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Private Albert George Furn


2nd Battalion, Durham Light Infantry


My great uncle Albert George Furn was born in 1896 in Lillingstone Dayrell, Buckinghamshire. By 1914 he was working as a ‘screenman’ at one of the pits in Seaham Harbour. He enlisted on Boxing Day, 1914 and joined ‘A’ Company, 2nd Battalion, Durham Light Infantry. He was posted to France on 2nd January 1916.

During the early hours of 15th March, 1916 Albert was one of almost 50 men who took part in a trench raid at Eitel Fritz Farm, near Ypres in an attempt to seize a prisoner for interrogation. The Battalion war diary provides a lot of detail about this raid, and names most of the men involved, their role, dress and equipment.

In August 2020 my son and I were invited to Belgium by the ‘In Flanders Fields Museum’, Ypres as they were excavating the exact section of trench raided by Albert.

In April 1916 Albert received a ‘gun shot’ wound to the left knee and died, aged 20 on 19th May 1916 in a military hospital on the French coast. He is buried at Wimereux Cemetery, France and is remembered on a ‘Roll of Honour’ in Christ Church, Seaham and a plaque in St Nicholas Church, Lillingstone Dayrell.

Additional information added by Durham at War:
The 1911 census shows that Albert George Furn was born in Maidford, Northamptonshire, but the family move to Lillingstone Dayrell, Buckinghamshire. The addresses of the family members in Albert’s record suggest that he moved to Seaham Harbour with his two brothers, whilst the rest of the family remained in Lillingstone Dayrell.

Albert spent a year with 3rd Battalion, Durham Light Infantry, based at South Shields, before being posted to France and joining 2nd Battalion.


Birth date: 1896

Death date: 1916

Residence: Lillingstone Dayrell, Buckinghamshire
Seaham Harbour, County Durham

Employment: Screenman (mine work)

Family:
Father: George Furn
Mother: Lillian Furn
Sisters: Lillian, Alice
Brothers: Bernal, Irwin

Service Type:
Army

Military Service:
22655 Private Albert George Powell
attested 26 Dec 1914
posted 28 Jan 1915 – 3rd DLI, South Shields
posted 2 Jan 1916 – 2 DLI, France

Medals:
British War Medal
Victory

Memorials:
St Nicholas Church, Lillingstone Dayrell, plaque
Christ Church, Seaham, roll of honour

Civil Parish: Dawdon

Contributed by Dougie, Essex

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