military personnel from Lancashire