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Pte. Albert Edward Cotton
British Army 2nd Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment
from:Nag's Head Yard, Sutton-in-Ashfield Notts.
(d.17th Jul 1915)
Albert Edward Cotton was born between April and June 1881 at Danesmoor near Clay Cross in Derbyshire. His parents were Samuel and Mary Ann and he had two brothers and two sisters. His early life was spent moving between Derbyshire and Yorkshire as his father went to new collieries looking for work. By 1901 however the family were living on Huthwaite Road, in Sutton-in-Ashfield,Nottinghamshire, and all the men in the family were working as coal hewers in the local pits. On Christmas Day in 1902 Albert Edward was married to a local girl, Ruth Lavinia Gregory, at St. Mary’s Church in Sutton.. Over the next eleven years Albert Edward and Ruth Lavinia had six children, two of whom died very young
The First World War broke out in early August 1914. Albert Edward and his family were living at 42, Willowbridge Lane. Albert may have wanted to get out of the pits, or he may have welcomed the idea of a soldier’s life fighting for his country "until Christmas". But for whatever reason,in September of that year, he enlisted into the Army and soon became a private in the 2nd. Battalion of the Lincolnshire Regiment Albert left behind Ruth Lavinia, who would be 29 years old, and his four children - Samuel aged 11, Flora Edith aged 10, Mary Ellen aged 6, and Elsie May who was just 3. Albert Edward finished his training and sailed for France, where he arrived on the 23rd of February 1915. Within seventeen days of arriving in France, Albert Edward was in the thick of the action.
The 2nd. Battalion of the Lincolnshire Regiment was heavily involved in the battle of Neuve Chappelle. With a major shortage of artillery and ammunition, a narrow attack was made on the German line close to the village of Aubers. Total surprise was achieved and the troops advanced two-thirds of a mile. However a lack of communications lead to back-up troops not being sent in, and the attack was abandoned after 3 days. 7,000 British and 4,200 Indian soldiers were killed or wounded. The 2nd Battalion in particular had heavy casualties.
Having survived their first real battle Albert Edward and his comrades then had a spell of “normal trench life “ This proved to be full of danger also due to the large amount of casualties arising from the activities of the German snipers.
On May 9th. a British offensive began again on Aubers Ridge. As part of this battle, the Lincolnshire’s 2nd Battalion was committed to an attack at the village of Festubert. This attack was designed to secure new positions 1000 yards further in front of the British defensive lines. It was begun with a sixty hour artillery bombardment designed to wear down German manpower. The object of the attack was achieved, but at the huge cost of 16,000 British and Indian casualties. Once again Albert Edward had been involved in a major battle and had come through unhurt. The Battle of Festubert lasted until the 25th. of May. After this date Albert Edward again resumed life in the trenches.
Albert Edward had another Sutton man in his Battalion – Tom Spencer who came from Forest Street and was ten years younger. The two men became close friends and shared many dangers together. In the early July of 1915, the two men were in the trenches around Fleurbaix, just south of Armentieres. The usual exchanges of shelling and sniping went on daily.
On the 14th. of July 1915, the War Diary of the 2nd Battalion of the Lincolnshire Regiment records:- "Two mortars were in action in Z Company’s parapet and seemed to do great execution in the enemy’s sandbag fort. Enemy replied by shelling along our parapet and also on area behind". It went on to add:- "Relieved by 2nd Royal Berkshire Regiment and went into Brigade Reserve at Fleurbaix (3 killed, 5 wounded)". One of the five wounded was Albert Edward Cotton. Either a bullet or a fragment of shrapnel had hit him in the throat and he needed urgent medical attention. Albert would first of all go to a local field hospital and then , if needed would take the long journey by train to Le Touquet and its beaches, which were home to an immense concentration of reinforcement camps and British Hospitals.
Ruth Lavinia was a widow at 30 and she had four children aged from four to twelve years. The way ahead was hard, but she was a strong woman and managed the job well. All her children grew up and got married. They remained close to her throughout her life; as did her husband’s old mate from the trenches, Tom Spencer. In deed, although they never married, he and she shared various houses together until her death in 1971.
