222900 Pte. Albert Joseph Perris British Army 2nd Battalion Highland Light Infantry (d.3rd Nov 1914) Albert Joseph Perris was born on the 22nd December 1881, his birth being registered in Limerick, Ireland in the 1st quarter of 1882. He was the son of James William and Mary Anne (nee Ahearn).
In 1891, aged 9, he was living at the Royal Artillery Barracks, Woolwich with his parents (his father being a Barracks Serjeant in the Army Service Corps) and 5 siblings.
By 1901 his father had left the Army and was a “Customs Watcher†living with Mary A and 4 children in East London (an additional child being born in 1893).
In 1911 his father was a married “In Pensioner†at The Royal Hospital, Chelsea which meant that he had given up his Army pension to live in the Hospital with lodging, meals and medical treatment free while Mary Anne was living in Forest Gate, East London with 3 of their children. The census written by Mary notes that they had 8 children 2 of whom had died.
Albert was at The Gordon Boys Home, West End, Surrey in about 1894. The Home, built by public subscription in memory of General Gordon, was a home for waif, strays and children of impoverished families to be taught a trade. It was run on military lines and very many of the boys joined the Army. At Gordon's he was taught to play a musical instrument as he became a musician in the Highland Light Infantry.
Aged 13 in 1894 he would have left Gordons in about 1896/7. If it is assumed that he enlisted soon after leaving Gordons he would have completed his 12 years by 1910.
He was a Bandsman in the 2nd Battalion Highland Light Infantry with the Regimental number 6490 when he landed at Boulogne on the 14th August 1914. Therefore, he was still in the Army, or a Reservist, when war was declared.
The 2/HLI were in Aldershot and part of 5th Brigade, 2nd Division in early August 1914 and were immediately mobilised.
On the 1st November 1914 the 2nd Division held the left of the British line outside Ypres from Zonnebeke to Polygon Wood with the 1st Division on its right and French Colonial troops on its left. At noon the 2/HLI were withdrawn from the line and placed in Divisional reserve where they remained for some days.
Albert was killed in action on the 3rd November along with with 7 comrades. The Official Record compiled after the war states that the "on the 3rd, 4th and 5th November little change..." although the German Heavy Artillery increased in volume due to additional guns and ammunition.
Two of those killed have known graves, with the others including Albert are remembered on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial
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