224523 Cpl. Albert Ainsworth British Army 7th (City of London) Btn. London Regiment (d.7th Oct 1916) Albert Ainsworth started off as a private in World War One and joined the London regiment in the 7th (City of London) Battalion at Hammersmith, London under the regiment number: 3937. He lived in Notting Hill, London.
The 1/7th battalion was formed in August 1914 in Finsbury square, a district in central London and was assigned to the 2nd London Infantry Brigade in the 1st London Division.
Later on in his military career, he was promoted to Corporal and his service number changed from 3937 to 351464; this was because before 1917 all men serving with Territorial Force units were given either three digits or four digit service number. So from this information we know that Albert Ainsworth was initially a territorial forces soldier.
The 1/7th battalion embarked and landed in France in 1915 and first saw action in Festubert in May 1915. The battalion took part in several major battles in World War One such as the battle of Loo’s in the September of that year, Vimy in May 1916, High Wood in September 1916 and many other
major battles.
The battalion did suffer major casualties in these heroic battles and Corporal Albert Ainsworth was one of the many casualties, killed in action on the seventh of October in 1916. The 1/7th battalion were, at the time of Corporal Albert Ainsworth’s death fighting at Butte de Warlencourt. There was a lot of casualties as the soldiers were pinned down by machine gun fire. Around 300 officers and men lost their lives. The battalion was awarded the battle honour Le Transloy, a sector of the Somme.
Albert Ainsworth is remembered at the Thiepval memorial.
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